U.S. Sitting Off to Brazil for Zonal Championship

Becky Murdy
Assistant, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: becky.murdy@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 26, 2011) - The U.S. Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team will compete in the Para Panamerican Tournament Sept. 28- Oct. 1 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for high-level international competition in preparation for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

The tournament is a zonal championship to determine which team will represent the zone in London at the 2012 Paralympics. The U.S. previously qualified for the 2012 Paralympics, allowing them to use the tournament as preparation against high-level competition such as Brazil, Canada and Colombia.

The team qualified for the 2012 Paralympic Games at the 2010 Sitting Volleyball World Championships at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). The early qualification has allowed the team to dip its foot in international competition as a learning experience to both old and new players about playing on unfamiliar grounds.  

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Head Coach Bill Hamiter set up a small, nine-player roster for the tournament, including youngest player Kaleo Kanahele (Oklahoma City, Okla.), 15,  and team newcomer Nicole “Nicky” Nieves (Kissimmee, Fla.).

“Team USA has previously qualified for London, so we don't have the pressure of qualifying like the other teams do,” U.S. Head Coach Bill Hamiter (Bethany, Okla.) said. “Our roster for this tournament is once again a mixture of veterans and less experienced players. Our goal is to win, but also to give significant international match exposure to our young athletes. All of these athletes will be fighting for roster spots for the Paralympics in 2012. This tournament serves as preparation for them competing for a roster spot.”  

Joining Kanahele and Nieves will be team captain Katie Holloway (Lake Stevens, Wash./UCO Resident Athlete), Monique Burkland (Ardmore, Okla.), Angela DeHaan (Yuba City, Calif.), Heather Erickson (Fayetteville, N.C./UCO Resident Athlete), Nichole Millage (Champaign, Ill./UCO Resident Athlete), Kari Miller (Washington D.C.) and Bethany Zummo (Dublin, Calif./UCO Resident Athlete).

The women will take to the court against Canada on Sept. 28 at 5 p.m. ET. On Sept. 29 the U.S. will have a doubleheader against Colombia at 9 a.m. ET and Brazil at 8 p.m. ET. Semifinals will be held in the afternoon on Sept. 30th followed by the finals matches on Oct. 1.

Tags: Angela Dehaan, Bethany Zummo, Bill Hamiter, Kari Miller, Katie Holloway, mobile, mobile, Nichole Millage, Nicole Nieves, U.S. Women's Sitting Volleyball Team