U.S. Girls' Youth Team Players Attending Tryouts

Candice Kasischke
Intern, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: candice.kasischke@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 3, 2011) – The 2011 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Training Team is enjoying its first day of training on June 3 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The tryout, which will decide the 12-player U.S. roster for the FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championship, continues through June 5.

Daniela Campbell (Denver, Front Range/Rocky Mountain) is experiencing her first year of training with the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Training Team. Her first day experience has brought her the toughest competition she has faced so far in her volleyball career.

“The game is really competitive and fast pace,” Campbell said. “The girls are very talented and I feel like I am learning a lot by playing with them. They are the best players within my age group that I have seen.”

Aside from Campbell’s first training day experience of training, the idea of playing within USA Volleyball’s High Performance pipeline is helping her accomplish something that she had only dreamed of doing.

“It is so exciting to be in the running to represent my country in the sport I love,” Campbell said. “It has been a dream ever since I started playing volleyball, and I am really excited about the opportunity of being a part of a team that plays internationally. I am fortunate to be here.”

Molly McCage (Spring, Texas, Woodlands Wave/Lone Star), captain of the 2010 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team, has returned to try out for the 2011 U.S. Team at the 2010 NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championships in Guatemala where the team won the gold medal.

“When the national anthem played at NORCECA last year, it moved me to tears,” McCage said. “It really sinks in that you are not just representing the sport of volleyball, but your country as well. I am really hoping to be a part of that experience again this year.”

McCage believes that the talent represented in the 2011 tryouts is steeper than last year’s team tryouts.

“Everyone at this camp is so competitive,” McCage said. “Even from last year to this year, the difference in talent is very significant. I didn’t even know girls like this existed!”

At this stage of the game, it is tough on the coaches and players. Campbell is a first timer in experiencing the USA Volleyball High Performance coaches’ art of balancing training with tryouts.

“It is an interesting dynamic,” Campbell said. “On the court, we are competing against everyone else for placement on the 12-player roster. At the same time, we are trying to get to know each other off of the court. We are playing together, but against each other at this point.”

U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team Head Coach Jim Stone, assisted by Melissa Wolter of University of West Florida and Charlene Whitted of USA Volleyball High Performance, also commented on the coaches’ challenge of trying to accomplish much within the limited time allotted.

“The talent is great, but we as coaches were telling the girls that it feels like a cram session,” Stone said. “It is a training session and a tryout at the same time. We are laying a foundation for the actual 12-player roster. We don’t have much time to train this summer, so we are taking advantage of every minute we have. It is challenging for them as well because it is a tryout and they have to take instruction.”

While the girls are training at the highest level physically, Stone expressed that the coaches are considering more than just the athletes’ raw talent when choosing the final U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team.

“We need the 12 girls that will give us the best chance at winning,” Stone said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean we choose the most talented players. We take into account who is coachable, what each personality is like and what intangibles will be brought to the team. They have to be able to hang with the best players in the world within their age group.”

Stone believes that many of the players are putting their best foot forward in their training in Colorado Springs and he feels that the coaching staff can stretch them to new heights.

“The talent is great and the girls are putting forth a lot of effort,” Stone said. “We can see some nervousness but we are going to get that behind us and start playing. We can see that they want to be challenged and that gives us the chance to stretch them to learn different stages of play.”

At the conclusion of the tryout held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Stone will make a decision on seven alternates in addition to the 12-player roster. Those selected to compete on the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team will continue to compete at the 2011 USA Volleyball High Performance Championships from July 20-30 in Tucson, Ariz. The U.S. Team will then train until July 30-Aug. 9 in Lake Placid, N.Y. Ultimately, these events will prepare the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team to contend in the 2011 FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championship held in Ankara, Turkey.

2011 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Training Team
Name (Pos, Hometown, HS Grad Year, Club/Region)
Breanna Atkinson (OH, Ashburn, Va., 2012, Virginia Elite/Chesapeake)
Alexis Austin (MB, Houston, Texas, 2012,Thunder Volleyball/Lone star)
Martenne Bettendorf (OH, Happy Valley, 2012, Oregon NW Jrs/Columbia Empire)
Jordan Burgess (OH, Tampa, Fla., 2012, Tampa Bay Juniors/Florida)
Daniela Campbell (MB, Denver, Colo., 2012, Front Range/Rocky Mountain)
Lauren Carlini (S, Aurora, Ill., 2013, Sports Performance/Great Lakes)
Chloe Collins (S, Cypress, Texas, 2013, Texas Pride/Lone star)
Nicole Dalton (S, Parker, Colo., 2012, Front Range/Rocky Mountain)
Julia Doyle (S, Plymouth, Minn., 2012, MN Select/North Country)
Nicole Edelman (S, Boulder, Colo., 2012, Front Range/Rocky Mountain)
Mylan Eugene (OH, Houston, Texas, 2014, Texas Pride/Lone Star)
Janae Hall (MB, Centennial, Colo., 2012, Front Range/Rocky Mountain)
Kierra Holst (MB, Coppell, Texas, 2012, Instinct/North Texas)
Janelle Jenkins (MB, Southlake, Texas, 2012, Skyline Juniors/North Texas)
Angela Lowak (OH, New Braunfels, Texas, 2012, Austin Juniors/Lone Star)
Andie Malloy (OH, Allen, Texas, 2012, Skyline Juniors/North Texas)
Molly McCage (MB, Spring, Texas, 2012, Woodlands Wave/Lone star)
Megan McGehee (MB, Lees Summit, Mo., 2012, Invasion/Heart of America)
Allison Palmer (L, Laguna Beach, Calif., 2012, Laguna Beach/Southern California)
Haley Pouliezos (L, Imperial, Mo., 2012, High Performance/Gateway)
Paulina Prieto (OH, Miami, Fla., 2011, Boomers Volleyball Club/Florida)
Amber Rolfzen (OH, Papillion, Neb., 2013, Nebraska Juniors/Great Plains)
Kadie Rolfzen (OH, Papillion, Neb., 2013, Nebraska Juniors/Great Plains)
Shelby Sullivan (MB, Richardson, Texas, 2012, Texas Advantage/North Texas)
Melanie Wade (MB, Palo Alto, Calif, 2012, City Beach/Northern California)

Staff
Head Coach: Jim Stone, USA Volleyball High Performance
Asst. Coach: Melissa Wolter, University of West Florida
Asst. Coach: Charlene Whitted, USA Volleyball High Performance

Tags: 2011 Girls' Youth National Training Team, Allison Palmer, Andie Malloy, Angela Lowak, daniela campbell, Haley Pouliezos, Jordan Burgess, Molly McCage, Mylan Eugene, Shelby Sullivan