And Then There Was One; U.S. Women are Last Undefeated Team at VNL

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 7, 2021) – The U.S. Women’s National Team swept South Korea (25-16, 25-12, 25-15) on Monday and is now the only unbeaten team at the FIVB Volleyball Nations League in Rimini, Italy.

The U.S. Women (8-0) will finish the third group of the 2021 VNL against Italy (2-6) on Tuesday at noon PT. The United States because the only unbeaten women’s team at VNL when Turkey fell to Dominican Republic on Monday. The U.S. Women have only lost one set so far.

U.S. middle blocker Haleigh Washington led all scorers with 15 points on a match-high five aces and three blocks to go with seven kills (.700).

OFFICIAL STATISTICS * TEAM STATISTICS

“I think we played really well as a unit,” Washington said. “I think we were really patient. We’re still ironing out the kinks and I think we did a really good job of staying patient with one another. Also, great service pressure from the end lines from the whole team.”

Opposite Jordan Thompson and middle Chiaka Ogbogu each scored nine points. Ogbogu had a match-high four blocks to go with five kills. Thompson scored on seven kills, one block and one ace.

Outside hitter Michelle Bartsch-Hackley totaled seven points on seven kills.

Outside hitter Jordan Larson started the first two sets and scored seven points on six kills and one ace before Kim Hill played the third set for her and scored on four kills.

Setter Micha Hancock scored five points on three aces, one block and one kill. She set the U.S. Women to a .341 hitting efficiency. Libero Justine Wong Orantes was credited with nine digs and nine successful receptions. Bartsch-Hackley led with 11 digs and Hancock also had nine.

U.S. Women’s National Team 14-Person Roster for June 7

No. Player (Position, Height, Hometown, College)

1 Micha Hancock (S, 5-11, Edmond, Okla., Penn State Univ.)
2 Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Univ. of Illinois)
3 Kathryn Plummer (OH, 6-6, Aliso Viejo, Calif., Stanford Univ.)
4 Justine Wong Orantes (L, 5-6, Cypress, Calif., Univ. of Nebraska)
6 Tori Dixon (M, 6-3, Burnsville, Minn., Univ. of Minnesota)
8 Hannah Tapp (M, 6-3, Stewartville, Minn., Univ. of Minnesota)
10 Jordan Larson (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., Univ. of Nebraska)
11 Annie Drews (OPP, 6-4, Elkhart, Ind., Purdue Univ.)
12 Jordan Thompson (OPP, 6-4, Edina, Minn., Univ. of Cincinnati)
13 Sarah Wilhite Parsons (OH, 6-2, Eden Prairie, Minn., Univ. of Minnesota)
14  Michelle Bartsch-Hackley (OH, 6-3, Champaign, Ill., Univ. of Illinois)
15 Kim Hill (OH, 6-4, Portland, Ore., Pepperdine, Univ.)
22 Haleigh Washington (M, 6-3, Colorado Springs, Colo., Penn State Univ.)
24 Chiaka Ogbogu (M, 6-2, Coppell, Texas, Univ. of Texas)

Head Coach: Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coaches: Luka Slabe, Erin Virtue, Tama Miyashiro
Technical Coordinator: Jeff Liu
Athletic Trainer: Kara Kessans
Team Manager: Jimmy Stitz

U.S. Women’s Schedule for FIVB Volleyball Nations League (all times Pacific)

May 25: USA def Dominican Republic, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-12)
May 26: USA def Canada, 3-0 (26-34, 25-15, 25-10)
May 27: USA def Brazil 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22)

May 31: USA def Serbia, 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-12)
June 1: USA def Netherlands, 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-18)
June 2: USA def Thailand, 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-16)

June 6: USA def Germany, 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-13)
June 7 at 7 a.m.: Korea vs USA
June 8 at noon: Italy vs USA

June 12 at 6 a.m.: USA vs Belgium
June 13 at 3 a.m.: USA vs Japan
June 14 at noon: USA vs Turkey

June 18 at 9 a.m.: Poland vs USA
June 19 at 3 a.m.: USA vs Russia
June 20 at 3 a.m.: China vs USA

June 23: Semifinals 1 and 2
June 24: Bronze and Gold medal matches