USAV Announces Team Going to Youth Olympics

Erin Campbell
Intern, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6864
E-Mail: erin.campbell@usav.org 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 15, 2010) – USA Volleyball has released the final 12-player (O2-bis) roster for the girls traveling to compete at the first-ever Youth Olympic Games held Aug. 21-26 in Singapore. The Youth Olympic Games is an initiative of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Athlete Eligibility for the Youth Olympic Games is based on age ranges determined by the IOC. Volleyball participants had to have been born between Jan. 1, 1992, and Dec. 31, 1993.

The girls selected for the roster are from all over the country including three from California, two from Texas, six from the midwestern states and one from Alabama, and bring a wide range of experience from participating in USA Volleyball High Performance camps and pipeline programs.

Selected players for the U.S. Girls' Youth Olympic Team roster are middle blockers Samantha Cash (San Diego, Calif.), Madison Mahaffey (Vestavia Hills, Ala.) and Olivia Okoro (Carrollton, Texas). Outside and opposite hitters on the roster are Crystal Graff (Madison, Wis.), Natalie Hayes (Ozark, Mo.), Christina Higgins (Inglewood, Calif.), Elizabeth McMahon (Liberty Township, Ohio), Katie Mitchell (The Woodlands, Texas) and Taylor Simpson (Colorado Springs, Colo.).

The two setters on the squad are Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) and Madison Kamp (Orland Park, Ill.). The libero is Tiffany Morales (Redondo Beach, Calif.).

All 12 players on the U.S. roster are scheduled to graduate high school in 2011 or 2012. Morales and Mitchell are set to graduate from high school in 2012, while the other 10 are in the Class of 2011. For seven of the players, this will be their second spot on a USA Volleyball team in 2010. Cash and McMahon were part of the 12-player U.S. Women’s Junior National Team that won the gold medal at the NORCECA Women’s Junior (U-20) Continental Championship held July 5-10 in Mexico.

The U.S. team will report to Singapore on Aug. 11, and open play against Belgium on Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. (local time). It will finish pool play against Egypt on Aug. 23 at 3:30 p.m. (local time). Semifinals take place on Aug. 24 with the top two teams from each pool. Medal rounds and final classification matches take place on Aug. 25.

The Youth Olympic Games will host 3,600 athletes from ages 14-18 that participate on one of 26 different sports. Over 20 National Olympic Committees will be sending teams to the Games. The goal of the event is to teach athletes the basics of Olympism, their ability to have a positive impact on those around them and learning about new cultures. Five educational themes are the driving force of the event; Olympism, skills development, well-being and healthy lifestyle, social responsibility and expression.

Along with these educational themes, the event is doing its part in helping the environment and hopefully engaging an estimated 26,000 spectators to “Go Green”. All of the venues hosting the Games have been declared as environmentally-friendly.

For more information on the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, click here.

2010 U.S. Youth Olympic Game Roster:

# - Player (Position, Height, Hometown, Club, Region)
3 - Samantha Cash (MB, 6-3, San Diego, Calif., Coast Volleyball Club, Southern California)
4 - Crystal Graff (OH, 6-3, Madison, Wis., Capital Volleyball Club, Badger)
5 - Micha Hancock (S, 5-11, Edmond, Okla., Oklahoma Peak, Oklahoma)
6 - Jade Hayes (OH/L, 6-0, Ozark, Mo., Springfield Juniors, Heart of America)
7 - Christina Higgins (OH, 6-2, Inglewood, Calif., Sport Shack, Southern California)
8 - Madison Kamp (S, 6-1, Orland, Ill., Ultimate VBC, Great Lakes)
9 - Madison Mahaffey (MB, 6-4, Vestavia Hills, Ala., Team Sting, Southern)
10 - Elizabeth McMahon (MB, 6-6, Liberty Township, Ohio, Team Z, Ohio Valley)
11 - Katie Mitchell (OH, 6-3, The Woodlands, Texas, Texas Tornados, Lone Star)
12 - Tiffany Morales (Libero, 5-5, Redondo Beach, Calif., Mizuno Long Beach, Southern California)
14 - Olivia Okoro (MB, 6-1, Carrollton, Texas, Dallas Premier, North Texas)
16 - Taylor Simpson (OH, 6-3, Colorado Springs, Colo., Colorado Juniors, Rocky Mountain)

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

2010 Youth Olympic Games
Aug. 21-26 (Singapore)
Toa Payons Sports Hall (Volleyball)
(All Times Listed as Local Time)

Pool A
August 21: Singapore vs. Peru, 12:30 p.m. (Match 1)
August 22: Singapore vs. Japan, 10:00 a.m. (Match 3)
August 23: Peru vs. Japan, 12:30 p.m. (Match 5)

Pool B
August 21: Belgium vs. Egypt, 3:30 p.m. (Match 2)
August 22: USA vs. Belgium, 6:00 p.m. (Match 4)
August 23: USA vs. Egypt, 3:30 p.m. (Match 6)

Semifinal
August 24: Pool A1 vs. Pool B2, 12:30 p.m. (Match 7)
August 24: Pool B1 vs. Pool A2, 3:30 p.m. (Match 8)

Finals

5-6 Place
August 25: Pool A3 vs. Pool B3, 12:30 p.m. (Match 9)

Bronze
August 25: Match 7 Loser vs. Match 8 Loser, 3:30 p.m. (Match 10)

Gold
August 26: Match 7 Winner vs. Match 8 Winner, 9 a.m. (Match 11)

Tags: 2010 U.S. Girls' Youth Olympic Team, Crystal Graff, Madison Kamp, Madison Mahaffey, Olivia Okoro, Samantha Cash, Taylor Simpson