Olympic Games | USA qualifies for medal round with resounding win over Serbia

Middles play big thanks to great serving and passing

Olympic Games | USA roars back to beat Netherlands

Americans overcome horrible serving to stay undefeated

Olympic Games | Which USA Olympians had the most collegiate success?

Two-time Olympians Akinradewo and Thompson telegraphed their later success

Court & Spark now available on Amazon and iTunes

Courtney Thompson (3) sets Foluke Akinradewo during a 2014 World Championships victory over Russia
-photo courtesy FIVB

Is there a correlation between success in college volleyball and future Olympic glory?

We took a look at collegiate national honors for all 12 members of USA’s Rio Olympics women’s volleyball roster. We tallied four categories: The Honda Sports Player of the Year (awarded to the nation’s best volleyball player across all collegiate divisions and organizations), the AVCA Player of the Year (for NCAA Division 1, where all the Olympians played), AVCA First-Team All-Americans and NCAA D1 National Championships. What did we find?

• Two players—Stanford’s Foluke Akinradewo and Washington’s Courtney Thompson—took home more collegiate awards than any other current Olympians. Both were Honda Players of the Year, both were 3-time AVCA First Team All-Americans. Akinradewo was the AVCA Player of the Year, but never won an NCAA championship. Thompson’s Huskies won the 2005 title.
• On the other extreme, Kayla Banwarth never won any of these four honors while at Nebraska. Liberos are crucial to the modern game, but still don’t get much respect.
• Megan (Hodge) Easy of Penn State was easily the most honored player of her generation: 2009 Honda Player of the Year, 2009 AVCA Player of the Year, four time First Team AVCA All-American (2006-09) and three time NCAA Champion (2007-2009). Hodge was a member of the 2012 London Olympic roster, but battled injuries late in the Rio quad and was not selected for 2016.
• Nicole Fawcett, also of Penn State, was just a hair behind Easy in national collegiate awards. She was the 2008 Honda and AVCA Player of the Year, a three time First Team AVCA All-American (2006-08) and two time NCAA Champion (2007-2008). Fawcett, an opposite, has been a key member of the National Team for the past two quads. She just missed making either the London or Rio rosters.
• When it’s time to look forward to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the players with the most national collegiate honors of the next generation of National Team members are Washington’s Krista Vansant, Penn State’s Micha Hancock, Wisconsin’s Lauren Carlini and USC’s Natalie Hagglund.
• So who were the other recent Players of the Year not on the Olympic roster?
  2005: Christiana Houghtelling, Nebraska (AVCA)
  2006: Sarah Pavan, Nebraska (AVCA & Honda) [Pavan is Canadian]
  2010: Blair Brown, Penn State (Honda)
  2011: Alex Jupiter, USC (AVCA & Honda) [Jupiter is French]
  2012: Alaina Bergsma, Oregon (AVCA & Honda)
  2013: Krista Vansant, Washington (AVCA & Honda)
  2014: Krista Vansant, Washington (Honda) & Micha Hancock, Penn St (AVCA)

• Who is the most honored collegian of all time? Stanford’s Logan Tom, a four-time Olympian (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012) was Honda POY and AVCA POY in both 2001 and 2002, and a four-time First Team All-American (1999-2002). Stanford won the NCAA title in 2001, and was runner-up in 1999 and 2002.

COURT AND SPARK NOW AVAILABLE IN NEW FORMATS

We’re happy to report that Court & Spark, the one-hour documentary Courtney Thompson, and featuring many of her teammates and coaches, is now available for rent or purchase on both iTunes and Amazon. All proceeds go to Puget Sound Region of USA Volleyball, a nonprofit umbrella for female and male youth, adult, indoor, sand and sitting volleyball. A great gift idea for players who have just completed summer volleyball camp!
starring

Olympic Games | Karch Kiraly says Rio “will be the best volleyball Olympics ever”

USA volleyball head coach says team is “preparing for uncertainty”

National Team | Can Bangkok silver lead to Rio Gold?

USA drops World Grand Prix gold medal match to Brazil as USA prepares to name its Rio roster; four players—including Courtney Thompson—in the running for the final two roster spots

National Team | USA now 7-0 in volleyball World Grand Prix with close win over Japan

Olympic vets Dietzen and Akinradewo make impact on return

• USA def. Japan 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 26-24)

USA libero Tama Miyashiro (center) leads a cheer during a 3-0 World Grand Prix win over Japan in Hong Kong
-FIVB

USA, welcoming four veteran players for the World Grand Prix third round in Hong Kong, rallied to sweep highly-ranked Japan, 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 26-24). USA—now 7-0 in pool play and ranked #1 in the world—will face Thailand Friday morning (3:30AM Pacific Time). Japan, ranked fourth in world, is now 3-4 in pool play, but is still in contention to be among the six teams to qualify for the Finals next week in Omaha.

USA Middle blocker Christa (Harmotto) Dietzen, playing her first major tournament match of the summer, recorded 8 kills and 3 blocks. Her fellow middle Foluke Akinradewo—also playing her first match of the current World Grand Prix—had 8 kills and one block. Two other third round additions were also in the starting lineup: opposite Kelly Murphy contributed 10 kills and a block, while outside hitter Jordan Larson-Burbach had 3 kills and 2 blocks.

USA middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo (16) exchanges high-fives with setter Molly Kreklow
-FIVB

USA’s biggest numbers came from outside hitter Kim Hill. She had 9 kills and a jaw-dropping 6 service aces against one of the best defensive teams in the world. 4 of those aces came during a crucial third set comeback. Libero Kayla Banwarth had another good match, contributing 9 digs.

Molly Kreklow and Courtney Thompson once again shared setting duties, with Thompson entering each set as part of a double-substitution with Karsta Lowe.

USA, China and Brazil are all 7-0 in pool play, and all have qualified for next week’s Finals. Contenders for the final three spots include Italy, Russia, Japan, Thailand and Germany

See also: USA Women’s Volleyball Road to Rio

National Team | USA Women’s Volleyball Road to Rio [Part 2]

Which players are in the running for the 12 USA women’s volleyball roster spots for the 2016 Olympic Games? Today: outsides and liberos

Which 12 American women will be selected next summer for the Rio Olympic Games?
-FIVB

With decision time for the 2016 Rio Olympic roster roughly a year away, we’re running through the probable Rio roster candidates, and suggesting what each has to do to make the final cut.

Be sure to see our first entry, Road to Rio (Part 1), for a discussion of the decision process and a rundown of setters and opposites. Today, we’ll talk about outside hitters and liberos. The next post will focus on middles.

---

OUTSIDE HITTERS

2012 London Olympics

• Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Stanford University)
• Megan (Hodge) Easy (Durham, NE, Penn State University
• Jordan Larson-Burbach (Hooper, NE, University of Nebraska)

2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic candidates

• Larson-Burbach
• Easy
• Kim Hill (Portland, OR, Pepperdine University)
• Krista Vansant (Redlands, CA, University of Washington)
• Kelsey Robinson (Bartlett, IL, University of Nebraska)
• Kristin Hildebrand (Orem, UT, Stanford University)
• Cassidy Lichtman (Poway, CA, Stanford University)

We group outside hitters and liberos together for two reasons. First, there are usually five roster spots available to be divided among these two positions—either 3 outsides and 2 liberos, or 4 outsides and 1 libero. Second, outsides and liberos are a team’s primary passers, and close matches against elite opponents can turn on that critically important skill.

Jordan Larson-Burbach’s is the obvious candidate for the top OH spot in Rio. In a recent interview with the Omaha World-Herald, she said she considered quitting the game after London, frustrated, in part, by her playing time in the gold medal match. Since then, she’s been one of the best professional outside hitters in the world, leading teams based in Russia (2013-14) and Turkey (2014-15) to a host of professional tournament championships. On the court, Larson-Burbach is clinical and aggressive. Off the court, she speaks her mind. Like any great outside, she will often be judged by how well she does when poor passing limits her setter’s options. Can she hit high hands? Can she tool the block? Can she drop killer tips? In Rio, the spotlight will likely shine her way.

When USA is in system, Megan (Hodge) Easy is deadly. With great hops and a whip arm, she can lead her team on long runs. But Easy has always had a weakness: passing. At times, the weakness is glaring enough to pull her team into an extended funk. Back from having her first child, she’s been getting plenty of chances from coach Karch Kiraly to learn from mistakes and improve. Her poor passing in the first two rounds of the 2015 World Grand Prix show she still has a ways to go.

USA outside hitter Kim Hill attacks against the Italian defense in the 2015 World Grand Prix
-FIVB

Kim Hill has made a strong push to unseat Easy in the starting lineup. Tall enough to not be intimidated by the block, she continues to make strides as a passer, hitter and blocker. Her serve makes it tough to keep her out of the lineup: a textbook hard, flat, deep float that is usually good for one or more long runs a match. Just today, she recorded 6 aces in a World Grand Prix win over Japan, including 4 in one service rotation. Kiraly likes to run a fast offense, which is sometimes a problem for Hill when passing breaks down and she is the obvious option. Her confidence, however, is growing, and may be ready to peak in Rio.

Krista Vansant is only a few weeks out of college, but she’s already making a splash. At the Pan Am Cup, a secondary tournament in Peru, she was named MVP. In World Grand Prix matches against Russia and Belgium, she and fellow rookie Karsta Lowe (an opposite) provided the firepower. In college, the former AVCA National Player of the Year was as well-respected for her serving and passing as she was for her hitting. She has a shot at Rio, but may need to tone down her enthusiasm when things go well in exchange for learning not to withdraw when things do not.

Kelsey Robinson, who transferred to Nebraska after three years at Tennessee, is unafraid to emote on the court. Her enthusiasm can be either inspiring or grating, but it works best when she’s on her game. She shares many of Vansant’s qualities—good serve, good pass—and has played solidly during the World Grand Prix. If Easy can’t overcome her passing problems, Robinson and Vansant may be battling for the third OH spot in Rio.

Kristin Hildebrand made a deep run in the leadup to London, but couldn’t quite crack the lineup. During her long career, she’s earned teammates’ respect as a leader and a hard worker. She has amazing hops, which make her a formidable attacker and blocker. In a crowded field, she may have to hope Kiraly goes with just one libero in Rio.

Cassidy Lichtman would be the perfect choice if Olympic rosters ever expand from 12 to 14. Lichtman has all the tools—she can hit, set, pass, serve. Problem is, there is always someone else who beats her at any one of those skills. With a roster of 14, she’d be the perfect injury replacement almost anywhere on the court. If she wants to coach someday, she’ll be a good one. Like Hildebrand, she might sneak in if Kiraly takes four outsides.

Other outsides with little more than an outside chance to make the Rio roster include Michelle Bartsch, Sonja Newcombe, Regan Hood and Kelly Reeves.

---

LIBEROS

2012 London Olympics

• Nicole Davis (Stockton, University of Southern California)
• Tama Miyashiro (Kaneohe, HI, University of Washington)

2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic candidates

• Davis
• Miyashiro
• Kayla Banwarth (Dubuque, IA, University of Nebraska)

USA libero Tama Miyashiro celebrates a point.
-FIVB

Over the past 12 months, Kayla Banwarth has come into her own. Calm, steady and focused, she has earned the starting libero spot in every major competition, and is likely the leading contender for Rio. She has great eyework, allowing her to get into good positions to avoid the need for flashy digs. Banwarth can also show fire: during a sloppy World Grand Prix stretch against Serbia, she fairly seethed during a timeout, something her teammates had to have noticed. Back on the court, she made several big digs to help USA win that match in five.

Tama Miyashiro spent last summer recovering from injury, but worked her way back up to the World Grand Prix roster this summer. In London, she was the backup libero, which means she spent most of her time getting ready for rare opportunities on the court. Not everyone can accept that kind of role, which might give her a leg up for Rio. Coach Kiraly will have to decide whether to risk taking just one libero to Brazil, but would need a Plan B if there’s an injury. Miyashiro is technically sound and well-loved by teammates—intangibles might make the difference.

Nicole Davis has twice won Olympic silver medals, and would hate to miss a chance to win a gold. For now, Banwarth has passed her in the depth chart, and—like any former starter—might struggle with the prospect of being a substitute in Rio.

One other libero is in the mix: Natalie Hagglund. She’s not yet been on any major-tournament rosters, but could be a contender, especially if injuries are a factor. If not this Olympics, she’d be an early contender for 2020.

---

see also: Road to Rio(Part 1) (setters and opposites)

next post: middle blockers

National Team | USA overcomes passing woes to defeat Serbia

Courtney Thompson’s defense shines as USA now 6-0 in World Grand Prix pool play

• USA def. Serbia 3-2 (25-18, 24-26, 30-28, 19-25, 15-9)

USA captain Courtney Thompson (3) pulls a pass from the net for a one-handed set against Serbia. USA defeated Serbia 3-2 in a second round World Grand Prix match in  Kaliningrad, Russia. -FIVB

When passing is poor, setters have few options. When a team has few offensive options, its opponent can smother its attacks.

For four sets, USA’s below-par passing forced setters Molly Kreklow and Courtney Thompson to keep their offense simple. And, simply put, the Serbians were there to either block or dig a host of American attacks.

With just one set to spare, USA made a change and picked up its game, finally prevailing 3-2 (25-18, 24-26, 30-28, 19-25, 15-9) in Kaliningrad, Russia. USA moves to 6-0 in pool play of the 2015 World Grand Prix.

Courtney Thompson prepares to serve against Serbia
-FIVB

Both Kim Hill and Megan (Hodge) Easy struggled with Serbian serves, though Easy had it toughest. Passing has always been the weakest part of the hard-hitting Olympian’s game, but Easy’s serve receiving became a bigger liability as the match wore on. Only after head coach Karch Kiraly inserted Kelsey Robinson after a fourth-set timeout did the Americans rediscover their rhythm.

Team captain Courtney Thompson was effective during her rotations in all five sets. In the final frame, she led USA on a 7-4 run to put Serbia away. Throughout the match, her defense was stellar, including a couple of big-time digs that kept long rallies alive.

Recent UCLA grad Karsta Lowe was once again the American star, connecting for 17 kills from both the right side and back row. Like many top international hitters, Lowe attacks hard on nearly every attempt. USA has several hitters who resort to roll shots or off-speed attacks when power might be the better option.

Kayla Banwarth continues to make a case for a Rio roster spot with exceptional play at libero. She had 6 digs, most of any player.

The third and final preliminary round of the World Grand Prix is next weekend. The USA faces a tough trio in China, Japan and Thailand. Like the USA, China and Brazil are 6-0 so far in pool play. Japan is 3-3, but two of its losses were to China and Brazil, and its third loss was to Italy (4-2) in 5 sets.

USA has 25 eligible players from which to choose the 14 who will go to Hong Kong. (Expect Thompson to be on that roster). The final round is in two weeks in Omaha, where the top six teams will meet for the championship.

USA celebrates a point against Serbia.
-FIVB

National Team | Courtney Thompson named to USA roster for big Brazil series

• Rematch of the 2012 Olympic Finals set for this weekend and next week

UPDATE: Visit usavolleyballcup.com for live stream of Match 1 (7PM July 5) and Match 2 (5PM July 6)

Olympians Courtney Thompson (L) and Nicole Davis will be on the roster
for all four matches against Brazil