Bill Kauffman
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 6, 2012) – The current U.S. Women's National Team Weekly update released on Feb. 6 includes briefs on U.S. players competing overseas and other team news.

TOM WITH FENERBAHCE UNIVERSAL IN TURKEY: U.S. Women’s National Team outside hitter Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Utah) is competing for Fenerbahce Universal of the Turkish League in 2011-2012. Fenerbahce dominated Ankaragucu 25-14, 25-9, 25-13 on Feb. 4 as Tom did not compete in the match. Fenerbahce defeated Eregli Belediyesi 25-27, 25-8, 25-20, 25-20 on Feb. 5 to stay undefeated in the Turkish League. Tom notched eight kills on 25 attacks, four aces and a block for 13 points. She added a 58 positive reception percent on 24 chances. Fenerbahce, 16-0 on the regular season with 48 points, plays Iller Bankasi on Feb. 12 in its next Turkish League match. In CEV Champions League action, Fenerbahce stopped VK Modranska Prostejov 23-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-16 on Feb. 1 in Czech Republic. Tom totaled 13 points with nine kills on 24 swings, three aces and a block in the victory. She added a 71 positive reception percent on a team-high 21 chances. For a photo gallery of the match, click here. The teams meet again on Feb. 9 in Istanbul to conclude the home-and-home series. To watch the match live online, click here.click here. The teams will complete the home-and-home series on Feb. 9 in Azerbaijan. To watch the match live online, click here. To read Glass’ blog, click here.

HODGE, ALISHA GLASS WITH POLAND’S ATOM TREFL SOPOT: U.S. Women’s National Team outside hitter Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) and setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.), both Penn State University products, are playing for Poland’s Atom Trefl Sopot in 2011-2012. Sopot (13-3) edged KS Palac Bydgoszcz 23-25, 25-19, 25-16, 23-25, 15-10 on Feb. 5 in PlusLiga regular season action. Hodge was a reserve in the first, fourth and fifth sets producing four kills on seven errorless attacks. Glass did not compete in the match. The PlusLiga completes the 18th and final regular season round next week as Sopot plays KPSK Stal Mielec on Feb. 12. In CEV Champions League action, Sopot topped 2011 CEV Champions League runnerup Rabita Baku 22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 26-24 on Feb. 1 to begin a home-and-home series in the 8th Final Round. Hodge scored a match-high 28 points with 26 kills on 54 swings and two blocks. She also handled 39 service receptions with a 56 positive percent. Glass set Sopot to a 43 kill percent for the match while providing two blocks. For a photo gallery of the match,

CRIMES, MIYASHIRO, LICHTMAN WITH POLAND’S BKS ALUPROF BIELSKO-BIALA: U.S. Women’s National Team middle blocker Alexis Crimes (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), spiker Cassidy Lichtman (Poway, Calif.) and libero Tamari Miyashiro (Kaneohe, Hawaii) are competing for BKS Aluprof Bielsko Biala in the Poland Plus Liga. After a week hiatus for the Polish Cup, Bielsko-Biala returned to regular season action on Feb. 5, only to lose to Organika Budowlani Lodz 25-20, 25-18, 25-22. Miyashiro provided 15 service receptions with an 80 positive percent. Lichtman earn the match start and played the first two sets recording one kill on two attacks. Bielsko-Biala ends the regular season with the 18th Round match against KS Palac Bydgoszcz on Feb. 12. Bielsko-Biala edged Italian Serie A1 regular season leader Yamamay Busto Arsizio 26-24, 25-20, 19-25, 19-25, 15-7 on Jan. 31 to start their CEV Cup 4th Final Round home-and-home series. Bielsko-Biala saved a set point in the opening period to earn a 26-24 victory, then led by as many as nine points in the second set. Busto Arsizio controlled the third and fourth sets to send the match into a tie-breaker. Bielsko-Biala never trailed in the fifth set and were leading 8-3 at the court switch after earning four unanswered points. The teams will complete the series on Feb. 9.

DAVIS, RICHARDS WITH PIACENZA IN ITALY: U.S. Women’s National Team libero Nicole Davis (Stockton, Calif.) and outside hitter Kristin Richards (Orem, Utah) are part of the Italian Serie A1 Rebecchi Nordmeccanica Piacenza squad in 2011-2012. Piacenza defeated Riso Scotti Pavia 31-29, 25-18, 31-29 in an exciting three-set match on Feb. 5. Davis supplied 46 service receptions with a 59 positive percent. Richards did not compete in the match as she attended to personal matters back in the United States. Piacenza, now 8-7 with 22 points for fifth place in the Serie A1, challenges ninth-place Cariparma SiGrade Parma (5-10, 16 points) in its next Serie A1 match on Feb. 11.

BERG, WILSON WITH VILLA CORTESE IN ITALY: U.S. Women’s National Team setter Lindsey Berg (Honolulu) and past U.S. National Team player Makare Wilson (Gardena, Calif.) are playing for MC-Carnaghi Villa Cortese in the Italian Serie A1 in 2011-2012. Villa Cortese defeated Cariparma SiGrade Parma 25-14, 26-24, 25-15 on Feb. 5. Wilson scored nine points with six kills on eight attacks and three blocks in the victory. Berg did not play in the match. Villa Cortese resumes Italian Serie A1 action on Feb. 12 against Norda Foppapedretti Bergamo. In CEV Champions League action, Villa Cortese edged Russia’s Dinamo Moscow 25-20, 25-18, 18-25, 23-25, 15-12 in a home win on Feb. 1 to start its 8th Final Round home-and-home series. Wilson was credited with 12 points via seven kills on 17 attacks, four blocks and an ace. Berg was not available to play in the match. For a photo gallery of the match, click here. The two teams conclude the home-and-home series on Feb. 9. To watch the match live online, click here.

LLOYD WITH BUSTO ARSIZIO IN ITALY: U.S. Women’s National Team setter Carli Lloyd (Bonsall, Calif.) is playing for Yamamay Busto Arsizio of the Italian Serie A1 for the 2011-2012 season. Yamamay Busto Arsizio remains undefeated in the Italian Serie A1 division with a 14-0 record and 40 points after topping LIU-JO Modena 25-12, 22-25, 25-22, 25-17 on Feb. 4. Lloyd set her squad to a 43 kill percent while adding three individual kills on nine attacks, two blocks and an ace for six points. Busto Arsizio returns to Serie A1 regular season action on Feb. 11 against 11th-place Riso Scotti Pavia (0-15, 1 point). In CEV Cup action, Busto Arsizio enters the 4th Final Round with a home-and-home series against Poland’s Aluprof Bielsko Biala on Jan. 31 and Feb. 9.

BARBOZA, HARMOTTO WITH MODENA IN ITALY: U.S. Women’s National Team outside hitter Cynthia Barboza (Long Beach, Calif.) and middle blocker Christa Harmotto (Hopewell, Pa.) are competing for LIU-JO Modena of the Italian Serie A1 in 2011-2012. Modena lost to league leader Yamamay Busto Arsizio 25-12, 22-25, 25-22, 25-17 on Feb. 4. Harmotto scored a team-high 13 points with nine kills on 22 attacks and four blocks. Barboza added two kills and a block in a starting role. Modena, ranked eighth in the Serie A1 Division with a 5-10 record and 17 points, is idle this coming week.

KLINEMAN WITH PESARO IN ITALY: U.S. Women’s National Team outside hitter Alix Klineman (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) is competing for Scavolini Pesaro of the Italian Serie A1 in the 2011-2012 club season. In CEV Champions League action, Pesaro lost 25-16, 25-20, 25-22 to Volley Bergamo to open the 8th Final Round home-and-home series. Klineman scored seven kills on 18 attacks, one block and one ace as she started the first two sets and came off the bench in the third set. For a photo gallery of the match, click here. The two teams complete the series on Feb. 9. To watch the match live online, click here. Pesaro’s regularly scheduled fifth round match versus third-place Chateau d’Ax Urbino Volley (10-3, 30 points) was pushed to Feb. 15. Pesaro’s next Italian Serie A1 match will take place on Feb. 12 against fourth-place Asystel Volley Novara (10-4, 23 points). Pesaro currently sits in seventh place with a 6-8 record and 18 points.

PAOLINI WITH ICOS CREMA IN ITALY: U.S. Women’s National Team middle blocker Lauren Paolini (Ann Arbor, Mich.) is playing for Icos Crema Volley in the Italian Serie A2 Division for 2011-2012. Icos Crema held off seventh-place Assistur Corriere Espresso Soverato 25-17, 25-15, 18-25, 23-25, 15-7 on Feb. 5. Paolina tallied 15 kills on 30 attacks and seven blocks for a match-high 22 points. She also provided three service receptions with a 67 positive percent. Icos Crema improved to 14-4 with 42 points in the Serie A2 standings for third place. Icos Crema will face 16th-place Time Volley Matera in its next Serie A2 match on Feb. 12.

SYKORA WITH VOLEI FUTURO IN BRAZIL: Stacy Sykora (Burleson, Texas) has returned to Brazil to compete with her club team Volei Futuro in the Brazil Superliga. Sykora returned to the court for her first official appearance on Jan. 20 after suffering serious injuries in an April 2011 bus accident as Volei Futuro was traveling to a post-season match in the Brazil Superliga. Volei Futuro handled Mackenzie 25-20, 25-14, 25-15 on Jan. 31 as Sykora continued to serve as the team’s libero. Volei Futuro out-lasted Rio Do Sul 25-23, 21-25, 25-16, 25-17 on Feb. 3. Volei Futuro, ranked second in the league with 30 points and a 9-2 record, plays Sao Bernardo on Feb. 7 live on SporTV, followed by a Feb. 10 match with Banana Boat.

HOOKER WITH SOLLYS/NESTLE IN BRAZIL: Destinee Hooker (San Antonio, Texas) is competing for Sollys/Nestle in the Brazil Superliga during the 2011-2012 club season. Sollys/Nestle topped Sao Caetano 25-18, 25-23, 25-21 on Jan. 31 as Hooker scored eight points in the victory to open the second half of the season. Hooker notched seven points as Sollys/Nestle recorded a 25-22, 24-26, 25-15, 25-17 victory over Mackenzie on Feb. 3. Sollys/Nestle, now in fourth place with an 8-3 record and 25 points, plays Rio Do Sul on Feb. 7 followed by a Feb. 10 match with Sao Bernardo live on Esporte Interctive. To follow Hooker in social media platforms, visit destineehooker19.blogspot.com for her blog and click here for her Facebook athlete page.

SCOTT-ARRUDA WITH SAO BERNARDO IN BRAZIL: Danielle Scott-Arruda (Baton Rouge, La.), a four-time Olympian for the U.S. Women’s National Team and attempting to become just the third women’s volleyball to compete in five Olympics, signed midway through the 2011-2012 season to play for Sao Bernardo in the Brazil Superliga. Sao Bernardo dropped a 25-21, 25-15, 25-22 match to Usiminas on Jan. 31. Scott-Arruda scored six points in the match with five kills and one block while adding nine digs. Sao Bernardo pushed Pinheiros to five sets before losing 25-18, 17-25, 25-19, 16-25, 15-8 on Feb. 3. Scott-Arruda contributed a team-high 15 points with 11 kills on 22 attacks and four blocks. Sao Bernardo, now 4-7 overall with 12 points for eight place, plays second-place Volei Futuro on Feb. 7 live on SporTV followed by a Feb. 10 match against Sollys/Nestle live on Esporte Interactive.

LARSON WITH DINAMO KAZAN IN RUSSIA: U.S. Women’s National Team outside hitter Jordan Larson (Hooper, Neb.) is competing for Dinamo Kazan of the Russia Super League. Kazan topped second-place Uralochka-NTMK 25-19, 25-20, 35-33 on Feb. 5 to improve to 13-2 overall with 37 points in the Russia Super League. Kazan, which is in first place with a two-match lead over Uralochka, returns for action on Feb. 12 against eighth-place Odintsovo (6-9). In CEV Champions Cup action, Kazan dominated Dresdner SC 25-12, 25-20, 25-13 on Feb. 1 on the road. Larson charted seven kills on 21 attacks, two blocks and two aces for 11 points in the victory. For a photo gallery of the match, click here. The two teams meet again on Feb. 9 to conclude the series. To watch the match live online, click here. To read Larson’s blog, click here.

AKINRADEWO WITH DINAMO KRASNODAR IN RUSSIA: U.S. Women’s National Team middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Fla.) is competing for Dinamo Krasnodar of the Russia Super League in 2011-2012. Krasnodar (10-5, 32 points) lost for the second consecutive time in the Russia Super League with a 25-16, 15-25, 25-23, 30-28 setback to fourth-place Dinamo Moscow on Feb. 5. Akinradewo tallied five kills on 13 errorless attacks to go with two blocks for seven points. Krasnodar, now in third place, looks to break its two-match losing streak on Feb. 12 against Tyumen. In CEV Cup action, Krasnodar handled SVS Post Schwechat 25-20, 25-22, 25-22 on Feb. 1 to start its 4th Final Round home-and-home series. The two teams meet again on Feb. 7.

KIM GLASS, SPICER WITH RABITA BAKU IN AZERBAIJAN: U.S. Women’s National Team outside hitter Kim Glass (Lancaster, Pa.) and setter Nellie Spicer (Barrington, Ill.) are competing for Rabita Baku of the Azerbaijan Super League. In CEV Champions League action, Rabita Baku lost the opening match of the 8th Final Round home-and-home series with Atom Trefl Sopot on Feb. 1. Glass was a sub in the second set, while Spicer was a reserve in the second and third sets before starting the fourth set helping the team to a 39 kill percent the last period. The teams will meet again on Feb. 9 for the return match in Azerbaijan. To watch the match live online, click here.

BOWN, TAMAS WITH AZERRAIL BAKU IN AZERBAIJAN: U.S. Women’s National Team middle blockers Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Jennifer Tamas (Milpitas, Calif.) are playing for Azerrail Baku in the Azerbaijan Super League in 2011-2012. Azerrail will face Lokomotiv Bilejeri tentatively on Feb. 12 in its next Super League match after a winter European storm canceled last week’s matches. Azerrail defeated Volero Zurich 25-19, 22-25, 26-24, 25-16 on Feb. 1 to open the CEV Champions League 8th Final Round home-and-home series. Bown contributed 19 points with 12 kills on 21 swings, five blocks and two aces. Tamas was a sub in the third set. For a photo gallery of the match, click here. The two teams meet again on Feb. 8 to conclude the series in Azerbaijan. To watch the match live online, click here.

METCALF, THOMAS WITH LOKOMOTIV BAKU IN AZERBAIJAN: U.S. Women’s National Team opposite Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) and middle blocker Elisha Thomas (Grass Valley, Calif.) are playing for Lokomotiv Baku of the Azerbaijan Super League in 2011-2012. Lokomotiv Baku (3-2) will play Baki tentatively on Feb. 12 in its next Super League round after matches this past week were canceled due to the European winter weather and travel problems. In CEV Cup action, Lokomotiv opened its CEV Challenge Cup 8th Final Round home-and-home series with a 25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 25-18 victory over Vizura Beograd on Feb. 1. The two teams meet again on Feb. 8 to cap the series.

HANEEF-PARK WITH IGTISADCHI BAKU IN AZERBAIJAN: U.S. Women’s National Team opposite Tayyiba Haneef-Park (Laguna Hills, Calif.) is playing in the Azerbaijan Super League with Igtisadchi Baku in 2011-2012. Igtisadchi will face Azeryolservis on Feb. 12 in the next Azerbaijan Super League round after winter weather and travel canceled this past week’s league schedule.

GIBBEMEYER WITH TOYOTA AUTO BODY IN JAPAN: U.S. Women’s National Team middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer is playing for Toyota Auto Body of the Japan V-League during the 2011-2012 club season. Toyota dropped a 25-15, 25-15, 23-25, 25-21 match to fourth-place JT on Feb. 4 as Gibbemeyer scored 13 kills on 26 attacks without an error to go with one block for 14 points. Toyota bounced back to top eighth-place NEC 27-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-18 on Feb. 5 as Gibbemeyer contributed 17 kills on 38 swings with one block for 18 points. Toyota, now 4-9 on the season and in sixth place, continues its schedule with matches against second-place Toray (11-2) on Feb. 11 and third-place Hisamitsu (8-5) on Feb. 12 at Gifu.

THOMPSON, JONES, FORSETT WITH CATANO IN PUERTO RICO: U.S. Women’s National Team setter Courtney Thompson (Kent, Wash.), outside hitter Angie Forsett (Lake Mary, Fla.) and middle blocker Jessica Jones (Naperville, Ill.) are playing for Catano in the Puerto Rico Super League. Catano topped Juncos 25-18, 25-20, 25-20 on Jan. 31 as Forsett scored a team-high 14 points – all on kills – to lead the squad. She added 13 digs for a double-double. Jones was credited with five kills and three blocks for eight points, while Thompson provided 20 assists, one kill and one ace. However, Catano fell to Corozal 1-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-17 on Feb. 3. Forsett notched 13 kills, two blocks and two aces for 17 points to go with 13 digs. Thompson charted 10 assists and 13 digs to go with two kills and a block. Jones chipped in six kills and four blocks for 10 points. Catano, currently in fourth place with a 5-2 record, plays Ponce on Feb. 6, Guaynabo on Feb. 8, and Corozal on Feb. 10.

OTHER AMERICAN HIGHLIGHTS IN PUERTO RICO: Caguas is the only undefeated team in the Puerto Rico Super League with a7-0 record, followed by Mayaguez with a 6-2 record. Corozal and Catano are both 5-2 in the league…Julie Bennett tallied a team-high 27 points while Shonda Cole added 17 points and Ashley Benson notched 11 points in Corozal’s five-set win over Bayamon on Jan. 30. In the loss, Kelly Wing recorded a match-high 28 points and Erin Moore added 19 points for Bayamon. Brianne Barker provided 18 assists, 15 digs and two kills in the loss…Juncos’ Kim Willoughby scored 12 points in a three-set loss to Catano on Feb. 31…Blair Brown scored 13 points to propel Mayaguez to a three-set win over Ponce on Jan. 31 as her American teammates Stephanie Niemer added 11 points and Sydney Anderson provided 10 assists and six kills. Ponce was led by Airial Salvo’s 12 points, followed by Meagan Ganzer’s 11 points and Kelsey Black’s four points…Michelle Bartsch totaled 18 points and 14 digs in leading Toa Baja to a five-set victory over Corozal on Feb. 1. Julie Bennett tallied a match-high 26 points in the loss, while Shonda Cole added 15 points and Ashley Benson nine points…Cagaus defeated Bayamon in three sets on Feb. 1 as Brooke Delano tallied five points in the victory. Erin Moore scored a team-high 10 points in the loss, while Kelly Wing added six points and Brianne Barker handed out four assists and two points…Blair Brown notched 14 points and Stephanie Niemer added 10 points in Mayaguez’ four-set win over Guaynabo on Feb. 2. Sydney Anderson added 19 assists and five points in the victory. In the loss, Kelly Murphy scored a triple-double with 11 points, 12 assists and 10 digs, while Kristy Jaeckel tallied 12 points…Corozal’s Shonda Cole hammered 23 points and Julie Bennett added 17 points in leading their team to a four-set win over Catano on Feb. 3. Ashley Benson added eight points in the victory…Michelle Bartsch scored 13 points and Jessica Swarbrick added 10 points in leading Toa Baja to a three-set win over Bayamon on Feb. 3. Kelly Wing and Erin Moore scored 17 points in the loss, while Brianne Barker provided five assists, 10 digs and three points…Megan Ganzer scored 22 points to lead Ponce to a four-set win over Carolina on Feb. 4. Kelsey Black added 19 points and 14 digs in the victory, while teammate Airial Salvo tacked on 15 points. Kristen Dozier scored 19 points for Carolina in the loss, followed by Morgan Beck’s 16 points and Diane Copenhagen’s 12 points…Brooke Delano scored nine points in Caguas’ four-set win over Mayaguez on Feb. 4. In the loss, Stephanie Niemer charted a team-high 17 points while Blair Brown added 12 points. Sydney Anderson contributed 17 assists in the loss…Kristy Jaeckel collected 18 points in Guaynabo’s four-set win over Juncos on Feb. 4, while Kelly Murphy added 16 assists, eight kills, two aces and nine digs in the victory. Kim Willoughby pocketed 22 points in the loss and Mekana Barnes scored five points.

Tags: volleyball equipment, volleyball net, volleyball court, volleyball nets, volleyball net height, volleyball tournament, volleyball and net, volleyball players

Blida, Algeria, February 4, 2012 - Hosts Algeria became the fifth women’s team to secure a ticket to the volleyball competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games after they won the Women's African Olympic Qualification tournament on Saturday, with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-21, 20-25, 25-12) victory over reigning African champions Kenya on the third and final day at Tchaker Blida Hall in Algeria.

With the victory, Algeria guaranteed a place at the Olympic Games for the second time in row after they competed in Beijing 2008.

In the play off for third in the four nation tournament, Egypt beat the Seychelles 3-0 (25-18, 25-8, 25-21).

Algeria entertained the 5,000 fans in attendance with their victory over Kenya coming in 88 minutes. Experienced wing spiker Faiza Tsabet and center Lydia Oloumou were the key players for Algeria with the skillful setting of Fatima Zahra also playing a part. Tsabet was the top scorer with 19 points while Oloumou recorded 16. Edinah Rotich was Kenya's best scorer with 13 points.

"The win came thanks to the sacrifice and good work of all the players who made a good preparation," Algeria coach George Strumelo said. "Now we will celebrate this qualification before begining to prepare for the 2012 London Olympics to make a good show."

The result was a repeat of the 3-1 win for Algeria over Kenya at the 2011 World Cup - the opening qualifying event for the Olympic Games - where they finished 11th and 12th respectively.

Algeria was the only African women's side to play at the 2008 Olympic Games while Kenya had the honour in 2004 and 2000. All three times, Africa's representative finished 11th out of 12 teams.

Women's teams qualified for the London Olympic Games:
Great Britain (Hosts)
Italy (World Cup winner)
USA (World Cup second place)
China (World Cup third place)
Algeria (African Olympic Qualification winner)

Match Results

Thursday, February 2, 2012

16:00: Algeria v Egypt 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20)

18:00: Seychelles v Kenya 0-3 (15-25, 21-25, 23-25)

Friday, February 3, 2012

1500: Algeria v Seychelles 3-0 (25-6, 25-6, 25-12)

17:00: Kenya v Egypt 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-13, 20-25, 16-14)

Saturday, February 4, 2012

15:00: Algeria v Kenya 3-1 (25-16, 25-21, 20-25, 25-12)

17:00: Egypt v Seychelles 3-0 (25-18, 25-8, 25-21)

Results

Ranking

Tags:  volleyball equipment, volleyball net, volleyball nets, volleyball players, volleyball tournament, volleyball court,
volleyball net height

Both Algeria and Kenya improved their win-loss ratio to 2-0 and the qualification ticket has become a battle between these two, with the showdown scheduled for the third and final day of the tournament on Saturday. Egypt and Seychelles dropped to 0-2 and they meet in the final day to determine the third position of the four-nation tournament.

Kenya won the crucial points of their match against Egypt to pull off an exciting victory in 115 minutes. Kenya's experienced opposite Lydia Maiyo was the match star. Not only was she the top scorer with 22 points but also through her leadership on court along with wing spiker Mercy Moim who scored an impressive 19 points. Egypt’s left attacker Sherihan Abdel Fattah was her team's leading scorer with 22 points.

Algeria used their experience to overwhelm the Seychelles in 54 minutes. Zohra Ben Sallem was her team's top scorer with 11 points, while Seychelles scorer Biong Maya scored seven points.

Match Schedule

Thursday, February 2, 2012
16:00: Algeria v Egypt 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20)
18:00: Seychelles v Kenya 0-3 (15-25, 21-25, 23-25)

Saturday, February 4, 2012
15:00: Algeria v Kenya
17:00: Egypt v Seychelles

Among the 211 tryout participants representing 71 different colleges are 56 outside hitters, 51 middle blockers, 45 liberos, 37 setters and 22 opposites. The 2012 tryouts are open to current college-age athletes and older.

Each tryout participant will have four sessions each - one on Friday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday. The tryout participants will be divided into three groups for the Friday and Saturday morning sessions. The Red Group will take the court on Friday from 2-4 p.m. and on Saturday from 8-9:50 a.m. The White Group will be evaluated Friday from 4-6 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:50-11:40 a.m. The Blue Group will work out Friday from 6-8 p.m. and on Saturday from 11:40 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The groups will be altered for the second session on Saturday and the Sunday morning session.

The 2011 U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts attracted a record 204 participants. Barring athletes dropping from the tryouts due to injury at the last moment, the 2012 tryout will be the largest ever.

“The annual U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryout is an extremely important part of our program,” U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) said. “It gives us the opportunity to coach and evaluate these talented athletes and allows us to identify and possibly integrate them into our team in 2012.”

The U.S. Women’s National Team program is open to selected tryout athletes who have concluded their college eligibility and who wish to be invited to be a member of the U.S. Women’s Volleyball National Team on a full-time basis. This program could begin as early as the spring of 2012, or when an athlete’s scholastic or professional club season has concluded. Also considered for training with the U.S. Women’s National Team will be athletes who have remaining college eligibility; however, their participation will begin in mid-May or when their scholastic calendar ends for 2012.

Athletes in college and with collegiate eligibility remaining for the 2012 collegiate season not selected to join the U.S. Women’s National Team may be invited to participate with the U.S. Women’s Senior A2 program. This program is scheduled to take place in Columbus, Ohio, from June 26 through July 5. A projected 48 athletes will be invited to participate in the program, which will include training and competing at the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships (GJNC) from July 1-4.

“The format of the U.S. Women’s National A2 program will be different in 2012 than in past years,” USA Volleyball Senior Director Tom Pingel said. “Instead of the A2 teams competing in the Open Division at the USA Volleyball Open National Championships, the A2 teams will compete in their own four-team tournament held in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships (GJNC) held in Columbus this year. We feel this will allow eligible athletes from across the country to participate and increase the level of experience for the athletes and USA Volleyball. In addition, this mini-tournament will provide youth participants, coaches and fans attending the GJNC an opportunity to watch higher level volleyball to enjoy in their down time.”

Liberos (45)
Name (School, Ht, College Years Remaining, Group)
1B - Charlee Dyroff (Columbia, 5-7, 2,
2B - Maiya Perich (Air Force, 5-6, 1,
2W - Emma Dridge (Air Force, 5-6, 3,
3B - Robin Rostratter (California, 5-11, 1, R)
3W - Christine Wu (Harvard, 5-4, 0,
4B - Katherine King (Baylor, 5-10, 0, R)
4W – Ashley Mason (Missouri St, 5-8, 2,
5B - Jennifer Beltran (Illinois, 5-8, 2, W)
5W - Gabrielle Dewberry (Cal St Fullerton, 5-8, 1, R)
6B - Monique Morris (Indiana St, 5-10, 2, R)
6W - Kaitlin Mosher (Florida St, 5-8, 3,
7B - Andrea Henning (North Dakota St, 5-8, 1, R)
7W - Kristen Hahn (Iowa St, 5-6, 2, R)
8B - Julie Chin (Northwestern, 5-7, 1, W)
8W - Kori Moster (Michigan St, 5-4, 3, W)
9B - Alyssa Warren (Seton Hall, 5-10, 2, R)
9W - Kiara Jordan (Midwestern St, 5-4, 0, R)
10B - Hannah Benjamin (Stanford, 5-9, 1, W)
10W - Sarah Reams (St. Mary’s (Calif.), 5-9, 2,
11B - Kristin Winkler (UC Irvine, 5-10, 1, W)
11W - Anna Schroeder (St. Mary’s (Calif.), 5-7, 1,
12B - Morgan Springer (Mississippi, 5-6, 0, W)
12W - Stephanie Klefot (Kentucky, 5-6, 1,
13B - Candace Nicholson (Arizona, 5-8, 2, W)
13W - Brittany Groth (Wisconsin-Green Bay, 5-8, 1, W)
14B - Emily Helm (Arizona, 5-6, 2, W)
14W - Kaycee Acree (Western Michigan, 5-7, 3, W)
15B - Veronica Lewis (Arizona, 5-5, 3, W)
15W - Lena Oliver (Western Michigan, 5-5, 2, W)
16B - Bethany Yeager (Iowa, 5-7, 2, R)
16W - Haley Jacob (Oregon, 5-5, 1, R)
17B - Brianne Riley (Kansas, 5-6, 2,
17W - Rachel Charles (Lehigh, 5-7, 2, R)
18B - Jade Hayes (Missouri, 6-0, 3, R)
19B - Miquella Lovato (New Mexico, 5-2, 2,
20B - Ellen Mullins (Tennessee, 5-6, 2,
21B - Natalie Hagglund (Southern California, 5-9, 2,
22B - Sarah Palmer (Texas, 5-10, 2, W)
23B - Bojana Todorovic (UCLA, 5-10, 1, R)
24B - Becky Defoe (Oregon St, 5-4, 2, R)
38B - Natalie Braun (Furman, 5-8, 1, R)
39B - Meghan Mannari (LSU, 5-9, 1, R)
40B - Milena Popovic (St. Mary’s (Calif.), 5-10, 3,
41B - Mary Luck (Stanford, 5-10, 2, W)
TBA – Amy Grabiec (Cleveland State, 5-6, 0, TBA)

Setters (37)
Name (School, Ht, College Years Remaining, Group)
1P - Hannah Brenner (Clemson, 5-9, 2, R)
2P - Sarah Wickstrom (Florida St, 5-11, 3,
3P - Loni Mackinson (Indiana St, 5-9, 2, R)
4P - Caitlyn Donahue (Kansas St, 5-8, 1,
5P - Kristen Kelsay (Michigan St, 5-10, 2, W)
6P - Alexa Dannemiller (Michigan, 5-11, 3, W)
7P - Kara Wehrs (Kansas, 5-10, 2,
8P - Mary Pollmiller (Tennessee, 5-10, 3,
9P - Lauren Plum (Oregon, 5-9, 2, R)
10P - Britney Brown (Northeastern, 5-11, 0,
11P - Hillary Keltner (Air Force, 5-11, 3,
12P - Evangella Sanders (Washington, 6-0, 0,
13P – Carly Thomas (Missouri St, 5-11, 2,
14P - Mackenzie Dagostino (Berkeley Prep, 5-10, 4,
15P - Annie Luhrsen (Illinois, 5-11, 1, W)
16P - Kamryn Sherman (Clemson, 5-10, 3, R)
17P - Kaitlyn Early (Illinois St, 5-9, 3, W)
18P - Alison Landwehr (Iowa St, 6-0, 1, R)
19P - Karissa Cook (Stanford, 5-11, 1, W)
20P - Megan Moenoa (UCLA, 5-9, 3, R)
21P - Amanda Philpot (Mississippi, 5-8, 1, W)
22P - Chanel Brown (Arizona, 5-9, 2, W)
23P - Taylor Brauneis (Florida, 5-11, 2, R)
24P - Christine Hartmann (Kentucky, 5-11, 1,
25P - Hannah Kvitle (Louisville, 5-11, 3, R)
26P - Molly Kreklow (Missouri, 6-0, 2, R)
27P - Hannah Johnson (New Mexico, 5-9, 4,
28P - Maggie Brindock (Notre Dame, 5-11, 2, W)
29P - Hayley Crone (Southern California, 5-9, 3,
30P - Leah Poel (Wisconsin-Green Bay, 6-0, 2, W)
31P - Terin Norris (Western Michigan, 5-9, 3, W)
32P - Hannah Allison (Texas, 5-11, 2, W)
33P - Valerie Nichol (Purdue, 6-0, 3, R)
34P - McKenzie Odale (Utah, 5-11, 1, R)
35P Melissa White (St. Mary’s (Calif.), 6-2, 1,
36P - Samantha Selsky (Dayton, 5-10, 1, R)
37P - Amy Kendall (Miami (OH), 6-0, 1, W)

Middle Blockers (51)
Name (School, HT, College Years Remaining, Group)
18W - Sandra Adeleye (Clemson, 6-0, 1, R)
19W - Kaitlynn Pelger (Kansas St, 6-2, 2,
20W - Kelli Fiegen (South Dakota St, 6-3, 1, W)
21W - Gabrielle Jolly (St. Mary’s (Calif.), 5-11, 1,
22W - Jessica Brown (Western Michigan, 5-11, 1, W)
25B – Andrea Beaty (Missouri St, 5-11, 2,
26B - Olivia Magill (Arizona, 6-3, 4, R)
27B - Sallie McLaurin (Oklahoma, 6-2, 2, R)
28B - Karis Watson (Clemson, 6-2, 3, R)
29B - Alexa Rand (Clemson, 6-3, 1, R)
30B - Brieon Paige (Colorado St, 6-2, 1,
31B - Samantha Middleborn (Cal St San Bernardino, 6-2, 0, R)
32B - Ashley Neff (Florida St, 6-4, 2,
33B - Sareea Freeman (Florida St, 6-4, 1, W)
34B - Anna Dorn (Illinois, 6-2, 3, W)
35B - Jamie Straube (Iowa St, 6-2, 1, R)
36B - Desiree Elliott (LSU, 5-11, 2, R)
37B - Alexis Mathews (Michigan St, 6-3, 2, W)
38W - Gwen Rucker (Louisville, 6-2, 1, R)
40W - Carmen Leitermann (Wisconsin-Green Bay, 6-2, 1, W)
41W - Victoria Hamsher (Virginia Tech, 6-2, 2,
42B - Antoinette Alugbue (Notre Dame, 6-0, 3,
42W - Richelle Ranney (Western Michigan, 6-0, 3, W)
43B - Bianca Rowland (Washington, 6-0, 0,
43W - Kierra Jones (Purdue, 6-1, 3, R)
44B - Jennifer Keddy (Cal Poly, 6-4, 1,
44W - Erin Redd (Utah, 6-3, 2, R)
45B - Tenisha Matlock (Iowa St, 6-2, 2, R)
45W - Arica Nassar (Oregon St, 6-2, 3,
46B - Samantha Cash (Pepperdine, 6-3, 4, W)
47B - Regina Thomas (Mississippi, 6-0, 0, W)
48B - Chloe Mann (Florida, 6-1, 2, R)
49B - Hilary Eppink (Notre Dame, 6-2, 1, W)
50B - Alexis Olgard (Southern California, 6-5, 2,
51B - Hannah Schraer (Southern California, 6-3, 3,
52B - Anna Drewry (Purdue, 6-3, 1, R)
53B - Madelyn Hutson (Texas, 6-5, 3, W)
54B - Haley Cameron (Texas, 6-3, 2, W)
55B - Arielle Manz (UC Irvine, 6-4, 3, R)
70B - Keley Kuipers (Michigan St, 6-1, 2, W)
71B - Megan Lambertson (North Dakota St, 6-0, 1, R)
72B - Katherine Dutchman (Northwestern, 6-0, 2, W)
73B - Natalie Loos (St. Mary’s (Calif.), 6-2, 2,
74B - Rachel Gillcrist (St. Mary’s (Calif.), 6-1, 3,
75B - Carly Wopat (Stanford, 6-2, 2, W)
76B - Zoe Nightingale (UCLA, 6-3, 3, R)
77B - Lauren Teknipp (Michigan, 6-2, 3, W)
78B - Lillian Schonewise (California, 6-3, 3, R)
80B - Emily Yanny (Iowa, 6-2, 3,
98W - Tayler Tolefree (Kansas, 6-2, 1,
99W - Brooke Mattingly (Louisville, 6-2, 2, R)

Opposites (22)
Name (School, Ht, College Years Remaining, Group)
1W - Jennifer Hamson (Brigham Young, 6-7, 2,
30W - Moneshia Simmons (Clemson, 6-0, 2, R)
31W - Monique Mead (Georgia Tech, 5-9, 1,
32W - Christina Higgins (California, 6-2, 3, R)
33W - Chantale Riddle (New Mexico, 6-0, 3,
64B - Mileva Popovic (St. Mary’s (Calif.), 5-10, 3,
65B - Karsta Lowe (UCLA, 6-4, 3, R)
66B - Allegra Wells (Mississippi, 6-1, 1, W)
67B - Whitney Billings (Kentucky, 6-1, 2,
68B - Tori Dixon (Minnesota, 6-4, 2, W)
81B - Emily Young (Southern California, 6-3, 3,
82B - Katelyn Fuller (Southern California, 6-3, 2,
88W - Lizzie McMahon (Illinois, 6-3, 3, W)
89W - Brooklyn Hlafka (Illinois St, 6-3, 2, W)
90W - Shea Doran (Indiana St, 6-3, 1, R)
91W - Hayley Spelman (Stanford, 6-6, 1, W)
92W - Kelly Reeves (UCLA, 6-0, 2, R)
93W - Katherine Harms (Minnesota, 6-0, 1, W)
94W - Lisa Henning (Missouri, 6-1, 2, R)
95W - Chaniel Nelson (North Carolina, 6-2, 3, R)
96W - Gillian Asque (Western Michigan, 5-11, 2, W)
97W- Shelby Dalton (Utah, 6-1, 3, R)

Outside Hitters (56)
Name (School, Ht, College Years Remaining, Group)
23W - Camille Richan (Air Force, 5-9, 2,
24W - Lauren Corp (St. Mary’s (Calif.), 6-0, 1,
25W - Catherine Carmichael (Kansas, 6-2, 2,
26W - Ashley Frazier (Kentucky, 6-1, 1,
27W - Altrese Hawkins (Memphis, 5-10, 1, R)
28W - Justine Record (Virginia Tech, 5-8, 0,
29W - Megan Courtney (Penn St, 6-2, 4, R)
46W - Victoria Foster (Air Force, 6-0, 3,
47W - Rachel Hockaday (Iowa St, 6-0, 1, R)
48W – Olivia Brand (Missouri St, 6-0, 3,
49W – Angelica Crump (Central Florida, 6-3, 2,
50W - Kristina Graven (Cal Poly, 6-0, 2,
51W - Tiffany Baker (Tennessee, 6-3, 3,
52W - Kayla Neto (Cal St Fullerton, 6-2, 1,
53W - Kelsey Snider (Colorado St, 6-1, 3,
54W - Brittney Balser (Duke, 6-2, 3, R)
55W - Nicole Walch (Florida St, 6-2, 4,
56B - Ariel Turner (Purdue, 6-1, 1, R)
56W - Jocelyn Birks (Illinois, 6-2, 4, W)
57B - Mbebui Chafeh (Cal St San Bernardino, 6-0, 0, R)
57W - Morgan Dall (Indiana St, 5-10, 1, R)
58B - Jordan Shaw (St. Mary’s (Calif.), 5-10, 2,
58W - Caitlin DeWitt (Loyola Marymount, 5-11, 3,
59B - Alyssa Squires (UC Irvine, 6-1, 2, W)
59W - Helen Boyle (LSU, 5-11, 3, R)
60B - Rachael Kidder (UCLA, 6-3, 1, R)
60W - Amy Dentlinger (Michigan St, 6-1, 1, W)
61B - Rachel Ryan (Westfield St, 5-10, 0,
61W - Brynn Joki (North Dakota St, 6-3, 1, R)
62B - Emily Hartong (Hawaii, 6-2, 2,
62W - Lauren Wicinski (Northern Illinois, 6-2, 2,
63B - Morgan Odale (Utah, 6-1, 2, R)
63W - Andrea McHugh (Notre Dame, 5-10, 2, W)
64W - Samantha Tinsley (St. Mary’s (Calif.), 5-9, 3,
65W - Samantha Wopat (Stanford, 6-0, 2, W)
66W - Priscilla Ezeji (UCLA, 5-10, 3, R)
67W - Kara Morgan (Mississippi, 6-1, 2, W)
68W - Madison Kingdon (Arizona, 6-0, 3, W)
70W - Rachel Krabacher (Dayton, 6-4, 1, R)
71W - Allison Walker (Idaho, 6-1, 2,
72W - Alexandra Lovell (Iowa, 5-11, 3,
73W - Chelsea Albers (Kansas, 6-1, 3,
74W - Sara McClinton (Kansas, 6-2, 3,
75W - Kayla Berringer (North Carolina, 6-1, 2,
76W - Emily McGee (North Carolina, 5-10, 1,
77W - Tara Dunn (Oklahoma, 6-2, 3, R)
78W - Kelsey Robinson (Tennessee, 6-2, 2,
79W - Kirby Burnham (Southern California, 6-3, 2,
80W - Sara Shaw (Southern California, 6-2, 2,
81W - Samantha Gostling (Virginia Tech, 6-1, 2,
82W - Jennifer Wiker (Virginia Tech, 6-3, 1, W)
83W - Carlee Berland (Western Michigan, 6-0, 3, W)
84W - Alexandra Gossen (Western Michigan, 6-0, 2, W)
85W - Jodi Purdy (Wyoming, 5-10, 1,
86W - Bailey Webster (Texas, 6-3, 2, W)
87W - Haley Eckerman (Texas, 6-3, 3, W)

Tags:  volleyball equipment, volleyball players, volleyball net, volleyball nets, volleyball court,
volleyball net height

For the first time at the Olympic Games, all five continents are represented in the beach volleyball appointments with host nation Great Britain the only country represented twice while 20 different nationalities are covered in the volleyball selection.

The volleyball competition at the 2012 Olympic Games runs from July 28 to August 12 with beach volleyball taking place from July 28 to August 9.

In the day's other match, reigning African champions Kenya impressed the home crowd with a straight-sets (25-15, 25-21, 25-23) victory over Seychelles to emphasize their Olympic ambitions.

The competition features four teams competing for a single slot at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

In the first match, Algeria, supported by the home crowd, dominated at the net action for most of the match except the second set when Egypt improved their block.

Kenya were well on top in the second match thanks to their experienced players, most of whom were in the squad that won last year’s African Nations Championship and represented the continent in the World Cup.

Match Schedule
Thursday, February 2, 2012
16:00: Algeria v Egypt 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20)
18:00: Seychelles v Kenya 0-3 (15-25, 21-25, 23-25)

ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The rising sophomore class for the UCF volleyball team is chalked full of talent. With six second-year players back in the fold for the Knights, 2012 will be another chance for the squad to progress even more after turning in a 20-win season in 2011 and capturing a school-record 12 Conference USA wins.

Head coach Todd Dagenais shared his thoughts on the talent group.

On Marie Reiterova...

"Marie has a fantastic opportunity this spring to take control of the team. She gets a two-year head start and a semester as the lead setter and there are high expectations for her. This is an offense that is really clicking on a lot of levels with a lot of weapons. I think she is an extremely skilled setter internationally, very physical, a terrific blocker and a great defender. I think there are a lot of things that she is going to really add to our team. She will be in a fight once it gets into the fall with some players coming in, but it really depends on what kind of spring she has. We have all of the confidence in the world in Marie. We think she is an outstanding setter and think our program is in good hands when she is setting the ball."

On DeLaina Sarden...

"As we were watching DeLaina in club, we knew that it was going to be pretty difficult to keep her off of the floor all season. We knew it was just going to be a matter of her seeing the game in the right order and getting enough experience in practice. But once she started hitting .300 every day in practice, we knew that she had to go in the lineup somewhere. When it was time, we made the switch, and boy did it pay off. She went right in and was as steady as any freshmen could me in the middle blocker position that I had ever seen. She was so solid by putting up offensive numbers and blocking well. She did everything you needed a middle blocker to do. She just has this swagger and mentality of, `Put three blockers on me, I don't care.' It was really fun to watch a freshman go out there and dominate some of the conference's best middle blockers. When you have an athlete like that, the sky is the limit. There are so many things we will do with her starting this spring such as changing her points of attack, high balls and quick balls. There is so much we can do with her and is someone who can really become big time for us and will."

On Kaye-Alese Green...

"Kaye is another one of those athletes where we look at her and know there will come a time when we can't keep her off of the floor either. Here is a player that is jumping 10-4, 10-5 and is easily the hardest hitter on the team. The thing that we are working on with here is experience. We will get matches under her belt and really turn her loose this spring. She is going to get a ton of playing time. Once she starts hitting .300 and blocking 1.5 shots per game, she will be very hard to keep off of the floor. Easily she is our most fast-twitch and best overall athlete on the team. Once the experience and skill factor catches up, she is going really be a force to be reckoned with in this conference."

On Ashley Gialenios...

"Ashley came in last year and really had a thankless job. It was a situation where we thought it would be a semester where she could just learn and grow and then she got pressed into action. She was on the floor for nearly two-thirds of a really good season. Her hitting percentage wasn't as high as she, or us, would've wanted. Her error percentage is a little higher than we wanted, but she is 100% committed to getting that percentage down and her hitting percentage up. She is going to really work hard in the offseason in the weight room and the strength and condition and agility phase as well as her skill work. The thing that Ashley did for us was stabilize us in serve receive, defense and blocked very well by coming a shutdown left-front blocker. She did a lot of those hidden things that helped us win a lot of close matches down the stretch. SMU was a great example where she played the last two points like her life depended on it. She has a great upside for us and will continue to have an important role in our offense because she does a lot of things well."

On Loren Cory...

"You look at someone who is 6-foot-5. That is a lot of physicality that can change a game. Now for us it is helping her get back to the player she was skill-wise because she can hit hard and is a big, physical blocker. We will train her at both the left and right side. We feel like a 6-5 blocker on the right side is important to shutting down opponents and that a 6-5 blocker on the left side is great to shutdown slide hitters one-on-one. There are a lot of areas where we can use her and her offense is getting better every day. She is starting to command the ball, and we think she has a lot of hidden leadership potential. She is a great leader who is very well spoken. She is articulate and well-respected by the players. Again, another great player that we are going to have to find a way to get her some playing time too because that size, power and blocking ability is something that will be a great asset for us."

On Kayla Keller...

"We saw potential right away with her after she put up 20 kills on Florida in the spring and another 16 or 17 against Florida State. We knew that she was just a big-gamer. She isn't the tallest, but jumps well and hits hard and has a volleyball IQ that is through the roof. She is probably the smartest volleyball player on the team. There are so many things someone like that can do, and now we are trying to get her healthy, back in volleyball shape and turn her loose again. A skill player like that will have an impact on a team any team, anywhere at any time. We are still looking for a lot of big things out of Kayla. You can't be one of the best hitters in a huge state like Texas and not have a lot of skill. That is exactly what she brings. She is an experienced warrior in the outside hitting position.

Tags:  volleyball equipment, volleyball net, volleyball nets, volleyball court, volleyball net height

Lausanne, Switzerland, February 2, 2012 – The latest edition of the FIVB's bimonthly magazine VolleyWorld - featuring a superb review of Trentino's and Baku's success at the FIVB Club World Championships - is now available online in Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic and Portuguese.

Also featured is a review on the FIVB Beach Volleyball Youth and Junior World Championships as well as un update on the development of FIVB female referees and features on Sheilla and Mexican beach volleyball pair Bibiana Candelas and Mayra Garcia.

Click here to read

Tags:  volleyball court, volleyball net height, volleyball net, volleyball nets, volleyball equipment