FIVB Draws Lots for Women’s Jr. World Championship

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 31, 2011)- The U.S. Women's Junior National Team will compete with Belgium, Korea and Poland in the first round of the FIVB Women's Junior (U-20) World Championship held July 21-31 at Lima and Trujillo, Peru, as announced in the drawing of lots presided over by Mr. Rafael Lloreda Currea.

The U.S. is ranked second in the world in FIVB's combined youth and junior rankings. Belgium is ranked seventh, while Korea is No. 18 and Poland is No. 29.

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.

Head coach Rob 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.

The most recent edition of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Junior World Championship was held in 2009 where the U.S. women placed 12th in Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico. Germany will not be competing in the tournament to defend its 2009 crown. 

The top two teams from each of the original four pools will move into two final pools competing for one of the top four slots and advancement into the semifinals.

Pool A
Peru
Egypt
Tunisia
Slovakia

Pool B
Brazil
Serbia
Italy
Cuba

Pool C
USA
Belgium
Korea
Poland

Pool D
Japan
Dominican Republic
China
Russia

Tags: 2011 U.S. Women's Junior National Team, FIVB World Championship