Women's Sitting Team Reaches Semifinals

B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org     

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 23, 2010) – The U.S. Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team improved its record to 4-0 on Tuesday with a 25-9, 25-8, 25-5 victory over host Egypt at the WOVD (World Organization for Volleyball Disabled) World Cup in Port Said.

The U.S. Women’s Team won its pool and has advanced to the semifinals where it will play a rematch against Russia at 8 a.m. CT (3 p.m. in Egypt) on Wednesday.

The USA Men’s Sitting National Team finished pool play with a 1-3 record after a tough 2-3 (21-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-20, 13-15) loss to Iraq on Tuesday. The U.S. Men will play Germany in the first round of the pool crossover at 4 a.m. CT (11 a.m. in Iraq) on Wednesday.

Michelle Gerlosky (Griffin, Ga.) led the U.S. Women with 20 points while Gina McWilliams (The Colony, Texas) added 11 and Nicole Millage (Champaign, Ill.) had 10.

The U.S. Women stayed very focused and intense during the match, not allowing the Egyptian Women to gain any momentum. Wednesday’s semifinal will be a rematch of Tuesday’s contest, which the United States won, 25-12, 25-17, 25-17.

In the deciding set of their match, the U.S. Men took an early 8-3 lead, only to see Iraq battle back to tie the score at 11-11. In the home stretch, Iraq outscored the Americans 4-2 to take the 13-15 win.

Eric Duda (Gainesville, Fla.) led the U.S. Men with 21 kills and a hitting percentage of 0.368 for the match.

U.S. Tournament Results/Schedule (All times CT)
Men
Pool Play
March 21
Ukraine def. USA, 25-22, 25-23, 25-21
USA def. Great Britain, 25-19, 25-21, 25-20
March 22
Iran def. USA, 25-9, 25-19, 25-11
March 23
Iraq def. USA, 21-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-20, 13-15
Crossover
March 24
USA vs. Germany, 4 a.m.

Women
Pool Play
March 21
USA def. Netherlands, 22-25, 22-25, 25-15, 25-23, 15-11
March 22
USA def. Slovenia, 25-19, 25-12, 25-13 
USA def. Russia, 25-12, 25-17, 25-17
March 23
USA def. Egypt, 25-9, 25-8, 25-5
Semifinals
March 24
USA vs. Russia, 8 a.m.

U.S. Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team
Number Name (Hometown/Resident athletes at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla. are noted)
1 Lora Webster (Cave Creek, Ariz.)
3 Brenda Maymon (Sellersburg, Ind./Edmond, Okla.)
4 Michelle Gerlosky (Griffin, Ga./Edmond, Okla.)
5 Katie Holloway (Lake Stevens, Wash./Edmond, Okla.)
6 Heather Erickson (Fayetteville, N.C.)
9 Gina McWilliams (The Colony, Texas)
10 Kari Miller (Washington, D.C./Edmond, Okla.)
13 Nichole Millage (Champaign, Ill./Edmond, Okla.)
15 Kendra Lancaster (Westfield, Ind.)
18 Alex Gouldie (St. Paul, Neb.)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter (Bethany, Okla.)
Assistant Coach: Edgar Miraku (Elbasan, Albania)
Team Leader: Dixie Collins (Marshall, Va.)
Athletic Trainer: Brian Choate

U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team
Number Name (Hometown/Resident athletes at the University of Central Oklahoma are noted)
2 Dan Regan (St. Louis, Mo./Edmond, Okla.)
3 Charles Swearingon (Gulfport, Miss./Edmond, Okla.)
4 Edward O'Neil (Amherst, Mass./Edmond, Okla.)
5 Eric Duda (Gainesville, Fla./Edmond, Okla.)
7 Brad Johnson (Pompano Beach, Fla.)
8 James Stuck (New Kensington, Pa./Edmond, Okla.)
9 Hugo Storer (Houston, Texas)
10 Edgardo LaForest (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
11 Roderick Green (West Monroe, La./Edmond, Okla.)
12 Brent Rasmussen (Omaha, Neb.)
13 Josh Franklin (Houston, Texas)

Head Coach: Edgar Miraku (Elbasan, Albania)
Assistant Coach: Bill Hamiter (Bethany, Okla.)
Team Leader: Dixie Collins (Marshall, Va.)
Athletic Trainer: Brian Choate

Tags: Bill Hamiter, Brad Johnson, Brent Rasmussen, Dan Regan, Edgar Miraku, Edgardo Laforest, Eric Duda, Heather Erickson, Hugo Storer, James Stuck, Josh Franklin, Kari Miller, Katie Holloway, Lora Webster, Nichole Millage, Roderick Green, sitting, Sitting Volleyball, U.S. Men's Sitting Volleyball Team, U.S. Women's Sitting Volleyball Team