USAV Selects Women’s Junior National Team

Becky Murdy

Assistant, Media Relations and Publications

Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: becky.murdy@usav.org

 

 

Prior to leaving for Peru, the team will train July 10-19 at Saint Mary’s College (Calif.) in Moraga, Calif., under the direction of U.S. Women’s Junior National Team Head Coach Rob Browning. He also serves as the head women’s volleyball coach at Saint Mary’s.

 

"While the competition will be fierce in Peru this summer, we have a group of players and coaches who can win it all,” Browning said. “We want to return with the World Championship trophy."

 

Six players named to the 2011 squad competed with the 2010 WJNT that captured the gold medal at the NORCECA Women’s Junior (U-20) Continental Championship held in Tijuana, Mexico. Returning players include outside hitters Kelly Reeves (San Diego, UCLA) and Stephanie Holthus (Elgin, Ill., Northwestern University). Returning middle blockers include Haleigh Hampton (Huntington Beach, Calif., Long Beach State) and Carly Wopat (Santa Barbara, Calif., Stanford University). Molly Kreklow (Delano, Minn., University of Missouri) is the lone returning setter and Jennifer Bonilla (Reseda, Calif.) returns as a libero/defensive specialist.

 

New to the team are outside hitters Moneshia Simmons (Buford, Ga., Clemson University), Madison Kingdom (Phoenix, University of Arizona) and Haley Eckerman (Waterloo, Iowa, Iowa Rockets). Middle blocker Sallie McLaurin (Midwest City, Okla., University of Oklahoma), setter Lauren Plum (Poway, Calif., University of Oregon) and libero/defensive specialist Natalie Hagglund (Encinitas, Calif., University of Southern California) all join the team for the first time.

 

Browning, who also coached the 2010 WJNT, will be assisted by Erik Sullivan and Jill Kramer. Sullivan is the assistant women’s volleyball coach at the University of Texas, while Kramer is the head women’s volleyball coach at West Virginia University. Denise Corlett, associate head coach at Stanford University, will serve as the team leader.

 

"Our goal is to win the World Championship and we have selected a team that can do it,” Browning said. “The selection process was very competitive and there are some outstanding players who were left off the roster. We have a number of veterans from last year's NORCECA Championship team as well as some new addition and I am excited to see them come together and form a cohesive team. The coaches we have selected to join me are also exceptionally good and I feel fortunate to be able to work with them."

 

Kreklow, Plum, Bonilla, Wopat, Hampton, McLaurin, Reeves, Simmons, Holthus and Hagglund all competed at the collegiate level last year, representing 10 different universities. Eckerman and played prep volleyball last fall and Kingdom began classes at the University of Arizona.

 

Bonilla, Hagglund, Kingdom and Plum will also be training and competing with the U.S. Women’s National A2 Program at the USA Volleyball Open National Championships in Dallas at the end of May.

 

Seven alternates will participate in the training camp at Saint Mary’s, but will not make the trip to Peru except in the case of an injured player on the 12-player U.S. Women’s Junior National Team roster.

 

To be eligible for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team, athletes needed to be born in either 1992 or 1993.

 

Haley Eckerman (OH, 6-3, Waterloo, Iowa, 2011, Iowa Rockets/University of Texas, Iowa)

Jennifer Bonilla (L, 5-10, Reseda, Calif., 2010, Sports Shack/University of Illinois, SCVA)

Natalie Hagglund (L, 5-9, Encinitas, Calif., 2010, Encinitas WAVE/University of Southern California, SCVA)

Haleigh Hampton (MB, 6-6, Huntington Beach, Calif., 2010, Cal Juniors/Long Beach State University, SCVA)
Stephanie Holthus (OH, 6-0, Elgin, Ill., 2010, Fusion/Northwestern University, Great Lakes)

Madison Kingdon (OH, 6-0, Phoenix, Ariz., 2011, Arizona Storm/University of Arizona, Arizona)

Molly Kreklow (S, 6-0, Delano, Minn., 2010, Mizuno Northern Lights/ University of Missouri, North Country)

Sallie McLaurin (MB, 6-2, Midwest City, Okla., 2010, Oklahoma Charge/University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma)
Lauren Plum (S, 5-9, Poway, Calif., 2010, Coast VBC/University of Oregon, SCVA)

Kelly Reeves (OH, 6-0, San Diego, Calif., 2010, Encinitas WAVE/UCLA, SCVA)

Moneshia Simmons (OH, 6-0, Buford, Ga., 2010, NFC Volleyball /Clemson University, Southern)

Carly Wopat (MB, 6-2, Goleta, Calif,. 2010, Santa Barbara VBC/Stanford University, SCVA)

 

Hannah Allison (S, 5-11, Siloam Springs, Ark., 2010, Ozark Juniors/University of Texas, Delta)

Mackenzie Dagostino (S, 5-10, Tampa Bay, Fla., 2012, Tampa Bay Juniors/University of Maryland, Florida)
Madelyn Hutson (MB, 6-6, Brentwood, Tenn., 2011, Impact/University of Texas, Southern)

Samantha Cash (MB, 6-3, San Diego, Calif., 2011, Coast/Pepperdine, SCVA)

Liz McMahon (OH, 6-6, Liberty Township, Ohio, 2011, Team Z/University of Illinois, Ohio Valley)

Andrea McHugh (OH, 5-10, Yorba Linda, Calif., 2010, Laguna Beach/Notre Dame, SCVA)

Alyssa Warren (L, 5-9, Joliet, Ill., 2010, Sports Performance/Seton Hall University, Great Lakes)

 

Head Coach: Rob Browning, Saint Mary’s College (Calif.)

Assistant Coach: Erik Sullivan, University of Texas

Assistant Coach: Jill Kramer, West Virginia University

Team Leader/Assistant Coach: Denise Corlett, Stanford University

Haley Eckerson (Waterloo, Iowa) who was a member of the 2009 U.S. Girls’ Youth Team that competed in the FIVB Grils’ Youth (U-19) World Championship, has been named all-state (Iowa) first team, all-state elite, all-district, all-conference and all-metro in all four years of her prep career at East High School. Eckerman has also been selected as the 2009 Iowa Player of the Year. Eckerman led her East High School squad to three conference titles, marking the first three girls‘championships in school history.

 

 Natalie Hagglund (Encinitas, Calif.) was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team after helping University of Southern California to the NCAA Division I Tournament semifinal round. She ranked seventh in the Pac-10 in dig average with a 3.98 mark and 497 total digs. Hagglund contributed 25 matches with double-digit digs, including a season-high 28 digs versus Arizona State.

 

Haleigh Hampton (Huntington Beach, Calif.), a freshman last fall at Long Beach State University, ranked third nationally in blocks and was selected as an honorable mention Blocker of the Year by Collegiate Volleyball Update. She led the team in hitting efficiency, at .314, while ranking second on the team with 2.89 kills per set. Hampton played on the 2010 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team and led it to the gold medal at the NORCECA Women’s Junior Continental Championship.

 

Stephanie Holthus (Elgin, Ill.) was named to the 2010 Big Ten All-Freshman Team after starting in all 33 matches in her debut season at Northwestern University. She became the 11th player in program history to record 300 kills in their freshman season, finishing with 332 -- the eighth-best performance by a freshman. Holthus also played on the 2010 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team and helped the squad to the gold medal at the NORCECA Women’s Junior Continental Championships and berth to the 2011 FIVB Women’s Junior World Championship.

 

Madison Kingdon (Phoenix, Ariz.) led Sunnyslope High School to three consecutive Arizona Class 4A Division I championships. She was named the Arizona Republic Girls’ Volleyball Big School Player of the Year in 2010. Kingdon was tabbed as the 2010-11 Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year after recording 587 kills, 385 digs, 78 aces and 67 blocks with a .531 attack efficiency.

 

Molly Kreklow (Delano, Minn.) was named AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year after being ranked second in the Big 12 in assists per set (11.7) at the University of Missouri. She set the U.S. Junior National Team to a sweep over the Dominican Republic as Team USA claimed the 2010 NORCECA Women’s Junior Continental Championship. She also helped the 2008 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team capture the NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship.

 

Sallie McLaurin (Midwest City, Okla.) became the first University of Oklahoma Sooner to earn Big 12 Freshman of the Year after leading the Sooners in blocking with 1.24 per set and in hitting efficiency with a .219 mark in 2010. As a senior at Carl Albert High School she was named 2009 PrepVolleyball.com All-American. In addition to leading Carl Albert to back-to-back state tournament bronze medals, she played club volleyball for Oklahoma Charge.

 

Lauren Plum (Poway, Calif.) set University of Oregon to a .256 team hitting efficiency as a freshman last fall while averaging an NCAA freshman-best 11.75 assists per set. She added averages of 0.79 kills, 1.94 digs, 0.22 aces and 0.40 blocks per set. Plum was also tabbed to the All-Pac-10 Freshman Team as the Ducks finished 2010 with a 19-11 record. Before college she played three seasons with Coast Volleyball Club and earned USA Volleyball Junior National Championship’s All-American in 2010.

 

Jennifer Bonilla (Reseda, Calif.) was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team after her first season at the University of Illinois. Her 623 digs during the 2010 season broke the Illinois all-time single-season record. Bonilla was a member of the 2008 and 2009 U.S.Girls’ Youth National Team. She was named Best Libero and led the team to the 2008 NORCECA Girls’ Youth Championship gold medal. She also competed at the 2009 FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championship.

 

Kelly Reeves (San Diego, Calif.) appeared in all 31 matches of her first season at UCLA. Reeves was a member of the 2010 U.S. Women’s Junior National Women’s Junior National Team and led the squad to the gold medal at the NORCECA Women’s Junior Continental Championships. She also helped the 2008 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team to the NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship.

 

Moneshia Simmons (Buford, Ga.) played in 30 of 31 matches as a freshman last season at Clemson University, missing just five sets. She ended the season fourth on the team with 201 kills and was named ACC Volleyball Freshman of the Week on Sept. 20 after leading the team in the tournament victory at the Clemson Classic. Simmons was ranked as the No, 67 recruit by PrepVolleyball.com heading into college.

 

Carly Wopat (Goleta, Calif.) was named to the 2010 All-Pac-10 Freshmen Team after ranking ninth in the conference with her .329 attack efficiency in her first season at Stanford University. Wopat ended the 2010 season second on the team with 0.97 blocks per set and fourth with 228 points. Wopat played a key role on the 2010 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team as its captain and led it to the gold medal at the NORCECA Women’s Junior Continental Championships. She has also played in the 2009 FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championship after leading the squad to the 2008 NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship in the first year of the cycle.