Iowa State’s Jess Schaben Joins U.S. Collegiate National Team – Europe

  0 Braden Keith | July 04th, 2018 | ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, College - Women's Indoor, Conference USA, Division I Mid-Major, Missouri Valley Conference, Mountain West, News, Pac 12, SEC, WCC

2018 Global Challenge

The 2018 USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team – Europe departs today, on America’s Independence Day national holiday, for a 12-day European training trip. Led by Louisville head coach Dani Busboom-Kelly, the 12-woman roster will land in Venice, Italy on July 5th, and will train and scrimmage until they begin play in the Global Challenge from July 10th-13th in Pula, Croatia.

There has been one big change to the roster: UCLA outside hitter MacKenzie May, who was originally selected for the squad, withdrew. She has been replaced by Iowa State outside hitter Jess Schaben, a fellow native-Iowan, on the roster.

The Global Challenge is organized by the promotional company Bring It USA, and is now in its 14th edition. The tournament will feature a 23 & under division (where the U.S. Collegiate National Team will compete) and a 17 & under division.

There will be 7 teams competing in the tournament. Other American collegiate rosters includes a Mountain West Conference all-star team, two teams organized by Bring it On Productions, a “USA East Coast” squad that is a Patriot League all-star team, a Croatia Select roster, and a squad from PVK Olymp Praha in Prague, Czech Republic. The two European-based teams are technically not U23 rosters, but are very close.

The U17 tournament features a more balanced international field, with just 3 American teams among 9 participants. A Hungarian junior team and a junior squad from famed Italian club Modena are among the participants in that tournament.

U.S. Collegiate National Team Roster

Name (Position, School, Height, College Eligibility Remaining, Hometown, Youth Club)

  • Alexis Dirige (L, Washington State University, 5-2, 2, San Francisco, California, Vision Volleyball Club)
  • Leah Edmond (OH, University of Kentucky, 6-2, 2, Lexington, Kentucky, Lexington United)
  • Audriana Fitzmorris (OPP, Stanford University, 6-6, 1, Overland Park, Kansas, MAVS)
  • Amanda Green (OH, University of Louisville, 6-1, 2, Skokie, Illinois, Wildcat Juniors Volleyball Club)
  • Danielle Hart (M, University of Wisconsin, 6-4, 4, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Coastal Virginia VBC)
  • Kirstie Hillyer (M, Colorado State University, 6-6, 2, Bayfield, Colorado, Four Corners)
  • Taylor Mims (OPP, Washington State University, 6-3, 1, Billings, Montana, Montana Juniors)
  • Berkeley Oblad (M, University of Utah, 6-4, 1, Henderson, Nevada, Vegas Encore)
  • Katie Oleksak (S, Colorado State University, 5-10, 2, Phoenix, Arizona, Arizona Storm)
  • August Raskie (S, Oregon, 6-0, 1, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Front Range Volleyball Club)
  • Jess Schaben (OH, Iowa State University, 1, Defiance, Iowa, River City Juniors)
  • Avery Skinner (OH, University of Kentucky, 6-1, 3, Katy, Texas, Houston Skyline Volleyball Club)

Coaching Staff

  • Head Coach: Dani Busboom Kelly (head coach, University of Louisville)
  • Assistant Coach: Branden Higa (head coach, California Baptist University)
  • Assistant Coach: Marie Zidek (head coach, DePaul University)
  • Athletic Trainer: Megan Smith (Illinois State University)
  • Team Leader: Tim Kelly

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About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of VolleyMob.com. Braden's first foray into sports journalism came in 2010, when he launched a swimming website called The Swimmers' Circle. Two years later, he joined SwimSwam.com as a co-founder. Long huge fans of volleyball, when Braden and the SwimSwam partners sought an opportunity to …

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