In the latest update to the USA Volleyball Women’s National Team training camp roster, 4 new players have been invited to Anaheim, while 3 have left camp.
The training camp lineup is updated on almost a weekly basis in between tournaments as players come and go. The U.S. isn’t travelling to the Montreux Volley Masters tournament this year, which means their first big tournament will be June 17th-25th at the Pan Am Cup in Lima and Canete, Peru. That tournament will be one decider of spots for the 2018 World Championships, and will be the first chance for the Americans to commit to a stable roster.
The biggest names added to the list are Paige Tapp and Lauren Gibbemeyer. Tapp, who just finished the Puerto Rican professional season in mid-May (later than most pro leagues run), was the 2016 Senior CLASS Award winner for women’s volleyball – an honor that represents the best seniors in the country in a combination of academics, athletics, and service. She joins her sister Hannah, who was already at the training camp. USA Volleyball now has two sets of twins in its camp – Amber and Kadie Roflzen are both also on the training camp roster.
Gibbemeyer, meanwhile, already has a handful of caps for Team USA. She was a member of the 2015 FIVB World Grand Prix team, averaging 2.48 points and .68 blocks per set in 14 games as Team USA won gold. She was also on rosters for the 2015 FIVB World Cup, the 2013 Pan American Cup, and the 2012 Pan American Cup, among others. Gibbemeyer plays professionally for Pomi Casalmaggiore in Italy.
Annie Drews is a former Second Team All-American at Purdue and Stephanie Niemer was the 2010 Big East Player of the Year at Cincinnati. Both players, like Paige Tapp, were playing professionally in Puerto Rico until mid-May.
Out:
- Rhamat Alhassan
- Morgan Heise
- Val Nichol
In:
- Stephanie Niemer
- Annie Drews
- Paige Tapp
- Lauren Gibbemeyer
Current roster (new additions in bold).
Player (Position, 2016-17 Pro Club, College, Hometown)
Inky Ajanaku (Middle, Rehabbing in USA, Stanford, Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Michelle Bartsch (Outside, Bolzano (Italy), Illinois, Maryville, Illinois)
Amanda Benson (Libero, Final Season in College, Oregon, Litchfield Park, Arizona)
Madi Bugg (Setter, NUC (Switzerland), Stanford, Apex, North Carolina)
Lauren Carlini (Setter, Final Season in College, Wisconsin, Aurora, Illinois)
Megan Courtney (Outside, Wroclaw (Poland), Penn State, Dayton, Ohio)
Lexi Dannemiller (Setter, Schweriner (Germany), Michigan, West Chester, Ohio)
Tori Dixon (Middle, Rehabbing in USA, Minnesota, Burnsville, Minnesota)
Annie Drews (Opposite, Caguas Criollas (Puerto Rico), Purdue, Elkhart, Indiana)
Lauren Gibbemeyer (Middle, Pomi Casalmaggiore (Italy), Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota)
Kristen Hahn (Libero, Did Not Compete, Iowa State, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
Micha Hancock (Setter, Wroclaw (Poland), Penn State, Edmond, Oklahoma)
Madi Kingdon (Outside, IBK (Korea), Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona)
Molly McCage (Middle, Wiesbaden (Germany), Texas, Spring, Texas)
Liz McMahon (Opposite, Dresden (Germany), Illinois, Liberty Township, Ohio)
Kelly Murphy (Opposite, Henan (China), Florida, Wilmington, Illinois)
Sonja Newcombe (Outside, Sichuan (China), Oregon, Lake Arrowhead, California)
Stephanie Niemer (Outside, Caguas Criollas (Puerto Rico), Cincinnati, Erlanger, Kentucky)
Amber Rolfzen (Middle, Dresden (Germany), Nebraska, Papillion, Nebraska)
Kadie Rolfzen (Opposite, Dresden (Germany), Nebraska, Papillion, Nebraska)
Hannah Tapp (Middle, Schweriner (Germany), Minnesota, Stewartville, Minnesota)
Paige Tapp (Middle, Juncos Valencianas (Puerto Rico), Minnesota, Stewartville, Minnesota)
Sarah Wilhite (Outside Hitter, Final Season in College, Minnesota, Eden Prairie, Minnesota)
Aiyana Whitney (Outside Hitter, MTV Stuttgart (Germany), Penn State, Norwood, New Jersey)
Justine Wong-Orantes (Libero, Final Season in College, Nebraska, Cypress, California)
Carly Wopat (Middle, Toray (Japan), Stanford, Santa Barbara, California)
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