U.S. Girls' Youth Olympic Team Selected

Bill Kauffman May 23, 2010

Photo: USA Volleyball/Bill Kauffman

U.S. Girls' Youth Olympic Team: Front (L-R): M. Bugg, A. Palmer, J. Burgess, A. Lowak. Back (L-R): Head Coach R. Wilde, A. Rolfzen, N. Dalton, S. Sullivan, K. Rolfzen, A. Malloy, L. Carlini, Asst. Coach C. Johnson-Tagaloa. Missing M. McCage, B. Howard

Bill Kauffman
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: bill.kauffman@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 23, 2010) – The USA Volleyball Indoor High Performance Department announced today its 12-player 2010 U.S. Girls’ Youth Olympic Team roster that will compete in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in August 2010.

The selections, determined by U.S. Girls’ Youth Olympic Team Head Coach Rod Wilde and assistant coach Charlene Johnson-Tagaloa, were made during the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Training Team tryout held May 21-23 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. A total of 20 players participated in the camp.

“It was a very competitive tryout, and the final decision on who made the U.S. Youth Olympic Team was extremely difficult,” Wilde said. “That is a good thing for USA Volleyball.”

Selected players for the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Training Team include setters Madison Bugg (Apex, N.C., Triangle) and Lauren Carlini (Aurora, Ill., Sports Performance). Outside/opposite hitters on the training roster include Jordan Burgess (Tampa, Fla., Tampa Bay Juniors), Nicole Dalton (Parker, Colo., Front Range), Brittany Howard (Los Altos, Calif., Vision), Angela Lowak (New Braunfels, Texas, Austin Juniors), Andie Malloy (Allen, Texas, Skyline Juniors) and Kadie Rolfzen (Papillion, Neb., Nebraska Juniors).

Middle blockers selected for the second tryout include Molly McCage (Spring, Texas, Texas Team), Amber Rolfzen (Papillion, Neb., Nebraska Juniors) and Shelby Sullivan (Richardson, Texas, TAV). The libero for the Youth Olympic Games is Allison Palmer (Laguna Beach, Calif.).

The U.S. qualified to compete in the Youth Olympic Games by winning the 2010 NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship played April 27 to May 2 in Guatemala. In addition, the NORCECA gold medal also secured the U.S. a spot into the 2011 FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championship to be held next year in Turkey. For additional information on the NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship, visit usavolleyball.org/events/3748.

To create the best possible roster for the Youth Olympic Games, the USA Volleyball High Performance Department created a second tryout among the top rated players through the national tryouts held across the country this spring and players who competed for the U.S. at the NORCECA competition.

Based on coaches’ evaluations from the NORCECA tournament and HP tryouts this spring, McCage, who was captain for the U.S. squad competing at the NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship, and Howard earned roster positions on the U.S. team competing at the Youth Olympic Games without going through the tryout this past weekend.

Bugg (S), Burgess (OH), Howard (OH), Lowak (OH), Malloy (OH), McCage (MB), Palmer (L) and Sullivan (MB) are repeat selections who also participated in the NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship.

“We have a good combination of athletes who were on winning NORCECA Championship team, while also upgrading our depth at all positions,” Wilde said.

U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team for Youth Olympic Games
Player (Pos., Ht, Hometown, Grad Year, Club, Region)
Madison Bugg (S, 6-0, Apex, N.C., 2012, Triangle, Carolina)
Jordan Burgess (OH, 6-0, Tampa, Fla., 2012, Tampa Bay Juniors, Florida)
Lauren Carlini (S, 6-1, Aurora, Ill., 2013, Sports Performance, Great Lakes)
Nicole Dalton (OH, 6-2, Parker, Colo., 2012, Front Range, Rocky Mountain)
Brittany Howard (OH, 6-3, Los Altos, Calif., 2012, Vision, Northern California)
Angela Lowak (OH, 6-0, New Braunfels, Texas, 2012, Austin Juniors, Lone Star)
Andie Malloy (OH, 6-2, Allen, Texas, 2012, Skyline Juniors, North Texas)
Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, 2012, Texas Team, Lone Star)
Allison Palmer (L, 5-9, Laguna Beach, Calif., 2012, Laguna Beach Volleyball Club, Southern California)
Amber Rolfzen (MB, 6-2, Papillion, Neb., 2013, Nebraska Juniors, Great Plains)
Kadie Rolfzen (OH, 6-3, Papillion, Neb., 2013, Nebraska Juniors, Great Plains)
Shelby Sullivan (MB, 6-2, Richardson, Texas, 2012, TAV, North Texas)

Head Coach: Rod Wilde
Assistant Coach: Charlene Tagaloa-Johnson

Non-Selected U.S. Girls’ Youth National Training Team Members
Player (Pos., Ht, Hometown, Grad Year, Club, Region)
Chloe Collins (S, 5-7, Cypress, Texas, 2013, Texas Tornados, Lone Star)
Nicole Edelman (S, 6-0, Boulder, Colo., 2012, Front Range, Rocky Mountain)
Mylan “Mimi” Eugene (OH, 5-11, Houston, Texas, 2014, Texas Tornados, Lone Star)
Samantha Hill (MB, 6-3, Spokane, Wash., 2012, Splash, Evergreen)
Brooke Honeycutt (MB, 6-2, Phoenix, Ariz., 2013, Spiral, Arizona)
Ebony Nwanebu (MB, 6-4, Irving, Texas, 2013, TAV, North Texas)
Anna Panagiotakopoulus (L, 5-5, Phoenix, Ariz., 2012, Spiral, Arizona)
Regan Peltier (MB, 6-2, Nixa, Mo., 2012, Midwest Xplosion, Heart of America)
Haley Pouliezos (L, 5-7, Imperial, Mo., 2012, High Performance, Gateway)
Michelle Strizak (OH, 6-1, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2013, Team Z, Ohio Valley)
Melanie Wade (MB, 6-5, Palo Alto, Calif., 2012, City Beach, Northern California)