Former Huskies, Pac-12 dominate USA roster for Japan showdown

Thompson, Miyashiro & Hagglund join five other Pac-12 grads in #1 vs. #3 showdown

USA Volleyball Cup [live streaming at USA Volleyball]

• July 10 | @ UC San Diego | #1 USA vs. #3 Japan | 7PM
• July 12 | @ CSU Long Beach | #1 USA vs. #3 Japan | 7PM
• July 13 | @ Serra HS, San Juan Capistrano | #1 USA vs. #3 Japan | 7PM

Three former Washington Huskies—setter Courtney Thompson, libero Tama Miyashiro and setter Jenna Hagglund—are on the roster for a rare international volleyball match on US soil.

Team USA's Courtney Thompson and Kristin Richards Hildebrand at USA Volleyball Cup press conference [see link to video at end of this post]
-USA Volleyball

Billed as the USA Volleyball Cup, the series pits two of the world’s top three teams. #1-ranked USA National Team takes on third-ranked Japan in three Southern California matches this week, July 10, 12 & 13. All three matches start at 7PM (Pacific) and all will be streamed live on the USA Volleyball website.

12 USA athletes will suit up for each of the three contests, selected from a National Team roster of 20 athletes. Head Coach Karch Kiraly will divide playing time: Thompson will play in the July 12 & 13 matches, Hagglund in the July 10 & 13 matches and Miyashiro on July 13.

Washington and Texas have the most alumni on the 20-person roster, with 3 each. Stanford, Penn State and Nebraska each have 2 alumni. USC, Oregon, Arizona, Pepperdine, Minnesota, Florida, LSU and Long Beach State have one each.

The roster includes 8 alumni of the Pac-12 and 5 from the Big Ten.

Five USA Olympians will face Japan: Thompson, Miyashiro, Jordan Larson-Burbach, Nicole Davis and five-time Olympian Danielle Scott Arruda. 2012 Olympian Christa Harmotto is in the gym, but recovering from an injury; Destinee Hooker is expecting her first child; Megan Hodge is on her honeymoon. Logan Tom, Foluke Akinradewo, Tayyiba Haneef-Park and Lindsey Berg have not been training with the team this summer.

Most members of the USA National Team spend 7-8 months each year playing professionally overseas, then train in Anaheim during the summer. Each August, USA competes in the World Grand Prix, a four-week journey that takes players literally around the globe. USA is the three-time defending champion; Thompson and Miyashiro were the starting setter and libero, respectively, on last year’s title team.

Other competitions fill each summer’s calendar. Hagglund and Alisha Glass shared setting duties last month as USA swept the Pan Am Cup in Peru. In September, USA will again be on home soil, hosting the NORECA Championship in Omaha, featuring national teams from the Americas.

Thompson and her teammate (and close friend) Kristin Richards Hildebrand were selected (as they often are) to be in front of the cameras for the pre-USA Cup press conference:

see also: Courtney and Jerzey: in Poland by way of England