Veteran Berg Passing the Torch to the New Generation

Story courtesy of FIVB

Matsumoto, Japan (Oct. 30, 2010) – As a veteran of two Summer Olympics, Lindsey Berg (Honolulu, Hawaii) must to know a little about passing the torch in the long relay of runners toward the cauldron, a tradition that began during the Berlin Games in 1936.

Now she is using the same concept to transmit her vast knowledge of volleyball to a new generation of USA Team players and more specifically to the heiress apparent of the throne as setter of the national team of her country.

The Hawaiian native is in Japan taking part in her first FIVB World Championship, the only major tournament she had missed in her long international career. And at 30, she still is not only one valuable piece of the puzzle for U.S. Women's National Team Coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand), but a veteran capable of providing experience and stabilization to the young American squad.

“She is here because she made the team and, of course, she brings her experience and can be a factor to stabilize our young team,” McCutcheon said.

For many years, including the Athens and Beijing Olympic Games, Berg shared the setter position for Team USA with Robin Ah Mow-Santos (Honolulu, Hawaii). Now she is helping in the development of Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.), 22, who made her senior international debut this year at the Pan American Cup in Tijuana, Mexico.

“About two months ago I rejoined the team and competed my way back onto the roster and here I am in Japan happy to be back and trying to contribute to the success of our group,” said Berg, a silver medalist in Beijing.

A key component to the success of Team USA in the 2010 FIVB Women’s World Championship depends on how Glass responds under pressure.

“Alisha is great,” commented Berg, USA volleyball's Female Indoor Player of the Year in 2008. “She needs more international experience but she is very talented and I want to help in her development as much as I can.”

McCutcheon, who accepted the position of head coach of the U.S. Women’s Team for the 2009-2012 quadrennial after winning the men’s Olympic Games gold medal in Beijing, can foresee a big future for his young setter who stands at 1.84 meters.

“Some of her setting fundamentals need work but she’s able to create at the net an really do things that are special,” McCutcheon said. “I think she has a big future for us in our team”.

McCutcheon made reference to the job done by Glass during this year’s FIVB World Grand Prix where the Americans took the gold medal.

“You can tell when she plays she’s a first-year setter, but was able to lead us to some nice performances in the World Grand Prix," McCutcheon said. "I expect her to keep improving every day, but it’s her first World Championship and I’m sure she is a little anxious.”

When those moments of anxiety arise, McCutcheon has an ace card under his sleeve.

That’s Lindsey Berg, who nowadays is content to be back with the team while passing the torch to the next runner named Alisha Glass.

Tags: Alisha Glass, FIVB, FIVB World Championship, Hugh McCutcheon, Lindsey Berg, U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team