Hancock Keeps it in the Family

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

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 20, 2010) – Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) is one of the 12 U.S. players on the roster for the Youth Olympic Games being held in Singapore, Aug. 21-26.

This Oklahoma native has a “partner in crime” that she began playing with when she started playing volleyball, her sister, Kelsey. The two started playing together at a young age when they lived in McAllister, Okla. Micha played up with her sister during Kelsey’s 15s and 16s years, when their mom, Kelly, was the coach. They played together for three years but eventually moved to Edmond, Okla., specifically for the club volleyball experience which was more competitive.

Once in Edmond, the three year difference between Kelsey and Micha forced them to play in different age groups for their club team. However, they did end up playing one year of high school volleyball together in 2007, where they led Edmond Memorial High School to a state championship title. That same year, Kelsey was named All-Edmond Player of the Year. Micha received the award in 2009 along with her second state title in three years and the honor of state 6A MVP.

“Playing with my sister, it’s a great experience,” said Micha, a 5-11 setter. “I love doing it. If we mess up, we know it is okay. She has confidence in me and I have confidence in her.”

The two have developed a special cue that signals they have one another’s backs.

“Sometimes I’ll wink at her if she messes up,” Micha said. “It’s a ‘keep your head up’ sort of thing. She’ll do the same to me.”

Kelsey has not only been an older sister to Micha, but a role model to her as well.

“She’s just well-rounded” Micha said. “She is on top of her academics and she gives her all no matter what, even if things aren’t going the best. She’s just really aggressive and I’ve learned a lot from her.”

Kelsey is currently a stand-out outside hitter at the University of Tulsa. The junior started all 33 matches in 2009 and was third on the team in total digs with 289. Micha will carry on the tradition of being a Golden Hurricane as she enters the university in the fall of 2011. Both are very dedicated to their academics along with their athletics and found that Tulsa was the best fit. The two will play one year together at Tulsa.

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: Rodney Wilde (USA)
Assistant Coach: Charlene Johnson-Tagaloa (USA)

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

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

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

Gold Medal
August 26: Winner of Match 7 vs. Winner of Match 8, 9:00 a.m. (Match 11)

Tags: 2010 U.S. Girls' Youth Olympic Team, Micha Hancock, Youth Olympic Games