The U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team enters the first year of the 2020 Olympic quadrennial with many fresh faces coming off.
The women’s team starts the training season on May 1. Head coach Karch Kiraly has invited many new players to train with the National Team this summer, giving each an opportunity to show their capacity and talents. Instead, some players has announced their retirement early before, they are: middle blocker Christa Dietzen, setter Courtney Thompson and libero Kayla Banwarth. While some other veterans who have opted to step away from the game at least temporarily after a long professional league season.
The U.S. Women will participate in three international tournaments in 2017: The Pan Am Cup, World Grand Prix and the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup. The U.S. has named its 21-player preliminary roster for the 2017 FIVB World Grand Prix.
Setters: Lauren Carlini (Aurora, Illinois), Lexi Dannemiller (West Chester, Ohio), Micha Hancock (Edmond, Oklahoma) and Carli Lloyd (Bonsall, California).
Opposites spikers: Annie Drews (Elkhart, Indiana), Liz McMahon (Liberty Township, Ohio) and Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Illinois).
Liberos: Amanda Benson (Litchfield Park, Arizona), Kristen Hahn (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Justine Wong-Orantes (Cypress, California).
Middle blockers: Tori Dixon (Burnsville, Minnesota), Lauren Gibbemeyer (St. Paul, Minnesota), Molly McCage (Spring, Texas), Amber Rolfzen (Papillion, Nebraska), Hannah Tapp (Stewartville, Minnesota) and Paige Tapp (Stewartville, Minnesota).
Outside hitters: Michelle Bartsch (Maryville, Illinois), Megan Courtney (Dayton, Ohio), Madi Kingdon (Phoenix, Arizona), Sonja Newcombe (Lake Arrowhead, California) and Sarah Wilhite (Eden Prairie, Minnesota).
The 2017 season will have vast competition at setter with 2016 Olympians Courtney Thompson and Alisha Glass not with the team. Four setters with limited international experience and within two years of college graduation will be in the USA training alongside 2016 Olympian Carli Lloyd. The young talent at setter includes Lauren Carlini, who earlier this year won the prestigious Sullivan Award as the best amateur athlete following her four-year career at University of Wisconsin. Micha Hancock, who has two professional seasons under her belt, has a wicked serve to go with her setting abilities that led Penn State to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2013-14. Hancock set serving records at the 2016 Pan American Cup for most aces in a match and tournament. Other setters having the opportunity to prove themselves are Stanford University product Madi Bugg and University of Michigan’s Lexi Dannemiller.
Star players such as Jordan Larson, Kim Hill, Foluke Akinradewo and Kelsey Robinson will take a break in the World Grand Prix. InstaVolley is looking forward to the performance of the new U.S. players and spotlights on the potential future superstars.
Text excerpt from BILL KAUFFMAN @USAVolleyball
Photo: USAVolleyball
