Twenty-five Named to U.S. Women's Roster for VNL

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 10, 2022) – USA Volleyball has announced the U.S. Women’s National Team’s 25-athlete roster for Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2022.

The U.S. Women are the three-time defending VNL champions as well as the 2020 Olympic gold medalists and the No. 1-ranked team in the world.

Fourteen players from the long list will be chosen for each week’s travel roster. The U.S. Women’s first preliminary VNL round will be May 31-June 5 at Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City, La. GET TICKETS

They will move on to play preliminary rounds in Quezon City, Philippines and Calgary, Canada. The finals will be July 13-17 in Ankara, Turkey.

Karch Kiraly, in his 10th year as Women’s National Team head coach, will lead the team along with assistant coaches Erin Virtue, Tama Miyashiro and Alfee Reft.

“We are excited to return to competition and begin a new Olympic cycle, especially since we get to host the first phase of the 2022 VNL in Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana,” said U.S. Women’s Head Coach Karch Kiraly. “We’re thrilled about the people on our roster. We’ve got a great range of experience, from Olympians to people spending their first time with our program. And finally, we’re eager to face the unknowns, and see what lessons this group can gather from battling the strong teams of the world.”

Eight players on the roster return from the group that won the VNL Final Round in 2021 and later that summer took the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo: setters Micha Hancock and Jordyn Poulter, middle blockers Chiaka Ogbogu and Haleigh Washington, opposites Annie Drews and Jordan Thompson, outside hitter Kelsey Robinson and libero Justine Wong-Orantes.

Eight players on the roster have VNL experience or have been on previous VNL rosters: setter Lauren Carlini; middles Tori Dixon, Dana Rettke and Hannah Tapp; opposite Danielle Cuttino and outsides Kathryn Plummer, Madi Kingdon Rishel and Sarah Wilhite Parsons.

VNL newcomers are setter Jenna Gray, middles Brionne Butler and Anna Stevenson, opposite Nia Reed, outsides Kara Bajema, Dani Drews and Ali Frantti and liberos Morgan Hentz and Kendall White.

Five players on the roster spent their college careers representing Penn State University. Three played previously for Stanford and the University of Minnesota. Two each played for the University of Texas, Purdue University, University of Wisconsin and the University of Nebraska.

U.S. Women’s Preliminary Roster for 2022 VNL
No. Name (Pos., Ht, Hometown, College, USAV Region)

1 Micha Hancock (S, 5-11, Edmond, Okla., Penn State Univ., Oklahoma)
2 Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Univ. of Illinois, Great Lakes)
3 Kathryn Plummer (OH, 6-6, Aliso Viejo, Calif., Stanford Univ., Southern California)
4 Justine Wong-Orantes (L, 5-6, Cypress, Calif., Univ. of Nebraska, Southern California)
5 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
6 Tori Dixon (MB, 6-3, Burnsville, Minn., Univ. of Minnesota, North Country)
7 Lauren Carlini (S, 6-2, Aurora, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
8 Hannah Tapp (MB, 6-3, Stewartville, Minn., Univ. of Minnesota, North Country)
9 Madi Kingdon Rishel (OH, 6-1, Phoenix, Ariz., Univ. of Arizona, Arizona)
10 Brionne Butler (MB, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
11 Annie Drews (Opp, 6-4, Elkhart, Ind., Purdue Univ., Hoosier)
12 Jordan Thompson (Opp, 6-4, Edina, Minn., Univ. of Cincinnati, North Country)
13 Sarah Wilhite Parsons (OH, 6-2, Eden Prairie, Minn., Univ. of Minnesota, North Country)
15 Haleigh Washington (MB, 6-3, Colorado Springs, Colo., Penn State Univ., Rocky Mountain)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
17 Dani Drews (OH, 6-0, Sandy, Utah, Univ. of Utah, Intermountain)
18 Kara Bajema (OH, 6-2, Lynden, Wash., Univ. of Washington, Pugen Sound)
19 Jenna Gray (S, 6-1, Shawnee, Kan., Stanford Univ., Heart of America)
20 Danielle Cuttino (Opp, 6-4, Indianapolis, Ind., Purdue Univ., Hoosier)
22 Kendall White (L, 5-5, Zionsville, Ind., Penn State, Hoosier)
23 Kelsey Robinson (OH, 6-2, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Univ. of Nebraska, Southern California)
24 Chiaka Ogbogu (MB, 6-2, Coppell, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)
30 Ali Frantti (OH, 6-1, Spring Grove, Ill., Penn State, Great Lakes)
31 Anna Stevenson (MB, 6-2, Laurens S.C., Univ. of Louisville, Palmetto)
33 Nia Reed (Opp, 6-1, Fort Lee, N.J., Penn State, Garden Empire)

Head Coach: Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coaches: Erin Virtue, Tama Miyashiro, Alfee Reft
Performance Analyst: Brian Hurler
Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer: Kara Kessans
Team Doctor: Christopher Lee
Consultant Coach: Sue Enquist
Team Manager: Coley Pawlikowski
Sports Dietitian: Shawn Hueglin
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Brandon Siakel