USA Volleyball has announced in its official website its 20-player U.S. Girls’ Youth National Training Team roster. The team will train from July 20 to August 3 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. It will then be cut to 12 athletes who will compete at the 2018 NORCECA Girls’ U18 Continental Championship in Honduras (Aug. 25 to Sept. 2), with the winner and runner up qualifying for the 2019 FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship.
Here is what the roster looks like:
Outsides/Opposites
Allysa Batenhorst (Katy, Texas, Houston Juniors) – Uncommited
Jade Demps (Raleigh, North Carolina, Triangle VBC) – University of Wisconsin
Madi Endsley (Temecula, California, Coast VBC San Diego) – verbally committed to the University of Nebraska
Colleen Finney (Blythewood, South Carolina, Carolina Juniors) – verbally committed to Clemson University)
Allison Jacobs (Stevenson Ranch, California, Legacy) – verbally committed to UCLA
Lindsay Krause (Papillion, Nebraska, Nebraska Premier) – verbally committed to the University of Nebraska
Jess Mruzik (Livonia, Michigan, Legacy VBC) – verbally committed to the University of Michigan
Reagan Rutherford (Missouri City, Texas, Houston Skyline Juniors) – verbally committed to the University of Kentucky
Middles
CC Crawford (Kansas City, Missouri, Mid-America Volleyball) – verbally committed to the University of Texas
Rylee Gray (Omaha, Nebraska, Nebraska Elite) – Uncommitted
Bre Kelley (Rockwall, Texas, Excel VBC) – Uncommitted
Emily Londot (Utica, Ohio, Mintonette) – verbally committed to the Ohio State University
Kaya Merkler (Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Triangle VBC) – verbally committed to the University of North Carolina
Devyn Robinson (Ankeny, Iowa, Iowa Power Plex) – verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin
Setters
Naomi Cabello (Clermont, Florida, Top Select) – verbally committed to the University of Texas
Celia Cullen (Brighton, Michigan, Legacy) – verbally committed to Michigan State University
Kami Miner (Redondo Beach, California, Mizuno Long Beach) – Uncommitted
Kennedi Orr (Eagan, Minnesota, Northern Lights) – verbally committed to the University of Nebraska
Liberos
Hattie Monson (Morris, Illinois, Sports Performance) – verbally committed to Notre Dame
Sydney Taylor (Grove City, Ohio, Mintonette) – Uncommitted
The team will be lead by head coach Jim Stone who has spearheaded Team USA’s U18 squad to silver medal finishes at the 2013 and 2015 FIVB Girls’ U18 WCH, USA Volleyball’s only medals in age-group World Championships. Here is what he had to say of the current roster:
“I’m excited to get this group in the gym and see how much progress we can make in our limited time together. I’m starting with a blank canvas. But the challenge doesn’t change, we need to finish first or second in order to qualify for the world championship next summer. So, we need to both conduct a tryout and a training camp simultaneously. From what I have seen, we have some good athletes that are motivated to play at the highest possible level. I’m looking forward to watching this young group improve and accept the challenges in front of them.”
Although Team USA’s U18 squad has won the NORCECA Girls’ U18 Continental Championship in 7 out of its 10 editions, the Americans have finished 2nd to the Dominican Republic in the last two editions of the event, in 2014 and 2016. This time around, it figures that the rivalry between both teams will still be on, as both squads continue to be the continental superpowers of the sport. However, Canada has slowly been rising in the volleyball scene and is due to make a splash any time soon.
Leave a Reply