Courtney Thompson ready to compete for Olympic volleyball spot

It was 6am, and the sun was rising. On the streets and in the plaza of Cataño, joyous volleyball fans were still celebrating. And Courtney Thompson and her Lancheras teammates were out there with them.

“It was amazing,” Thompson says. “It’s the reason I decided to play in Puerto Rico.”

Courtney Thompson (center) exhorts her team during the Puerto Rican professional championships.

Thompson, the former University of Washington All-American, is now back on the mainland after the all-night Caribbean party. Next week, she’ll head back to Anaheim, continuing her four-year quest to be selected to the team representing the United States at the London Summer Olympics.

But, for a few more days, she’s relishing what it felt like to help win a professional volleyball championship in a country that understands and appreciates her sport.

“I had opportunities to return to the European leagues,” she said, “but—as corny as it sounds—I wanted to go where I could play for more than just me, where it was more than just a job. It was a very calculated decision.”

Thompson first signed with Cataño two years ago, for a team that had no history of winning. “Maybe the worst team ever,” she remembers. But Thompson and her teammates turned it around, leading the Lancheras deep into the playoffs that season.

In 2009, Thompson opted for the European pro leagues, where most members of the USA National Team play (and where star American outside hitters can earn salaries in excess of a million dollars.) Thompson, one of the shorter setters among the international elite, was overlooked by several teams, and signed with Zeiler Konizset. She promptly led her team to the Swiss championship.

This winter, however, her heart returned to Puerto Rico. “The Puerto Rican league begins in January, which allowed me to be home (in Kent, WA) for Christmas, something I couldn’t do if I played in Europe. One of my brothers is in the military and the other has just gotten married. We weren’t sure when we’d next get the chance to be together again.”

And even though the level of play—and amount of pay—is higher in Europe, Thompson longed for a chance to demonstrate her leadership. “As a setter, you’ve got to locate the ball, no matter where you play,” says Thompson. In Puerto Rico, she’d also get a chance to help a team play better than anyone expected.

Her Cataño team started strong, bolstered by fellow USA teammates Angie Forsett (Cal) and Jessica Jones (Minnesota), but struggled with injuries throughout the season. The team mounted an inspired charge throughout the playoffs, and shocked everyone by sweeping heavily-favored Caguas 4-0 in the best-of-seven Finals. Thompson—wildly popular for her on-court passion—was named Championship MVP. Fans in the packed arena swarmed the court and were ready to party.

“There were, like, 7,000 people waiting for us in the plaza,” said Thompson. “These are good, hard-working, mostly blue collar folks, and they are absolutely proud of their city. It was the first championship in any sport that the city had ever won, and they were ready to celebrate.”

With another championship under her belt, Thompson rejoins what is likely the best women’s volleyball team on the planet. The US National Team may have its best collection of athletes ever, including a bevy of great setters. Lindsay Berg (Minnesota) may have the inside track on one of two setter slots on the 12-person London roster. The battle for the second opening will be epic, featuring Carly Lloyd (California), Nellie Spicer (UCLA), Alisha Glass (Penn State), and, of course, Thompson.

“I don’t look like much, and it isn’t always pretty,” says Thompson, “but I expect to give it my best shot.”

As if she knows how to do it any other way.

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• On April 19, Thompson will be at Washington’s Hec Ed Pavilion at 3:30pm. She’ll participate in a scrimmage with the 2012 Huskies’ team, now in their second week of spring practice.
  CLARIFICATION (11:00am, 4/19/12): Thompson plans to attend today's scrimmage, but will not participate in the drills.

• Next up for the US National Team is the Grand Prix competition. The 12 players on the London Olympics roster won't be named until July.

Former UW volleyball star Courtney Thompson wins another title

Courtney Thompson knows how to win.

In 2005, she led the University of Washington volleyball team to its first national championship. The following season, she was named the outstanding volleyball collegian in America. Last year, playing professionally, she was the starting setter for Switzerland’s champion.

MVP Courtney Thompson celebrates Catano's 4-0 series sweep to win the Puerto Rican professional championship. Fans placed a wrestling-style belt around her shoulders, decorated with the Lancheras' mascot, a ferry boat.

Last night, Thompson added another crown, leading her team to the Puerto Rican professional championship. Thompson, a Kentlake High graduate, was named the MVP of the finals.

In some ways, last night’s victory may have been the most unlikely. The opponent was mighty Caguas, the New York Yankees of the Puerto Rico professional league. The Creoles have been to the finals twenty times; they had not lost consecutive matches in three seasons. Their setter is well-regarded Michelle Nogueras, older sister of University of Washington setter Jenni Nogueras.

Thompson’s team, the Cataño Lancheras, were Sad Sacks by comparison. The team had a long history of losing, and entered the best-of-seven final series as definitive underdogs.

But Thompson transformed the Lancheras, whose nickname refers to the ferry boats which connect Cataño with San Juan. In a profile titled “Worshiped in Cataño,” the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevodia said “Thompson won over fans with charisma on the court,” and with her leadership and intensity.

“Mothers wrote letters to the team,” says University of Washington assistant coach Keno Gandara, “praising Courtney as a role model for their daughters. And Courtney wrote personal letters back. They love her there.”

The Lancheras shocked Caguas by winning the first three matches of the best-of-seven Finals. The championships were moved to a larger arena to accommodate the swelling crowds.

Last night, Caguas, leading two sets to one, took the lead in the fourth set. Thompson and her teammates--including former California All-American Angie Forsett--fought back, winning both the fourth and fifth sets, earning a four-match sweep and the title. It was Cataño’s first championship.

For the past four years, Thompson has been a member of the US National Team. She’ll now return home for the biggest battle of her volleyball life: trying to make the cut for team that will represent the USA at this summer’s London Olympics.

If USA head coach Hugh McCutcheon is looking for a setter who knows something about winning …