COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 12, 2019) – U.S. Women’s National Team members won gold in the Italian Serie A1 and German Bundesliga championships this past week, leaving just one more pro match on the 2018-19 schedule.
TRIVIA QUESTION: Which members of the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team that won silver at the 2013 FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship are on U.S. Women’s National Team’s preliminary roster for the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
HILL, LOWE WITH CONEGLIANO IN ITALIAN LEAGUE: Outside hitter Kim Hill (Portland, Oregon, Instagram) and opposite Karsta Lowe (Rancho Santa Fe, California, Instagram) are playing for Imoco Volley Conegliano in the Italian Serie A1 this winter. In the Italian Serie A1 playoffs, top-seeded Conegliano swept its best-of-five championship series with second-seeded Igor Gorgonzola Novara following a 25-16, 23-25, 25-11, 20-25, 15-13 victory on May 6 to close out the series. Conegliano overcame a 5-2 deficit in the deciding set to win the match. Hill crushed 19 kills on 38 attacks to go with a 79 positive reception percent on 28 chances in the victory. Lowe, a sub in the fourth set, accounted for one kill in her limited action. Although the Italian championship is over, the two teams have yet one more match to play against each other in the 2018-19 season. The two Italian powerhouses will meet in the European Champions League final on May 18 in Berlin to close out the pro season.
BARTSCH-HACKLEY, CARLINI WITH NOVARA IN ITALIAN LEAGUE: Outside hitter Michelle Bartsch-Hackley (Champaign, Illinois, Twitter, Instagram) and setter Lauren Carlini (Aurora, Illinois, Twitter, Instagram) are playing for Igor Gorgonzola Novara in the Italian Serie A1 and the European Champions League this winter. In the Italian Serie A1 playoffs, second-seeded Novara lost to top-seeded Imoco Volley Conegliano 25-16, 23-25, 25-11, 20-25, 15-13 on May 6 to be swept in the best-of-five championship series. Bartsch-Hackley scored 10 kills on 25 attacks and was credited with a 72 positive reception percent on 50 of the team’s 92 receptions. Carlini, who started all but the third set, helped Novara to a 39 kill percent as a team and added one individual kill in the loss. Despite the series loss, Novara will meet Conegliano one final time on May 18 as the teams will play for the European Champions League title.
WILHITE PARSONS, PAIGE TAPP, RIVERS AND McCAGE WITH MTV STUTTGART IN GERMAN BUNDESLIGA: Outside hitter Sarah Wilhite Parsons (Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Twitter, Instagram), middles Molly McCage (Spring, Texas, Twitter, Instagram) and Paige Tapp (Stewartville, Minnesota, Twitter, Instagram), opposite Krystal Rivers (Birmingham, Alabama, Twitter, Instagram) and setter Madi Bugg are playing for Allianz MTV Stuttgart in the German Bundesliga. All but Bugg played for the U.S. Women in the 2018 season. Leading its best-of-five championship series 2-1 over second-seeded SSC Palmberg Schwerin, top-seeded Stuttgart was unable to close out the series on May 9 after falling 25-15, 25-18, 25-16. Rivers scored a team-best nine points in the loss with eight kills on 28 swings and a block. Wilhite Parsons added five kills and a block for six points. McCage tacked on three kills and two blocks for five points, while Tapp tallied three kills and a block for four points. In the tiebreaking match, Stuttgart edged Schwerin 25-12, 25-20, 14-25, 24-26, 15-11 on May 11. Rivers, selected as the most valuable player, scored a match-high 29 points all on kills via 53 swings. Wilhite Parsons contributed 15 points with 13 kills on 29 swings and two blocks. She was credited with a 39 positive reception percent on 36 chances. McCage turned in six kills on 13 swings and four blocks for 10 points. Tapp pocketed five kills on 12 attacks and three blocks for eight points. Bugg, who started the entire match, set Stuttgart to a 47 kill percent including 73 percent (11-15) in the tiebreaking fifth set.
TRIVIA ANSWER: Danielle Cuttino, Mikaela Foecke, Simone Lee, Jordyn Poulter all won silver at the 2013 FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship and are now representing Team USA on the U.S. Women’s National Team roster for the FIVB Volleyball Nations League this summer.