U.S. Women’s Junior National Team in Review U.S. CLAIMS FOURTH AT 2011 FIVB JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
ly be in Peru with the 12-player roster. Plum has a year under her belt at the University of Oregon and was tabbed to the All-Pac-10 Freshman Team as the Ducks finished 2010 with a 19-11 record.
China captured the bronze medal with a 20-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-23 victory over United States in Lima. The victory represented China’s 10th medal in the 16 editions of the tournament, while United States’ fourthplace finish matches their previous best classification.
Before college, she played three seasons with Coast Volleyball Club and earned USA Volleyball Junior National Championship’s All-American in 2010.
Zhou Yang totaled a team-high 18 points with seven blocks in leading China, while Yanchi Pi added 16 points. Qi Wang and Xiaoya contributed 10 points in the victory. Haley Eckerman led United States with 18 points, while Kelly Reeves added 15 points and Haleigh Hampton 13 points. China held a 15-5 advantage in blocks and an 8-6 edge in service aces.
Dagostino was named ESPN Rise Volleyball AllAmerican in 2010 and helped Berkeley Prep School to back-to-back Class 3A state titles (2009-2010). Haleigh Hampton (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Carly Wopat (Santa Barbara, Calif.), Samantha Cash (San Diego), Sallie McLaurin (Midwest City, Okla.) and Madelyn Hutson (Brentwood, Tenn.) are serving as middle blockers on the 19-player preliminary roster.
“USA is a good team, strong and with good matches yesterday against Brazil and today. We were tired, but now we are happy for the victory.”
Hampton ranked third nationally in blocks in her first year at Long Beach State University and is part of the U.S. Women’s Junior National team for the second year along with Wopat and Cash.
2011 FIVB WOMEN’S JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW The 2011 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team, which will compete at the 2011 FIVB Women’s Junior (U-20) World Championship in Lima and Trujilla, Peru, contains a roster comprising of many players who have already had experience in international play.
Wopat was named to the 2010 All-Pac-10 Freshmen Team her first season at Stanford University. She also served as captain of the 2010 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team and played in the 2009 FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championship after leading the squad to the 2008 NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship.
The setters for the 19-player preliminary roster are Molly Kreklow (Delano, Minn.), Lauren Plum (Poway, Calif.), Hannah Allison (Siloam Springs, Ark.) and Mackenzie Dagostino (Tampa Bay, Fla.).
Hutson begins her first year University of Texas this fall and McLaurin was awarded the Big 12 Freshman of the Year award after her first year at the University of Oklahoma.
Kreklow was named AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year after being ranked second in the Big 12 at the University of Missouri. She set the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team to a sweep over the Dominican Republic as Team USA claimed the 2010 NORCECA Women’s Junior Continental Championship.
Outside hitters that are returning from last year’s team are Stephanie Holthus (Elgin, Ill.), Liz McMahon (Liberty Township, Ohio), Andrea McHugh (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Kelly Reeves (San Diego).
She also helped the 2008 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team to the NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship title.
Holthus was named to the 2010 Big Ten All-Freshman Team in her debut at Northwestern University. McMahon begins her collegiate career at University of Illinois in August.
Plum, Allison and Dagostino have been named to the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team and one will like27