The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Three invited to USA Volleyball National Team tryout
11.27.2007 | Volleyball
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- USA Volleyball has invited Texas' Juliann Faucette, Destinee Hooker and Lauren Paolini to an invitation-only U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team tryout to be held Jan. 7-12, 2008, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. A total of 13 athletes were invited to the tryout and three other athletes have already been invited to train with the U.S. Women's National Team next spring.
Faucette, an All-Big 12 First Team selection and the league's Freshman of the Year played a significant role on the gold-medal winning U.S. Women's Junior National Team at the 2006 NORCECA Continental Championship. The outside hitter then made the jump to the U.S. Women's National Team roster for the Azteca TV Cup in September 2006.
Hooker ranks among the Big 12's top-three with 4.62 kills and 5.57 points per-game, while hitting at a .339 clip. An All-Big 12 First Team selection in 2006 and 2007, Hooker has recorded seven kill/dig double-doubles on the year and leads the Longhorns with a team-best 25 service aces and 25 solo blocks.
Paolini, a 2007 U.S. National A2 selection, is second in blocking for the Longhorns with a 1.24 blocks per-game average this season. The junior middle blocker has produced a team-leading .406 attack percentage en route to earning All-Big 12 First Team honors.
Based on performance with the U.S. Women's National Team this past summer, Nebraska middle blocker Tracy Stalls (Denver, Colo.) and Stanford middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Fla.) will begin training with Team USA in January 2008, while Stanford outside hitter Cynthia Barboza (Long Beach, Calif.) will join the team in March 2008.
The tryout invitee list includes Stanford's Bryn Kehoe (Setter) and Alix Klineman (Outside Hitter); Nebraska's Jordan Larson (Outside Hitter); Faucette, Hooker and Paolini; UCLA's Nana Meriwether (Middle Blocker) and Rachell Johnson (Opposite); Florida's Angie McGinnis (Setter) Washington's Christal Morrison (Outside Hitter); California's Angela Pressey (Outside Hitter); Cal Poly's Kylie Atherstone (Opposite); and Long Beach State's Alexis Crimes (Middle Blocker).
The tryout group includes two setters finishing their collegiate eligibility this fall, three middle blockers, six outside hitters and two opposites. Participants include two current collegiate freshmen, one collegiate sophomore, three collegiate juniors, six players ending their college careers this fall and one player who exhausted college eligibility after the 2006 season.
Selected players will be invited to train with the U.S. Women's National Team this spring and compete for tournament roster spots in the summer. Team USA earned its berth into the 2008 Olympic Games by finishing third at the FIVB World Cup last week.
In addition, the USA Women's National Team will hold its annual "Open Tryout" at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., Feb. 22-24. This tryout will be used to identify possible candidates for the U.S. National and Olympic Team, as well as the A2 program which is planning to train in Atlanta from approximately May 19-28, 2008. This time frame includes competing in the 2008 U.S. Open Championships at the Atlanta Convention Center from May 24-27. Registration closes Jan, 15, 2008, but may close early as space is limited. Late registrants will be taken on a space available basis after Jan. 15.
Invited to Train with U.S. Women's National Team
Foluke Akinradewo (MB, Jr., Stanford, Plantation, Fla.)
Cynthia Barboza (OH, Jr., Long Beach, Calif.)
Tracy Stalls (MB, Sr., Nebraska, Denver, Colo.)
Invited USA National Team Tryout Participants
Kylie Atherstone (OPP, Jr., Cal Poly, Chico, Calif.)
Alexis Crimes (MB, Sr., Long Beach State, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)
Juliann Faucette (OH, Fr., Texas, San Diego, Calif.)
Destinee Hooker (OH, So., Texas, San Antonio, Texas)
Rachell Johnson (OPP, Sr., UCLA, San Diego, Calif.)
Bryn Kehoe (S, Sr., Stanford, North Bend, Ohio)
Alix Klineman (OH, Fr., Stanford, Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Jordan Larson (OH, Jr., Nebraska, Hooper, Neb.)
Angie McGinnis (S, Sr., Florida, Fraser, Mich.)
Nana Meriwether (MB, formerly of UCLA, Potomac, Md.)
Christal Morrison (OH, Sr., Washington, Puyallup, Wash.)
Lauren Paolini (MB, Jr., Texas, Ann Arbor, Mich.)
