Sarah Wilhite, Lauren Carlini Join U.S. Team Training Camp

5 more players have joined the U.S. Women’s National Team Training Camp on Anaheim this week as they begin competitive preparations for the upcoming summer tournaments. Included among them is Lauren Carlini, a 4-time All-American at Wisconsin who this year became the first volleyball player to ever win the AAU Sullivan Award as the nation’s best amateur athlete, and is presumed to be the heir to the starting setter position on the U.S. National Team.

Joining her will be Sarah Wilhite, who also just finished her college career for Wisconsin mega-rivals the University of Minnesota – the 2016 VolleyMob National Player of the Year.

Also joining the roster, to bring the camp squad up to 25 players, are Carly Wopat, who is in camp for her second year after playing with Toray in the Japanese V-League; libero Kristen Hahn, who was on the American qualifying roster for the 2014 World Championships; and Aiyana Whitney, who is getting her first Team USA experience after playing with German side MTV Stuttgart this season.

Upcoming Team USA schedule before they begin tournament play later this summer:

Scrimmage Schedule:

• May 12: at Murrieta Mesa High School (Murrieta, California), 7 p.m. PT
• May 19: at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School (San Juan Capistrano, California), 7 p.m. PT
• May 26: at Santiago Canyon College (Orange, California), 6 p.m. PT (doubleheader with U.S. Men’s National Team)
• June 2: at Kennedy High School (La Palma, California), 7 p.m. PT
• June 13: at JSerra High School (San Juan Capistrano, California), 7 p.m. PT

The most up-to-date roster is below, with new additions bolded:

Player (Position, 2016-17 Pro Club, College, Hometown)
Inky Ajanaku (Middle, Rehabbing in USA, Stanford, Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Rhamat Alhassan (Middle, College Senior-to-Be, Florida, Glenarden, Maryland)
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, Illiniis)
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)
Kristen Hahn (Libero, Did Not Compete, Iowa State, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
Micha Hancock (Setter, Wroclaw (Poland), Penn State, Edmond, Oklahoma)
Morgan Heise (Libero, Final Season in College, SMU, Hempstead, Texas)
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)
Val Nichol (Setter, MTV Stuttgart (Germany), Purdue, Normal, Illinois)
Amber Rolfzen (Middle, Dresden (Germany), Nebraska, Papillion, Nebraska)
Kadie Rolfzen (Opposite, Dresden (Germany), Nebraska, Papillion, Nebraska)
Hannah Tapp (Middle, Schweriner (Germany), 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)
Notes: * Wilhite and Carlini begin on May 16; ^ Wopat begins on May 17