USA Volleyball Invites 33 Athletes to Train with Women's National Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

? Thirty-three athletes have been invited to come to the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., next month to train in the USA Women's National Team program under new head coach "Jenny" Lang Ping.

Included in the group are seven Olympians from last year's team that finished tied for fifth at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece: setter Robyn Ah Mow-Santos (Hawai'i); middle blocker Elisabeth Bachman (UCLA); setter Lindsey Berg (Minnesota); opposite Tayyiba Haneef (Long Beach State); opposite Nancy Metcalf (Nebraska); outside hitter Ogonna Nnamani (Stanford) and middle blocker Danielle Scott (Long Beach State).

Metcalf is one of three current or former Huskers selected to train in the USA Women's National Team program, as seniors-to-be Melissa Elmer (middle blocker) and Jennifer Saleaumua (outside hitter/libero) were also chosen among the 33 players.

Five players from the 2004 Olympic Team will not return for the 2005 season. Veteran outside hitters Tara Cross-Battle and Keba Phipps have retired from the sport, outside hitter Logan Tom and libero Stacy Sykora are going to give beach volleyball a try and middle blocker Heather Bown is taking some time off but is expected to return in the future.

The beginning of the summer figures to be especially busy for the athletes. Team USA will enter a pair of teams in the women's open division of the USA Open Volleyball Championships in Denver from May 28-June 4. The teams competing at the Open will be comprised of collegiate players.

The women will also have teams competing at the Montreux Volley Masters in Switzerland, the Pan American Cup in the Dominican Republic and the month-long World Grand Prix in Asia.

The final rosters for the various events will be determined based on the athlete's training performance.

2005 USA Women's National Training Team

(Name, School, Position)

Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, Hawaii, Setter

Foluke Akinradewo, St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Fla.), Middle Blocker

Jennifer Andrew, Texas, Setter

Patrice Arrington, Oklahoma, Outside Hitter

Elisabeth Bachman, UCLA, Middle Blocker

Cynthia Barboza, Woodrow Wilson Classical High School (Calif.), Outside Hitter

Lindsey Berg, Minnesota, Setter

Shonda Cole, South Carolina, Outside Hitter

Jane Collymore, Florida, Outside Hitter

Alexis Crimes, Long Beach State, Middle Blocker

Nicole Davis, USC, Libero

Sarah Drury, Louisville, Libero

Melissa Elmer, Nebraska, Middle Blocker

Marcie Hampton, Florida, Outside Hitter

Tayyiba Haneef, Long Beach State, Opposite

Jennifer Hoffman, Louisville, Middle Blocker

Lindsey Hunter, Missouri, Setter

Jennifer Joines, Pacific, Middle Blocker

Jamie (Kanoe) Kamana'o, Hawai'i, Setter

Bryn Kehoe, Stanford, Setter

Lakisya Killingsworth, Florida, Middle Blocker/Opposite

Brandy Magee, Texas, Middle Blocker

Angie McGinnis, Florida, Setter

Nancy Metcalf, Nebraska, Opposite

Sophia Milo, Pepperdine, Middle Blocker

Ogonna Nnamani, Stanford, Outside Hitter

Kristin Richards, Stanford, Outside Hitter

Jennifer Saleamua, Nebraska, Outside Hitter/Libero

Danielle Scott, Long Beach State, Middle Blocker

Debora Sielhammer, USC, Libero

Elisha Thomas, Long Beach State, Middle Blocker

Stacy Venski, USC, Opposite

Melissa Villaroman, Hawai'i, Libero