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The four athletes participating in the Youth Parapan Games hold up their jerseys

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 3, 2025) – Four women’s sitting volleyball athletes are in Santiago, Chile, this week for the 2025 Youth Parapan Games.

This is the sixth edition of the Youth Parapan Games, which has been held every four years since 2003. The Games began Oct. 31, with the sitting volleyball competition scheduled from Nov. 4-9.

The U.S. athletes are part of the USA Volleyball’s Sitting National Team Development Program, which has continued to grow in scope over the last few years. SNTDP manager and U.S. Men’s Sitting National Team assistant coach Julie Allen will lead the team in Chile, with Chandra Dyer as the athletic trainer. The sitting competition is 3×3, playing on a smaller court (4m x 10m) than the 6×6 version. All rules are the same as the senior sitting game.

All matches are streamed on the Youth Parapan website.

Roster

Ky Brown (L, Thornton, Colo., Arizona State)
Vivian Eagle (MB/OH, Avon, Indiana, Purdue)
Cami Wood (S, Fort Wayne, Ind., Blackhawk Christian School)
Kylee Doremus (S/OH, Waverly, Neb., Waverly HS)

Schedule

All times Pacific

Nov. 5: USA vs. Argentina, 9:30 a.m.
Nov. 6: USA vs. Brazil, 8 a.m.
Nov. 7: USA vs. Mexico, 9:30 a.m.
Nov. 8: Semifinals and playoffs
Nov. 9: Medal matches

Zach Upp is up for the blocks
Photo of Zach Upp by World ParaVolley

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 20, 2025) – USA Volleyball is proud to announce the rosters for the U.S. Women’s and Men’s Sitting National Teams that will compete at the 2025 ParaVolley Pan America Zonal Championship, May 24-28 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.

Watch the Zonals livestream.

The Zonal Championship will feature both men’s and women’s divisions, with teams from across the Pan American region battling for qualification to the 2026 World ParaVolley World Championship. This marks the third time the United States has hosted the event, previously held in Edmond, Oklahoma (2013) and Denver (2009).

Women’s Division: Clash of the World’s Best
The U.S. Women’s Sitting National Team returns to competition for the first time since winning its third consecutive Paralympic gold medal in Paris. The tournament field includes the world’s top three teams: No. 1 Canada, No. 2 Brazil, and No. 3 United States, setting the stage for a competitive event.

The U.S. Women have won gold at every ParaVolley Pan America Zonal Championship since the event’s inception and are preparing for a strong challenge on home soil. Head coach Bill Hamiter leads a veteran squad with Paralympic experience.

Eleven of the 14 women on the roster are Paralympians, including three-time Paralympian Kendra Hall, competing internationally for the first time since her retirement after the 2012 Paralympics. Six-time Paralympian Lora Webster is back at middle blocker, and she is joined by four-time Paralympians Monique Matthews (middle) and Kaleo Kahanele Maclay (setter), three-time Paralympian Bethany Zummo (libero), and two-time Paralympians Whitney Dosty (outside/opposite), Tia Edwards (middle/outside), Nicky Nieves (middle), Lexi Patterson (setter) and Emma Schieck (outside). 2020 Paralympian Jillian Williams-Coffee (middle/opposite/outside) returns after taking a break from competition.

Outside hitters Raelene Elam, MaKenzie Franklin and Courtney Baker all have significant competitive experience and were the three 2024 Paralympic alternates.

Men’s Division: Building Momentum
The U.S. Men’s Sitting National Team enters the Zonal Championship with renewed confidence after winning silver at both the most recent zonal event and the 2024 Dutch Tournament. With eyes set on gold, the U.S. will face tough competition from Canada, Brazil and Argentina—three experienced teams in the region.

Led by head coach Greg Walker, the U.S. men are blending experienced leaders with dynamic newcomers, aiming to continue their upward trajectory on the international stage.

Six sitting volleyball Paralympians are on the 14-person roster, including two-time Paralympian Eric Duda (outside hitter). Ben Aman (outside), Rod Green (middle), James Stuck (outside), John Kremer (setter) and Dan Regan (outside) all competed at the 2016 Paralympics.

The remaining eight players include libero Nick Dadgostar, who has been competing with the team since 2017; opposite Zach Upp, one of the team’s top players since 2018; and a handful of rising stars: opposite/outside hitter Alex Wilson, outside hitters Robbie Gaupp, Robbie Onusko, Jason Roberts and Brett Parks, and setter/libero Will Curtis.

Event Admission and Streaming
Admission to the ParaVolley Pan America Zonal Championship is free for all spectators. All matches will be live streamed for free on our event page.

Men’s Roster

No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
2 Dan Regan (OH, 6-0, St. Louis, Mo.)
3 Nick Dadgostar (L, 6-0, Sidney, Neb.)
4 Ben Aman (OH, 6-5, Edmond, Okla.)
5 Eric Duda (S/OH, 6-5, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
6 Alex Wilson (OPP/OH, 6-6, Saugerties, N.Y.)
7 Robbie Gaupp(OH, 6-4, Gatesville, Texas)
8 James Stuck (S/OH, 6-5, New Kensington, Pa.)
10 Robbie Onusko(OH, 6-0, Daytona Beach, Fla.)
11 Roderick Green (MB, 6-3, West Monroe, La.)
14 John Kremer (L, 5-9, Buford, Ga.)
17 Zach Upp (OH, 6-5, Bartlett, Ill.)
20 Jason Roberts (OH, 6-3, Moncks Corner, S.C.)
22 Brett Parks(OH, 6-0, Miami, Fla.)
23 Will Curtis (S/L, 6-0, Cumberland, Maine)

Women’s Roster

No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
1 Lora Webster (MB, 5-11, Point Lookout, N.Y.)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif.)
3 Lexi Patterson (S/L, 5-4, Waseca, Minn.)
7 Monique Matthews (MB/OH, 6-0, Ardmore, Okla.)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz.)
9 Tia Edwards (OH/MB, 5-7, Skiatook, Okla.)
11 Jillian Williams-Coffee (MB/OPP/OH, 5-10, Odem, Texas)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C.)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Oklahoma City, Okla.)
15 Kendra Hall (5-7, Westfield, Ind.)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB/OH, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla.)
18 Courtney Baker (OH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky.)
22 MaKenzie Franklin (OH, 6-0, Red Wing, Minn., North Country)
24 Raelene Elam (OH, 6-1, St. George, Utah, Northern California)

Schedule

MT/PT

May 24
Women: USA vs. Canada, 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT
Men: Brazil vs. Canada, 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT
Men: USA vs. Argentina, 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT
Women: Canada vs. Brazil, 5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT

May 25
Women: USA vs. Brazil, 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT
Men: Brazil vs. Argentina, 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT
Men: USA vs. Canada, 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT
Women: USA vs. Canada, 5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT

May 26
Women: Canada vs. Brazil, 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT
Men: Canada vs. Argentina, 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT
Men: USA vs. Brazil, 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT
Women: USA vs. Brazil, 5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT

May 27
Men: Semifinals, 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 at 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT and 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT
Women: Gold medal match, 1 vs 2 at 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT

May 28
Men’s bronze medal match: 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT
Men’s gold medal match: 12 p.m. MT/11 a.m.PT

Stories

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 4, 2024) – The U.S. Women’s and Men’s Sitting National Teams are in Assen, Netherlands, this week for the Dutch Tournament, with matches July 5-7. The women’s team tentatively opens play on Thursday with the men beginning on Friday.

The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team, which will compete in the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris later this summer, won the World ParaVolley Super 6 gold medal in mid-June. The U.S. is scheduled to play teams from Italy, Germany and France in Pool A in Assen, while Pool B consists of Brazil, Canada, Ukraine and host Netherlands.

The U.S. Women have gone 6-0 to capture the title at each of the past two Dutch tournaments.

The U.S. Men’s Team is scheduled to face Italy, Germany and France. The other pool features Brazil, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Netherlands.

The U.S. Men finished 4-2 at the 2023 Dutch Tournament to place third and earned a silver medal at the 2024 World ParaVolley Final Paralympic Qualifier.

The U.S. Women’s roster includes Paralympic gold medalists Whitney Dosty, Tia Edwards, Heather Erickson, Kaleo Kanahele Maclay, Nicky Nieves, Emma Schieck, Lexi Shifflett-Patterson and Bethany Zummo.

Other returning members of the 2023 Dutch Tournament champions are Courtney Baker, Gia Cruz, MaKenzie Franklin and Sydney Satchell. Jessie West is making her National Team debut.

The head coach of the Women’s Sitting Team is Bill Hamiter. He will be assisted by Michelle Goodall and Leo Filho.

The U.S. Men’s roster includes Paralympians Ben Aman, Eric Duda, Roderick Green, John Kremer, Dan Regan, Chris Seilkop and James Stuck.

Returning from last year’s Dutch Tournament squad are Sam Surowiec, Zach Upp and Patrick Young.

Joining them are 2024 World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball Final Qualifier member Travis Ricks as well as Jason Roberts, Will Curtis and Fabricio da Silva Pinto. Pinto is a two-time Paralympian with the Brazilian sitting team and is making his U.S. debut.

The Men’s Sitting Team head coach is Greg Walker. He will be assisted by Joe Skinner and Julie Allen.

Matches will be live streamed at youtube.com/@dutchtournament3998

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Roster
No. Name (Position, Ht., Hometown, Region)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif., Northern California)
3 Lexi Shifflett-Patterson (S/L, 5-4, Waseca, Minn., North Country)
6 Heather Erickson (OPP, 6-0, Fayetteville, N.C., Carolina)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz., Arizona)
9 Tia Edwards (OH/MB, 5-7, Skiatook, Okla., Oklahoma)
10 Sydney Satchell (L, 5-2, Windsor, Conn., New England)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C., Carolina)
13 Gia Cruz (S, 5-5, San Antonio, Texas, Lone Star)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Honolulu, Hawaii, Oklahoma)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB/OH, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla., Florida)
17 Jessie West (OH, 5-8, Edmond, Okla., Oklahoma)
18 Courtney Baker (OH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky., Pioneer)
22 MaKenzie Franklin (OH, 6-0, Red Wing, Minn., North Country)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Leo Filho
Assistant Coach: Michelle Goodall
Athletic Trainer: Kat King
Performance Analyst: Jeffery Hicks
Performance Coach: Bobby Moore

U.S. Men’s Sitting Team Roster
No Name (Position, Height, Hometown, Region)
1 Travis Ricks (L, 5-7, San Diego, Calif., Southern California)
2 Dan Regan (OH, 6-0, St. Louis, Mo., Gateway)
4 Ben Aman (OH, 6-5, Edmond, Okla., Oklahoma)
5 Eric Duda (S/OH, 6-5, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Florida)
8 James Stuck (S/OH, 6-5, New Kensington, Pa., Keystone)
11 Roderick Green (MB, 6-3, West Monroe, La., Bayou)
12 Patrick Young (OH, 6-4, Albuquerque, N.M., Sun Country)
14 John Kremer (L, 5-9, Buford, Ga., Southern)
15 Chris Seilkop (OH, 6-6, Deland, Fla., Florida)
17 Zach Upp (OH, 6-5, Bartlett, Ill., Great Lakes)
20 Jason Roberts (OH/RS, 6-3, Perry, Ga., Southern)
23 Will Curtis (S/L, 6-0, Cumberland, Maine, New England)
24 Fabricio da Silva Pinto (OH/S, 6-1, Santos, Brazil)
49 Sam Surowiec (OH, 6-2, Everett, Wash., Evergreen)

Head Coach: Greg Walker
Assistant Coach: Joe Skinner
Assistant Coach: Julie Allen
Performance Analyst: Sydnie Mabry
Athletic Trainer: Whitney Padgett
Team Leader: Tina Readling

U.S. Schedule for the Dutch Tournament 
(All times PT)
July 5
3:15 a.m. U.S. Women vs Germany
5 a.m. U.S. Men vs. Germany
6:45 a.m. U.S. Women vs Italy
8:30 a.m. U.S. Men vs. Italy
10:15 a.m. U.S. Women vs. France

July 6
1:30 a.m. U.S. Men vs. France
3:15 a.m. U.S. Women vs TBA
5:00 a.m. U.S. Men vs. TBA
6:45 a.m. U.S. Women vs. TBA
8:30 a.m./12 p.m. U.S. Men vs. TBA

July 7
2 a.m./7:30 a.m. U.S. Women vs TBA, Placement or Medal Match
4 a.m./7:30 a.m. U.S. Men vs. TBA, Placement or Medal Match

Kaleo Maclay setting for U.S. Women's Sitting National Team.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 1, 2023) – The U.S. Women’s and Men’s Sitting National Teams combined to win three matches Friday at the Dutch Tournament in Assen, Netherlands. The women’s team went 2-0 while the men’s squad split two matches.

Women’s Sitting National Team: 2-0
USA def. Netherlands, 3-0 (25-8, 25-14, 25-4) (PDF)
USA def. Ukraine, 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-10) (PDF)

The U.S. used a dominating serve in its win over host Netherlands, recording 35 kills in three sets. Tia Edwards led the scoring with 22 points on 12 aces, nine kills and one block. Outside hitter Emma Schieck registered 10 aces, setter Kaleo Kanahele Maclay served seven aces, and outside hitter Maddy Ball added five aces.

Monique Matthews finished with five kills in six attacks and Whitney Dosty contributed four kills in seven attacks.

In the victory over Ukraine that pushed their record to 4-0 in the tournament, the U.S. held significant advantages in kills (32-15), blocks (14-6), and aces (13-4). Outside hitter MaKenzie Franklin and Edwards each contributed 14 points.

Franklin matched Ukraine’s team total with six blocks to go with her seven kills and one ace, while Edwards recorded six kills, six aces and two blocks. Edwards totaled 18 aces, 15 kills, and three blocks in the team’s two matches.

Matthews and Dosty continued their strong play, each adding 10 points. Matthews led the U.S. Women with eight kills and Dosty shared team honors with six aces.

“The team had another good day of playing consistent volleyball. We sided out and played extremely well at the net,” said U.S. Head Coach Bill Hamiter. “It has been great to have Katie Bridge return for her first international matches since the Tokyo Paralympics.”

Bridge scored six points in three sets against Ukraine (four kills, two blocks) after playing one set in the day’s opener.

The U.S. Women, currently the No. 1 team in the world, conclude the tournament with matches against Great Britain at 2 a.m. PT and third-ranked Canada at 6 a.m. PT.

Men’s Sitting National Team: 1-1
USA def. Italy, 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-17, 25-16) (PDF)
Germany def. USA, 3-1 (25-12, 25-11, 12-25, 25-20) (PDF)

In the win over Italy, outside hitter Zach Upp led the team with 19 points on 17 kills and two aces. Eric Duda scored 13 points (nine kills, two blocks, two aces) and middle blocker Roderick Green also reached double-digits with 10 points on six kills, two blocks, and two aces. The U.S. finished the match with a 44-27 advantage in kills.

U.S. Men's Sitting National Team competing on day two of Dutch Tournament.James Stuck totaled seven points, including a team-best three blocks, and outside hitter Patrick Young chipped in with six points on three kills, two aces and one block. The three wins already eclipsed the U.S. Men’s two wins at last year’s Dutch Tournament.

“It was great to play Italy again,” U.S. head coach Greg Walker said. “We haven’t seen them for a few years, and their new coach has done such a great job building their team and training them up. It was a full team effort for us. We were able to turn to our bench and gained good experience. Our offense was great once we were firing, and it was great to see the athletes keep control of the match.”

In the loss to fifth-ranked Germany, the U.S. was led by Green’s 14 points. He shared the team lead with eight kills and posted team-bests of three blocks and three aces. Upp, who also had eight kills, totaled 11 points, and Stuck finished with nine points on seven kills and two blocks.

“[Against Germany] we always know it will be a battle,” Walker said. “We had a slow start and struggled with converting some of the easier plays which allowed Germany to separate. What I was most happy with is them being able to battle it and refocus to rebound in the third set. We battled in the fourth but just had another slow star. We were able to chip at it to the end but just couldn’t close out.”

The world’s eighth-ranked U.S. Men conclude the tournament with matches against Great Britain at 12:00 a.m. PT and Canada at 4 a.m. PT.

Matches are streamed at youtube.com/@dutchtournament3998

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Roster
No. Name (Position, Ht., Hometown, Region)
4 Maddy Ball (OH, 5-7, Delray Beach, Fla., Florida)
5 Katie (Holloway) Bridge (OH, 6-3, Lake Stevens, Wash., Puget Sound)
7C Monique Matthews (MB/OH, 6-0, Ardmore, Okla., Oklahoma)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz., Arizona)
9 Tia Edwards (OH/MB, 5-7, Skiatook, Okla., Oklahoma)
10 Sydney Satchell (L, 5-2, Windsor, Conn., New England)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C., Carolina)
13 Gia Cruz (S, 5-5, San Antonio, Texas, Lone Star)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Honolulu, Hawaii, Oklahoma)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB/OH, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla., Florida)
18 Courtney Baker (OH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky., Pioneer)
22 MaKenzie Franklin (OH, 6-0, Red Wing, Minn., North Country)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Michelle Goodall
Assistant Coach: Jeffery Hicks
Athletic Trainer: Kat King
Performance Coach: Bobby Moore

U.S. Men’s Sitting Team Roster
No Name (Position, Height, Hometown, Region)
2 Dan Regan (OH, 6-0, St. Louis, Gateway)
3 Nicholas Dadgostar (L, 6-0, Sidney, Neb., Chesapeake)
4 Ben Aman (OH, 6-5, Edmond, Okla., Oklahoma)
5 Eric Duda (S/OH, 6-5, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Florida)
6 Alex Wilson  (Opp/OH, Alexandria, Va., Old Dominion)
7 Robbie Gaupp (Opp/OH, Havre De Grace, Md., Chesapeake)
8 James Stuck (S/OH, 6-5, New Kensington, Pa., Keystone)
9 Troy Benesh (Opp/OH, Minneapolis, Minn., Badger)
11 Roderick Green (MB, 6-3, West Monroe, La., Bayou)
12 Patrick Young (OH, 6-4, Albuquerque, N.M., Sun Country)
14 John Kremer (L, 5-9, Buford, Ga., Southern)
15 Chris Seilkop (OH, 6-6, Deland, Fla., Florida)
17 Zach Upp (OH, 6-5, Bartlett, Ill., Great Lakes)
49 Sam Surowiec (OH, 6-2, Everett, Wash., Evergreen)

Head Coach: Greg Walker
Assistant Coach: Joe Skinner
Assistant Coach: Julie Allen
Performance Analyst: Sydnie Mabry
Athletic Trainer: Whitney Padgett
Team Leader: Kyle Homeyer

U.S. Schedule for the Dutch Tournament
(All times PT)
June 30
U.S. Men def. Netherlands, 3-0 (25-19, 25-11-25-21)
U.S. Women def. Italy, 3-0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-20)
U.S. Men def. France, 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-22)
U.S. Women def. France, 3-0 (25-7, 25-9, 25-3)

July 1
U.S. Women def. Netherlands, 3-0 (25-8, 25-14, 25-4)
U.S. Men def. Italy, 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-17, 25-16)
U.S. Women def. Ukraine, 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-10)
Germany def. U.S. Men, 3-1 (25-11, 25-12, 12-25, 25-20)

July 2
12 a.m. U.S. Men vs Great Britain
2 a.m. U.S. Women vs Great Britain
4 a.m. U.S. Men vs Ukraine
6 a.m. U.S. Women vs Canada

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U.S. Men's Sitting National Team at Dutch Tournament

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 30, 2023) – The U.S. Women’s and Men’s Sitting National Teams each won a pair of matches Friday without dropping a set on the opening day of the Dutch Tournament in Assen, Netherlands.

Men’s Sitting National Team: 2-0
USA def. Netherlands, 3-0 (25-19, 25-11, 25-21) (PDF)
USA def. France, 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-22) (PDF)

Against the host nation, nine U.S. men’s players scored, led by outside hitter Zach Upp’s team-highs of 17 points and 14 kills. Middle blocker Roderick Green totaled 10 points on five kills and five of the team’s 11 blocks.

Outside hitter Patrick Young recorded seven kills and one ace, while Ben Aman and Eric Duda each finished with three kills and two blocks. Aman served two aces and Duda added another ace.

“Patrick Young had a great opportunity to come in and he did a fantastic job,” said Team Leader Kyle Homeyer. “It is great to see someone who is able to improve from Edmonton to now.”

In the victory over France, Duda led the U.S. Men with 18 points on 13 kills, three blocks and two aces. Outside hitter Dan Regan finished with eight points and shared the team-lead with Duda with three blocks. Seven different players registered at least one block as the U.S. finished with a 13-2 advantage in blocking.

Alex Wilson and Chris Seilkop each added seven points, and Sam Surowiec finished with six points.

The U.S. Men, currently ranked eighth in the world, return to the court at 5:15 a.m. PT with a match against Italy followed by an 8:45 a.m. PT match against fifth-ranked Germany.

Women’s Sitting National Team: 2-0
USA def. Italy, 3-0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-20) (PDF)
USA def. France, 3-0 (25-7, 25-9, 25-3) (PDF)

Against Italy, Monique Matthews led the U.S. Women with 14 points on nine kills, four service aces and one block. Whitney Dosty also totaled double-digit points with 12 on eight kills, three blocks, and one ace.

“We knew that they would be a tough opponent, but we came out and attacked,” head coach Bill Hamiter said. “We also served and passed pretty well. We were able to continue that throughout the match even though we had a few more errors that we would have liked.”

The balanced U.S. attack featured three other players with at least eight points. Katie Bridge (five kills, three blocks and one ace) and MaKenzie Franklin (five kills, two blocks, two aces) each contributed nine points, while Kaleo Kanahele added eight points, including a team-high five aces. Tia Edwards shared the team lead with three blocks.

Hamiter was able to give multiple players an opportunity against France in a match in which the U.S. surrendered only 19 points.

“They are a new program, so we really didn’t know what to expect. Again, the team played well overall with a lot of players seeing a lot of significant playing time,” he stated.

Serving and blocking led the way for the U.S. in the match against France, finishing with 29 aces and 11 blocks. Outsider hitter Emma Schieck and setter Gia Cruz led the team with 15 points apiece, and outside hitter Maddy Ball added 12 points. Schieck, who had a whirlwhind trip after flight delays in the U.S., paced the squad with 12 aces and Cruz added 10.

Tia Edwards serving.Edwards recorded a team-high five kills, while Matthews and Dosty each registered four kills.

The U.S. Women, the world’s top-ranked team and the tournament’s defending champions, face host Netherlands at 12 a.m. PT and then play eighth-ranked Ukraine at 7 a.m. PT.

Matches are streamed at youtube.com/@dutchtournament3998

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Roster
No. Name (Position, Ht., Hometown, Region)
4 Maddy Ball (OH, 5-7, Delray Beach, Fla., Florida)
5 Katie (Holloway) Bridge (OH, 6-3, Lake Stevens, Wash., Puget Sound)
7C Monique Matthews (MB/OH, 6-0, Ardmore, Okla., Oklahoma)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz., Arizona)
9 Tia Edwards (OH/MB, 5-7, Skiatook, Okla., Oklahoma)
10 Sydney Satchell (L, 5-2, Windsor, Conn., New England)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C., Carolina)
13 Gia Cruz (S, 5-5, San Antonio, Texas, Lone Star)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Honolulu, Hawaii, Oklahoma)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB/OH, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla., Florida)
18 Courtney Baker (OH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky., Pioneer)
22 MaKenzie Franklin (OH, 6-0, Red Wing, Minn., North Country)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Michelle Goodall
Assistant Coach: Jeffery Hicks
Athletic Trainer: Kat King
Performance Coach: Bobby Moore

U.S. Men’s Sitting Team Roster
No Name (Position, Height, Hometown, Region)
2 Dan Regan (OH, 6-0, St. Louis, Gateway)
3 Nicholas Dadgostar (L, 6-0, Sidney, Neb., Chesapeake)
4 Ben Aman (OH, 6-5, Edmond, Okla., Oklahoma)
5 Eric Duda (S/OH, 6-5, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Florida)
6 Alex Wilson  (Opp/OH, Alexandria, Va., Old Dominion)
7 Robbie Gaupp (Opp/OH, Havre De Grace, Md., Chesapeake)
8 James Stuck (S/OH, 6-5, New Kensington, Pa., Keystone)
9 Troy Benesh (Opp/OH, Minneapolis, Minn., Badger)
11 Roderick Green (MB, 6-3, West Monroe, La., Bayou)
12 Patrick Young (OH, 6-4, Albuquerque, N.M., Sun Country)
14 John Kremer (L, 5-9, Buford, Ga., Southern)
15 Chris Seilkop (OH, 6-6, Deland, Fla., Florida)
17 Zach Upp (OH, 6-5, Bartlett, Ill., Great Lakes)
49 Sam Surowiec (OH, 6-2, Everett, Wash., Evergreen)

Head Coach: Greg Walker
Assistant Coach: Joe Skinner
Assistant Coach: Julie Allen
Performance Analyst: Sydnie Mabry
Athletic Trainer: Whitney Padgett
Team Leader: Kyle Homeyer

U.S. Schedule for the Dutch Tournament
(All times PT)
June 30
U.S. Men def. Netherlands, 3-0 (25-19, 25-11-25-21)
U.S. Women def. Italy, 3-0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-20)
U.S. Men def. France, 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-22)
U.S. Women def. France, 3-0 (25-7, 25-9, 25-3)

July 1
12 a.m. U.S. Women vs Netherlands
5:15 a.m. U.S. Men vs Italy
7 a.m. U.S. Women vs Ukraine
8:45 a.m. U.S. Men vs Germany

July 2
12 a.m. U.S. Men vs Great Britain
2 a.m. U.S. Women vs Great Britain
4 a.m. U.S. Men vs Ukraine
6 a.m. U.S. Women vs Canada

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U.S. Women's and Men's Sitting Volleyball Teams

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 29, 2023) – The U.S. Women’s and Men’s Sitting National Teams are in Assen, Netherlands this weekend for the Dutch Tournament, with matches June 30-July 2.

The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team, which qualified for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris in May, will play teams from Canada, France, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands and Ukraine.

The U.S. Men’s Team will play teams from France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands and Ukraine.

The U.S. Women won the 2022 Dutch Tournament, going 6-0. The U.S. Men finished 2-4.

The Women’s roster includes Paralympic gold medalists Katie (Holloway) Bridge, Whitney Dosty, Tia Edwards, Kaleo Kanahele Maclay, Monique Matthews, Nicky Nieves and Emma Shieck.

They will be joined by Courtney Baker, Maddy Ball, Gia Cruz, MaKenzie Franklin and Sydney Satchell.

The head coach of the Women’s Sitting Team is Bill Hamiter. He will be assisted by Michelle Goodall and Jeffery Hicks.

The Men’s roster includes Paralympians Ben Aman, Eric Duda, Roderick Green, John Kremer, Dan Regan, Chris Seilkop and James Stuck.

They will be joined by Troy Benesh, Nicholas Dadgostar, Robbie Gaupp, Sam Surowiec, Zach Upp, Alex Wilson and Patrick Young.

The Men’s Sitting Team head coach is Greg Walker. He will be assisted by Joe Skinner and Julie Allen.

Matches will be live streamed at youtube.com/@dutchtournament3998

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Roster
No. Name (Position, Ht., Hometown, Region)
4 Maddy Ball (OH, 5-7, Delray Beach, Fla., Florida)
5 Katie (Holloway) Bridge (OH, 6-3, Lake Stevens, Wash., Puget Sound)
7C Monique Matthews (MB/OH, 6-0, Ardmore, Okla., Oklahoma)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz., Arizona)
9 Tia Edwards (OH/MB, 5-7, Skiatook, Okla., Oklahoma)
10 Sydney Satchell (L, 5-2, Windsor, Conn., New England)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C., Carolina)
13 Gia Cruz (S, 5-5, San Antonio, Texas, Lone Star)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Honolulu, Hawaii, Oklahoma)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB/OH, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla., Florida)
18 Courtney Baker (OH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky., Pioneer)
22 MaKenzie Franklin (OH, 6-0, Red Wing, Minn., North Country)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Michelle Goodall
Assistant Coach: Jeffery Hicks
Athletic Trainer: Kat King
Performance Coach: Bobby Moore

U.S. Men’s Sitting Team Roster
No Name (Position, Height, Hometown, Region)
2 Dan Regan (OH, 6-0, St. Louis, Gateway)
3 Nicholas Dadgostar (L, 6-0, Sidney, Neb., Chesapeake)
4 Ben Aman (OH, 6-5, Edmond, Okla., Oklahoma)
5 Eric Duda (S/OH, 6-5, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Florida)
6 Alex Wilson  (Opp/OH, Alexandria, Va., Old Dominion)
7 Robbie Gaupp (Opp/OH, Havre De Grace, Md., Chesapeake)
8 James Stuck (S/OH, 6-5, New Kensington, Pa., Keystone)
9 Troy Benesh (Opp/OH, Minneapolis, Minn., Badger)
11 Roderick Green (MB, 6-3, West Monroe, La., Bayou)
12 Patrick Young (OH, 6-4, Albuquerque, N.M., Sun Country)
14 John Kremer (L, 5-9, Buford, Ga., Southern)
15 Chris Seilkop (OH, 6-6, Deland, Fla., Florida)
17 Zach Upp (OH, 6-5, Bartlett, Ill., Great Lakes)
49 Sam Surowiec (OH, 6-2, Everett, Wash., Evergreen)

Head Coach: Greg Walker
Assistant Coach: Joe Skinner
Assistant Coach: Julie Allen
Performance Analyst: Sydnie Mabry
Athletic Trainer: Whitney Padgett
Team Leader: Kyle Homeyer

U.S. Schedule for the Dutch Tournament
(All times PT)
June 30
4 a.m. U.S. Men vs Netherlands
5:45 a.m. U.S. Women vs Italy
7:30 a.m. U.S. Men vs France
9:15 a.m. U.S. Women vs France

July 1
12 a.m. U.S. Women vs Netherlands
5:15 a.m. U.S. Men vs Italy
7 a.m. U.S. Women vs Ukraine
8:45 a.m. U.S. Men vs Germany

July 2
12 a.m. U.S. Men vs Great Britain
2 a.m. U.S. Women vs Great Britain
4 a.m. U.S. Men vs Ukraine
6 a.m. U.S. Women vs Canada

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U.S. Women's Sitting Team playing in the Paralympic Games

TOKYO (Sept. 3, 2021) – For a fourth straight Paralympic Games, the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team will play China for the gold medal.

The U.S. Women beat Brazil on Friday, 3-0 (25-19, 25-11, 25-23) in the Paralympic semifinal at Makuhari Messe event hall.

The U.S. (3-1) will play China (4-0) for the gold medal on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. in Tokyo (Saturday at 9 p.m. ET). It will be shown live on the NBC Sports app and possibly on NBC Sports Network.

OFFICIAL STATISTICS * TEAM STATISTICS * MEDIA GUIDE

China beat the U.S. Women for the Paralympic gold medal at Beijing in 2008 and at London in 2012. The U.S. Women took gold at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and will now have the chance to defend their title.

On Friday, the U.S. Women led Brazil in kills (35-18), blocks (14-9) and digs (28-7). Brazil led in aces (7-5). The U.S. scored 21 points on Brazil errors and committed 19.

The U.S. has not yet played its best match, players and coaches agreed.

“We’re still not playing up to the level we know we can,” U.S. Head Coach Bill Hamiter said. “We did what we had to do and now we have to focus on what’s next.”

“I really feel like we haven’t played our best yet, which is great because you want to peak at the end of the tournament,” said setter Kaleo Maclay. “Hopefully we are on our way there”

U.S. opposite Heather Erickson led all scorers with 12 points on a match-high eight kills, three blocks and two aces.

“I think we could be better, but we played as aggressively as we could,” Erickson said. “Brazil is a really fun team to play. You look at the score and it feels like it is 20-20 the entire game.”

Middle blocker Lora Webster scored 10 points, including a match-high four blocks, five kills and one ace. Outside hitter Monique Matthews scored nine points on six kills, a team-high two aces and one block. Middle blocker Jillian Williams totaled nine points on five kills, three blocks and one ace.

Outside hitter Katie Holloway finished with eight points on six kills and two blocks. Maclay had five points on four kills and one block. Substitute outside Whitney Dosty scored a point with a kill.

U.S. Paralympic Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team

No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
1 Lora Webster (MB, 5-11, Point Lookout, N.Y.)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif.)
3 Lexi Shifflett (S/L, 5-4, Waseca, Minn.)
5 Katie Holloway (OH, 6-3, Lake Stevens, Wash.)
6 Heather Erickson (OPP, 5-11, Fayetteville, N.C.)
7 Monique Matthews (MB/OH, 6-0, Ardmore, Okla.)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz.)
11 Jillian Williams (MB/OPP/OH, 5-10, Odem, Texas)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C.)
13 Nichole Millage (OPP, 5-7, Champaign, Ill.)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Edmond, Okla.)
15 Annie Flood (S/OPP, 5-8, Salem, Ore.)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Michelle Goodall
Athletic Trainer: Kat King
Technical Coordinator: Jeff Hicks
Team Manager: Mark Herrin
Sport Psychologist: Adam O’Neil

Pool A
Brazil 3-0
Canada 2-1
Italy 1-2
Japan 0-3

Pool B
China 3-0
USA 2-1
Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) 1-2
Rwanda 0-3

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Paralympic Schedule

Saturday, August 28
USA def Rwanda, 3-0 (25-11, 25-9, 25-11)

Monday, August 30
China def USA, 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 26-24)

Wednesday, September 1
USA def RPC, 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-22)

Friday, September 3 – Semifinals
USA def Brazil, 3-0 (25-19, 25-11, 25-23)
China def Canada, 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-15)

Saturday, September 4 – Medal Matches
Bronze: Canada vs Brazil, 3:30 a.m. ET (2:30 a.m. CT; 4:30 p.m. in Tokyo)
Gold: USA vs China, 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT; 10 a.m. on Sept. 5 in Tokyo)

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USOPC/Mark Reis

TOKYO (Sept. 2, 2021) – The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team has been here before.

At the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the U.S. Women were 2-1 in pool play and had to play Brazil in the semifinals. The U.S. won and went on to take the Paralympic gold medal.

MATCH HUB * MEDIA GUIDE

Five years later, semifinal history repeats itself at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games as the U.S. Women (2-1) must once again get past Brazil (3-0) to play for the gold medal. The two will play at 6:30 p.m. in Tokyo, 5:30 a.m. ET. The match will be shown live on the NBC Sports app and later on NBC Sports Network.

China and Canada will play in the other semifinal at 8:30 p.m. in Tokyo.

The teams have played each other seven times since 2016, with the U.S. Women winning all of the contests.

“We know each other well,” U.S. Head Coach Bill Hamiter said. “We’ve been scouting their matches and will have our game plan ready.”

The two teams have similar offensive numbers at the end of pool play, but the U.S. Women are leading all teams in the defensive skills of blocking, digging and receiving.

The U.S. Women go into the match led in scoring by outside hitter Monique Matthews who has a total of 33 points in nine sets and is tied for seventh in scoring among all players. Matthews also leads the U.S. in attacks and is fourth overall with a 30.23 efficiency percentage. Opposite Heather Erickson is second in scoring for the U.S. Women and tied for 10th overall.

Matthews and teammate Katie Holloway are tied for first among all players in blocks per set with an average of 1.22.

Matthews leads all players in excellent digs per set with a 1.89 average. U.S. libero Bethany Zummo is third among all players in that category and Erickson is fourth.

Zummo is first among receivers with a success percentage of 50.9. She is also first among all liberos with an average of 4.56 excellent receptions per set.

U.S. setter Kaleo Maclay is fourth among those at her position with an average of 4.33 excellent sets per set.

Brazil’s Adria Jesus da Silva leads her team and is third among all scorers with 37 points in 12 sets.

U.S. Paralympic Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team

No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
1 Lora Webster (MB, 5-11, Point Lookout, N.Y.)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif.)
3 Lexi Shifflett (S/L, 5-4, Waseca, Minn.)
5 Katie Holloway (OH, 6-3, Lake Stevens, Wash.)
6 Heather Erickson (OPP, 5-11, Fayetteville, N.C.)
7 Monique Matthews (MB/OH, 6-0, Ardmore, Okla.)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz.)
11 Jillian Williams (MB/OPP/OH, 5-10, Odem, Texas)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C.)
13 Nichole Millage (OPP, 5-7, Champaign, Ill.)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Edmond, Okla.)
15 Annie Flood (S/OPP, 5-8, Salem, Ore.)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Michelle Goodall
Athletic Trainer: Kat King
Technical Coordinator: Jeff Hicks
Team Manager: Mark Herrin
Sport Psychologist: Adam O’Neil

Pool A
Brazil 3-0
Canada 2-1
Italy 1-2
Japan 0-3

Pool B
China 3-0
USA 2-1
Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) 1-2
Rwanda 0-3

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Paralympic Schedule

Saturday, August 28
USA def Rwanda, 3-0 (25-11, 25-9, 25-11)

Monday, August 30
China def USA, 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 26-24)

Wednesday, September 1
USA def RPC, 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-22)

Friday, September 3 – Semifinals
USA vs Brazil, 5:30 a.m. ET (4:30 a.m. CT and 6:30 p.m. in Tokyo)
Canada vs China, 7:30 a.m. ET (6:30 a.m. CT and 8:30 p.m. in Tokyo)

Saturday, September 4 – Medal Matches
Bronze: 3:30 a.m. ET (2:30 a.m. CT; 4:30 p.m. in Tokyo)
Gold: 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT; 10 a.m. on Sept. 5 in Tokyo)

 

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U.S. Women's Sitting Team playing in the Paralympic Games

TOKYO (Sept. 1, 2021) – The U.S. Women’s Sitting National Team shook off Monday’s loss and swept the Russian Paralympic Committee team (25-19, 25-15, 25-22) on Wednesday in the final match of Paralympic pool play at the Makuhari Messe event hall.

The win puts the U.S. Women (2-1) into the Paralympic semifinals on Friday (Sept. 3) where they will play Brazil (3-0) at 6:30 p.m. in Tokyo (5:30 a.m. ET). China (3-0) will play Canada (2-1) in the other semifinal at 8:30 p.m. in Tokyo (7:30 a.m. ET). Matches are available live on the NBC Sports app and later on NBC Sports Network.

OFFICIAL STATISTICS * TEAM STATISTICS * MEDIA GUIDE

A loss to the RPC, the defending World Champion, would have scuttled the U.S. hopes of playing for a medal.

The U.S. Women looked like a much different team on Wednesday than the one that was swept by China on Monday. U.S. players in part credited a team meeting the players held on Tuesday.

“Losing is always hard, but it has always brought this team closer together,” U.S. setter Kaleo Kanahele Maclay said. “I’m really proud of how we have come together, even in the last day.”

U.S. Head Coach Bill Hamiter was impressed with how his team, the defending Paralympic gold medalist, handled the pressure of a must-win match.

“I don’t know if (the players) were feeling as much pressure as I was,” Hamiter said. “Every one of the Paralympic Games that I have coached, we’ve always had to win one of those matches to make it into the medal rounds. We’re used to it, but it’s one of those things where you always sweat it out.”

U.S. middle blocker Lora Webster credited the meeting for her team’s ability to fight back from deficits of 12-8 and 22-20 in the third set.

“In the third set, we came out behind, and we had to dig ourselves out of a hole,” she said. “There was no frantic energy. Everybody knew what we had to do. That just goes to show that what we worked on yesterday really shows up on the court.”

The U.S. Women led the RPC in kills (37-32), blocks (11-8) and aces (8-4).

Monique Matthews led all scorers with 15 points on a match-high 11 kills, two blocks and two aces. Lora Webster scored 13 points on a match-high five blocks, three aces and five kills. Heather Erickson finished with 11 points on seven kills, three aces and one block.

Maclay scored seven points on seven kills and set the U.S. Women to a .397 hitting efficiency. The RPC kill percentage was 270.

Katie Holloway finished with five points on four kills and one block. Jillian Williams totaled five points on three kills and two blocks.

Russia had one player in double figures, Iuliia Mednikova who finished with 12 points.

NBC has also released the TV schedule for the Paralympic Games at NBCOlympics.com.

U.S. Paralympic Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team

No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
1 Lora Webster (MB, 5-11, Point Lookout, N.Y.)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif.)
3 Lexi Shifflett (S/L, 5-4, Waseca, Minn.)
5 Katie Holloway (OH, 6-3, Lake Stevens, Wash.)
6 Heather Erickson (OPP, 5-11, Fayetteville, N.C.)
7 Monique Matthews (MB/OH, 6-0, Ardmore, Okla.)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz.)
11 Jillian Williams (MB/OPP/OH, 5-10, Odem, Texas)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C.)
13 Nichole Millage (OPP, 5-7, Champaign, Ill.)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Edmond, Okla.)
15 Annie Flood (S/OPP, 5-8, Salem, Ore.)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Michelle Goodall
Athletic Trainer: Kat King
Technical Coordinator: Jeff Hicks
Team Manager: Mark Herrin
Sport Psychologist: Adam O’Neil

Pool A
Brazil 3-0
Canada 2-1
Italy 1-2
Japan 0-3

Pool B
China 3-0
USA 2-1
Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) 1-2
Rwanda 0-3

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Paralympic Schedule

Saturday, August 28
USA def Rwanda, 3-0 (25-11, 25-9, 25-11)

Monday, August 30
China def USA, 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 26-24)

Wednesday, September 1
USA def RPC, 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-22)

Friday, September 3 – Semifinals
USA vs Brazil, 5:30 a.m. ET (4:30 a.m. CT and 6:30 p.m. in Tokyo)
Canada vs China, 7:30 a.m. ET (6:30 a.m. CT and 8:30 p.m. in Tokyo)

Saturday, September 4 – Medal Matches
Bronze: 3:30 a.m. ET (2:30 a.m. CT; 4:30 p.m. in Tokyo)
Gold: 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT; 10 a.m. on Sept. 5 in Tokyo)

 

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Women's Sitting Team at the Paralympics

TOKYO (Aug. 28, 2021) – After three weeks of uncertainty and changes in plans and players, the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team finally hit the court at the 2020 Paralympic Games on Saturday and beat Rwanda 3-0 (25-11, 25-9, 25-11) at the Makuhari Messe event center.

The U.S. Women (1-0) will play China on Monday at 5:30 a.m. ET (6:30 p.m. in Tokyo). The match is scheduled to be live streamed.

OFFICIAL STATISTICS * TEAM STATISTICS * MEDIA GUIDE

The match against Rwanda was the first time the team was able to play as a group of 12 in Tokyo after health issues forced some players to quarantine for a time before traveling. Four players and most staff arrived in Tokyo on Aug. 21. More players arrived on Aug. 26 and libero Bethany Zummo arrived on the evening before the first match.

Zummo still started the match and played all three sets.

“My whole team was just so happy that I was here to play,” Zummo said. “They knew that even if I was a little bit off today, which I was, that they were going to pick up the slack.”

“She had done what she needed to do to make sure she was ready,” U.S. Head Coach Bill Hamiter said of Zummo. “I think she did a heck of a job today.”

Almost every player on the U.S. roster saw time on the court against Rwanda, including Whitney Dosty, who arrived in Tokyo not knowing for sure if she would get to play because she had not yet classified.

Paralympic competitors are “classified” by medical officials to determine if their disability qualifies them to compete. Dosty was classified in Tokyo on Thursday after failing to classify in the past.

Dosty played in the third set and scored her first point on a kill that had the U.S. players and staff cheering.

“I am wearing a mask, but I am beaming under here,” Dosty said. “It’s so much to take in being here. To step out there after training and being on the team for so many years, but because of the classification not being able to actually play; it just feels amazing.”

Four-time Paralympian and Team Captain Katie Holloway led all scorers with 11 points on a match-high nine kills and two blocks.

“We were trying to just be present,” Holloway said. “Every single person was navigating their nerves in different ways.”

Lora Webster scored 10 points on four kills, four blocks and two aces. Heather Erickson totaled nine points on eight kill and one ace. Jillian Williams, making her Paralympic debut, scored nine points on a match-high seven aces and two kills. Monique Matthews finished with seven points on four blocks, two kills and one ace.

Setter Kaleo Maclay scored six points on three kills and three aces. Setter Lexi Shifflett started the third set for Maclay and scored three points on aces. The two setters combined to help the U.S. to a .467 hitting efficiency.

Emma Schieck, making her Paralympic debut, ended the first set with an ace.

“Our biggest goal was not to look past Rwanda,” Hamiter said. “We had no information on them. They hadn’t played in a long while. We really didn’t know what to expect.”

NBC has also released the TV schedule for the Paralympic Games at NBCOlympics.com.

U.S. Paralympic Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team

No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
1 Lora Webster (MB, 5-11, Point Lookout, N.Y.)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif.)
3 Lexi Shifflett (S/L, 5-4, Waseca, Minn.)
5 Katie Holloway (OH, 6-3, Lake Stevens, Wash.)
6 Heather Erickson (OPP, 5-11, Fayetteville, N.C.)
7 Monique Matthews (MB/OH, 6-0, Ardmore, Okla.)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz.)
11 Jillian Williams (MB/OPP/OH, 5-10, Odem, Texas)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C.)
13 Nichole Millage (OPP, 5-7, Champaign, Ill.)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Edmond, Okla.)
15 Annie Flood (S/OPP, 5-8, Salem, Ore.)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Michelle Goodall
Athletic Trainer: Kat King
Technical Coordinator: Jeff Hicks
Team Manager: Mark Herrin
Sport Psychologist: Adam O’Neil

Pool A
Japan
Brazil
Canada
Italy

Pool B
USA
China
Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC)
Rwanda

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Paralympic Schedule

Saturday, August 28
USA def Rwanda, 3-0 (25-11, 25-9, 25-11)

Monday, August 30
5:30 a.m. ET USA v China (4:30 a.m. CT; 6:30 p.m. in Tokyo)

Wednesday, September 1
5:30 a.m. ET USA v RPC (4:30 a.m. CT; 6;30 p.m. in Tokyo)

Friday, September 3 – Semifinals
5:30 a.m. ET or 7:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, September 4 – Medal Matches
Bronze: 3:30 a.m. ET (2:30 a.m. CT; 4:30 p.m. in Tokyo)
Gold: 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT; 10 a.m. on Sept. 5 in Tokyo)

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 24, 2018) – The U.S. Women’s and Men’s Sitting Teams will both be in Dallas this week to play their Canadian counterparts in exhibition matches on May 25-27 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

The teams will be playing in conjunction with the USAV Open National Championships on May 25-30.

Most of the players will stay on in Dallas to compete in the sitting division.

The focus for both teams is on the 2018 Sitting Volleyball World Championships on July 15-22 in Netherlands.

The U.S. Women, ranked No. 1 in the world, are the defending Paralympic champions, but have never won a world title and have finished second to China the last two cycles (2014 and 2010).

The U.S. Men would like to improve on their 10th-place finish at the last two World Championships (2014 and 2010) and perhaps improve on their No. 8 world ranking.

The U.S. Women scrimmaged Canada earlier this year at the Colorado Crossroads Qualifier and won both matches. The U.S. also won three matches against Russia.

The U.S. Men are coming off five exhibition matches against Canada in Ottawa, where they went 4-1. The U.S. Men also competed at the World ParaVolley World Super 6 with a small team and finished sixth.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

For the women, 10 out of the 12 players return from the team that won the gold medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games: Lora Webster, Bethany Zummo, Lexi Shifflett, Katie Holloway, Heather Erickson, Monique Burkland, Nichole Millage, Kaleao (Kanahele) Maclay, Nicky Nieves and Tia Edwards.

Webster is a four-time Paralympian while Holloway, Erickson and Millage have all competed in three. Maclay and Burkland have played in two.

Whitney Dosty has been the leading newcomer to the team since 2016. The 6-foot-3 outside hitter played college volleyball at the University of Arizona and professionally overseas before an ankle injury ended her standing career.

Eight players on the Men’s Sitting Team return from the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Team that finished eighth: Dan Regan, Eric Duda, James Stuck, Roderick Green, Charles Swearingen, John Kremer, Chris Seilkop and J Dee Marinko.

Among the newcomers to watch are 18-year-old Zach Upp, a high school and club volleyball player who was born without his right arm and wears a prosthetic. Military veterans Nick Dadgostar and Patrick Young have also seen significant playing time with the team.

IMPORTANT DATES

June 14-17: Women’s Sitting Team at The Dutch Tournament in Assen
July 15-22: Both teams at Sitting World Championships in Netherlands

DALLAS SCHEDULE (All times CT)
May 25
8 a.m. U.S. Men vs Canada
10 a.m. U.S. Women vs Canada
2 p.m. U.S. Men vs Canada
4 p.m. U.S. Women vs Canada

Saturday, May 26
8 a.m. U.S. Women vs Canada
10 a.m. U.S. Men vs Canada
2 p.m. U.S. Women vs Canada
4 p.m. U.S. Men vs Canada

Sunday, May 27
8 a.m. U.S. Men vs Canada
10 a.m. U.S. Women vs Canada

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 18, 2017) – USA Volleyball has announced an agreement with Ntouch LLC to become “An Official Provider of Massage Therapy for USA Volleyball Sitting National Teams” through 2020.

“We are excited about participating with these world-class athletes as part of their training and medical team support,” said Gwen Wright, owner of Ntouch Medical Massage. “The USA Volleyball Sitting Team is a world-class program that Edmond is fortunate to host. Our staff is trained in sports massage and recovery techniques to enhance not only performance but recovery with less pain, many times reducing pain medication and shortening recovery time. By working with these individual athletes to customize therapy regiments, our own staff will improve techniques and options that will benefit our entire clientele and the community in general. We are also very excited about the opportunity to support and bring awareness including community support to the program in Edmond and the greater Oklahoma City area.”

The Ntouch staff is expertly trained and certified in both therapeutic and medical massage therapy. Their facility and treatment rooms all use specialized hydraulic massage tables that are ADA compliant lift range and that allow for specific positioning of patient and therapist needs. An infrared dry sauna is available for pre or post sessions. Ntouch is consistently recommended by leading doctors, chiropractors and health professionals in the Oklahoma City-metro area. Whether in the need for pain management, superior spa experience, couples massage or a specific medical massage treatment, Ntouch has the area’s best trained experts to serve the community.

“I am very pleased that Ntouch will be working as our programs massage therapy provider for the next four years,” U.S. Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team Head Coach and Program Director Bill Hamiter said. “Gwen and her professional staff are experts in the field of medical and sport massage. Their attention to details while working alongside our medical team will provide the best care possible for our athletes. We train and play in a performance-driven environment and I know that the recovery and rehab work Ntouch provides will continue to help our teams be golden.”

The U.S. Women’s and Men’s National Sitting Volleyball Teams train at the University of Central Oklahoma, which is located in Edmond, Okla. The U.S. Women’s National Sitting Volleyball Team captured the 2016 Paralympic Games gold medal after winning silver at the 2008 and 2012 Paralympics. The U.S. Men’s National Sitting Team earned a spot in the 2016 Paralympics, marking its first appearance since 2004.

About USA Volleyball
Founded in 1928, USA Volleyball is a Colorado incorporated non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) as the National Governing Body for the disciplines of beach volleyball, indoor volleyball and sitting volleyball in the United States. USA Volleyball has over 325,000 registered members, 12,000 teams and 5,300 clubs nationwide. With an annual budget in excess of $31 million dollars, USA Volleyball supports the USA men’s and women’s senior national team programs for beach, indoor and sitting volleyball; youth and junior national teams, national championship events, coaching education, certification programs and grassroots development across all disciplines. USA Volleyball has a rich tradition of success as evidenced by winning an Olympic medal in every Olympic Games since 1984, four Paralympic medals since 2004 and capturing numerous World Cup, World Championship and Continental Championship titles. USA Volleyball is committed to and works toward opportunity for all to participate. It is an advocate for all Americans endeavoring to assure universal access to opportunities at all levels of the game. For more information on USA Volleyball, visit usavolleyball.org.

About Ntouch
Founded in 2010, Ntouch llc, and Ntouch Medical Massage is owned and operated by Gwen Wright. A longtime resident of Edmond, Oklahoma, she is a nationally certified practitioner with a passion for health and wellness improvement. She is an alumnus of Oklahoma Christian University and has completed over 3,000 hours of continuing education and training. Gwen and the Ntouch staff are well-known within the Oklahoma City medical community. Ntouch is committed to a goal of advancing medical and sports massage as a healthy and long term alternative in assisting in muscle recovery, relieving pain while reducing pain medication, relieving stress and incorporating massage as part of a health and wellness regiment. They work closely with Oklahoma City’s leading medical professionals that refer clients for soft tissue and muscle treatments. For more information visit www.Ntouchllc.com.

ANJI, China (March 19, 2016) – The U.S. Men’s Sitting Team got a glimpse of its potential on Saturday when it rallied from a 23-18 third-set deficit to tie the score. But the effort was not quite enough as the team fell to No. 2-ranked Iran, 25-10, 25-17, 30-28 at the ParaVolley Intercontinental Cup in Anji, China.

The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team continued its winning ways, toppling Ukraine 25-13, 25-21, 27-25 in its fourth pool play match among the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic-qualified teams. 

Had the U.S. Men’s Sitting Team completed its third-set comeback, the team would have made history with its first set win against the Iranians in international competition. The U.S. Men’s Sitting Team topped Iran in one set during a scrimmage match prior to the start of competition on Tuesday.

“The third set really showed what we can do when we buy in to a team culture, and I think it showed that we can be really competitive even when we don’t have all our pieces together,” U.S. Men’s Sitting Team Head Coach Greg Walker said. 

Team Captain Eric Duda (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) led Team USA with nine points (eight kills, one ace), while Chris Seilkop (DeLand, Florida) added seven points on six kills and a block.

Walker also looked to the team’s bench for momentum during the third set, subbing in Sam Surowiec (Kirkland, Washington), Hugo Storer (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and Travis Ricks (San Diego, California) to help gain momentum at the attack line and on serve receive. Both Storer and Ricks were perfect on each of their one reception attempts.

The U.S. Men led Iran in kills (27-26), but Iran held the advantage in blocks (10-1) and aces (12-4). Libero John Kremer handled a team-best 22 receptions with an 86 positive reception percent as the team was credited with an overall 67 positive reception percent to Iran’s 83 positive reception percent. James Stuck (New Kensington, Pennyslvania) set Team USA to a 32 kill percent for the match, while Iran converted 36 percent of its attacks into points.

“In my opinion the skill level of this team is better per individual (than previous teams), and we have so many guys who can play multiple positions,” Seilkop said of the substitutions.

While Walker said he was pleased with the team’s progression throughout the match, the true test will come Sunday when the Americans take on Egypt.

“We have to be consistent from start to finish,” he added. “(With Iran) we approached the sets as mini-games, and I think that mentality helped the guys focus on getting out of rotations and keeping it moving.”

The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team battled through “defensive struggles,” and a controversial call late in the third set to beat Ukraine.

At 24-24 in the third set, middle blocker Lora Webster (Phoenix, Arizona) was called for delay-of-game after the head referee failed to recognize her attempts to get a new ball at the service line. Team captain Heather Erickson (Fayetteville, North Carolina) emphatically tied the game and put the U.S. ahead for good on consecutive kills following the call.

“I really think it says so much about who we are as a team that we didn’t fall apart and just trusted that we could get it done,” Katie Holloway (Lake Stevens, Washington) said of the finish.

Ukraine led the U.S. in blocks (12-9) and the teams tied in aces (7-7). However, the U.S. led in kills (32-16). Bethany Zummo (Dublin, California) handled a team-best 18 receptions with a 50 positive reception percent. Kaleo Kanahele (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) started the first and third sets at setter and Alexis Shifflet started the second set in her place in leading Team USA to a 47 kill percent and .309 hitting efficiency (32-11-68).

Erickson dominated the match, scoring 21 points off of 16 kills, three aces and two blocks. Holloway added seven points (four kills, two aces, one block).

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Head Coach Bill Hamiter also highlighted the strong contributions from players off the bench, particularly from Michelle Schiffler (Lake Wales, Florida) who clinched the second set with a hard kill from the outside.

“It’s good for (the coaches) to try different things and see how players react so that we have a clear picture going into the Paralympics,” he explained. “It’s finding out how players react in certain systems whether they’re coming off the bench or starting.”

The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team faces Canada at 5:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, while the U.S. Men’s Sitting Team looks to score their first tournament win against Egypt at 2:30 a.m. ET.

U.S. Men’s Sitting Team Statistics vs. Iran
Starter: Dan Regan, Eric Duda, James Stuck, Roderick Green, Charlie Swearingen, Chris Sielkop, John Kremer
Points: Duda 9, Sielkop 7, Green 6, Regan 4, Stuck 3, Swearingen 3
Kills: Duda 8,  Sielkop 6, Regan 4, Green 4, Stuck 3, Swearingen 2
Blocks: Seilkop 1
Aces: Duda 1, Green 2, Swearingen 1

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Statistics vs. Ukraine
Starters: Lora Webster, Katie Holloway, Heather Erickson, Monique Burkland, Kaleo Kanahele, Nicky Nieves, Bethany Zummo
Points: Erickson 21, Holloway 7, Schiffler 5, Nieves 5, Webster 4, Burkland 4, Shifflett 2
Kills: Erickson 16, Holloway 4, Burkland 4, Schiffler 3, Nieves 3, Webster 2
Blocks: Webster 2, Schiffler 2, Nieves 2, Holloway 1
Aces: Erickson 3, Holloway 2, Schifflet 2

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Roster for the Intercontinental Cup (March 17-23)
# – Name (Position, Hometown, Height)
1 – Lora Webster (MB, Phoenix, Arizona, 5-11)
2 – Bethany Zummo (L, Dublin, California, 5-2)
3 – Alexis Shifflet (S, Waseca, Minnesota, 5-4)
4 – Michelle Schiffler (MB, Lake Wales, Florida, 6-0)
5 – Katie Holloway (OH, Lake Stevens, Washington, 6-3)
6 – Heather Erickson (OH, Fayetteville, North Carolina, 5-11)
7 – Monique Burkland (MB, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 5-9)
10 – Kari Miller (OPP/DS, Washington D.C., 5-6)
13 – Nichole Millage (OH, Champaign, Illinois, 5-7)
14 – Kaleo Kanahele (S, Edmond, Oklahoma, 5-6)
16 – Nicky Nieves (OH, Kissimmee, Florida, 5-10)
17 – Tia Edwards (OH/MB, Skiatook, Oklahoma, 5-7)

Staff
Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Cara Lang
Assistant Coach: Lazaro Beltran
Team Manager: Dr. Laura Finch
Athletic Trainer: Patrick Lawrence

U.S. Intercontinental Cup Women’s Sitting Team Schedule (times listed as Chinese Standard Time)
March 17: USA def Rwanda, 25-9, 25-10, 25-7
March 18: USA def China, 25-22, 18-25, 25-19, 25-17
March 18: USA def Iran, 25-18, 25-13, 25-18
March 19: USA def. Ukraine 25-13, 25-21, 27-25
March 20: USA vs. Canada, 5:30 p.m. (5:30 a.m. ET)
March 21: USA vs. Brazil, 12 p.m. (12 a.m. ET)

U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team Roster for the Intercontinental Cup (March 17-23)
# – Name (Position, Hometown, Height)
1 – Travis Ricks (DS, San Diego, California, 5-7)
2 – Daniel Regan (MB, St. Louis, Missouri, 6-0)
3 – Sam Surowiec (OH, Kirkland, Washington, 6-2)
4 – Ben Aman (OH, Tacoma, Washington, 6-5)
5 – Eric Duda (OH, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 6-5)
8 – James Stuck (S, New Kensington, Pennsylvania, 6-5)
9 – Hugo Storer (L, Greensboro, North Carolina, 6-0)
11 – Roderick Green (MB, West Monroe, Louisiana, 6-3)
13 – Charlie Swearingen (MB, Gulfport, Mississippi, 6-3)
14 – John Kremer (L, Buford, Georgia, 5-9)
15 – Chris Seilkop (OH, DeLand, Fla., 6-6)
16 – Josh Smith (MB/OPP, Riverside, California, 6-2)

Staff
Head Coach: Greg Walker
Assistant Coach: Joe Skinner
Assistant Coach: Mike Hobson
Team Manager: Dixie Collins
Athletic Trainer: Katherine King

U.S. Intercontinental Cup Men’s Sitting Team Schedule (times listed as Chinese Standard Time)

March 17: China def USA, 22-25, 25-19, 25-12, 25-18

March 18: Germany def USA, 25-14, 25-9, 25-21

March 19: Iran def USA, 25-10, 25-17, 30-28

March 20: USA vs. Egypt, 2:30 p.m. (2:30 a.m. ET)

March 21: USA vs. Brazil, 9 a.m. (9 p.m. ET on March 20)

 

Colorado Springs, COLO (May 4, 2016) – Volleyball fans of all ages in central Oklahoma can cheer on their favorite sitting volleyball athletes this weekend during Team USA’s Road to Rio campaign.

Members of the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sitting Teams will scrimmage and sign autographs for fans on both Saturday and Sunday as a part of the event at the Boathouse District in downtown Oklahoma City.

On Saturday, May 7, the teams will play from 2-3 p.m. and sign autographs from 3- 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, May 8, the teams will play from 1-2 p.m. and sign autographs from 2-2:30 p.m.

“As always, we’re looking forward to exposing the general public to sitting volleyball and get the ball rolling for the Olympics and Paralympics. With less than 100 days out to Rio, hopefully we can build some excitement,” said Eric Duda, the Men’s Sitting Team captain.

Athletes anticipated to participate in scrimmage are: Ben Aman (Tacoma, Washington), Stephen Bracken (Brighton, Colorado), Monique Burkland (Ardmore, Oklahoma), Eric Duda (Fort Lauderdale, Florida), Tia Edwards (Skiatook, Oklahoma), Heather Erickson (Fayetteville, North Carolina), Roderick Green (West Monroe, Louisiana), Kaleo Kanahele (Edmond, Oklahoma), John Kremer (Buford, Georgia), Dan Regan (St. Louis, Missouri), Jese Schag (Norway, Illinois), Lexi Shifflett (Waseca, Minnesota), Josh Smith (Riverside, California) and Bethany Zummo (Dublin, California).

In addition to the sitting volleyball exhibition, fans can enjoy a zip-line, a long jump, live music and other Olympic-themed activities throughout each day.

“The Road to Rio Tour presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance captures the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and brings it to Team USA fans across the country,” said David Giglio, USOC’s associate director of marketing activation.

Additionally, Riversport Rapids Whitewater Center is hosting the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for canoe/kayak slalom during the grand opening of its new whitewater rafting and kayaking facility on Saturday and Sunday.

The campaign is making nine total stops across the country through September 10. Other host cities include San Diego, California, Chicago, Illinois and Boston, Massachusetts.

ANJI, China (March 17, 2016) – Lora Webster doesn’t consider herself a particularly strong server.

The Rwanda Women’s Sitting Team may disagree after the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team middle blocker dished up 23 serves in three sets, with six aces during the United States’ 25-9, 25-10, 25-7 victory over the African side at the World ParaVolley Intercontinental Cup.

The U.S. Men’s Sitting Team struggled to minimize errors in their first match, falling 3-1 (22-25, 25-19, 25-12, 25-18) to host-nation China.

“Typically I’ve had a top-spin serve, but lately I’ve switched to more of a float so that’s been more comfortable,” Webster said. “With Rwanda, it wasn’t about speed. It was more about placement, so that helped too.”

Strong serving – the U.S. Women’s Sitting team totaled 19 aces against three missed serves – was one of multiple areas of success for Team USA in its tournament-opening match.

Thursday marked the first day of play at the Intercontinental Cup, which features 28 teams from 18 nations, including 13 of the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic-qualified teams. Both U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sitting Teams are playing in round-robin pools against other qualified teams.

The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team spread the ball throughout their match; seven players totaled at least three kills, led by Monique Burkland (10 kills, 1 block). The statistics reflected the team’s efforts to master a new offense, said Head Coach Bill Hamiter.

“We saw a little bit where the flow (of the volley) was going one way and we set opposite that flow,” Hamiter said. “It’s simple stuff, really, but stuff that we haven’t pushed real hard. I thought we executed well today, and we were getting a lot of single blocks, which is why we want to go on that faster scheme.”

Thanks to the early success, Hamiter experimented with the team’s line-up, using multiple substitutions in all three sets; all 12 players saw playing time in the win.

“Especially what’s nice is to get them playing time in the tournament so that no matter who we need on the court they’re ready,” he said.

Serving runs of at least eight points by Webster, Nicky Nieves and Lexi Shifflet in the first, second and third sets respectively helped push the U.S. ahead of Rwanda. However, Webster said the team’s ability to maintain its level of play with large leads was more significant.

“A lot of times we play down, so I think that says a lot about us as a team and how comfortable we feel with our offense,” she explained. “Even though we did a couple different lineups and different systems, the fact that we focused on what we were doing says a lot about our mindset and where our preparation falls.”

The team will look to carry the high expectations forward to Friday when the women take on both China and Iran. Ranked No. 1 in the world, China has become the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team’s top rival since the 2008 Paralympics.

Despite the pressure, Burkland said the team is taking the match in stride, planning to rest, relax and strategize Thursday evening.

“It’s going to be a fun match, and we just have to stay relaxed,” she said.

The U.S. Men’s Sitting Team also implemented an up-tempo offense finding varied success. Although the team struggled with errors, setter James Stuck said the new system will pay dividends long-term.

“It’s challenging, but it’s going to take our game to the next level and I like the challenge,” Stuck added.

During the first set, the Americans paced the Chinese, trading runs and shots. However, after taking an 8-5 lead in the second set, the U.S. struggled to maintain its tempo, allowing the Chinese to pull ahead as the set wore on.

“We knew what they were going to do and where the ball was going to go, and we knew what we wanted to do with our match-ups. I felt like it was the honeymoon phase where the attention to detail was better,” said U.S. Men’s Head Coach Greg Walker of the first set. “As we went into the second set, we lost track of where our primary players were and China changed their game, and we weren’t adjusting.”

In addition to tightening up the offense, captain Eric Duda hopes to see the U.S. Men’s Sitting Team improve its aggressive serving on Friday when it takes on Germany.

“I think we need to have a better focus than just putting the ball in play,” Duda said. “There’s got to be good focus.”

The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team next plays China at 9 p.m. ET on March 17, before playing Iran at 2:30 a.m. ET. The Men’s Sitting Team will play Germany at (12 a.m. ET on March 18).

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Roster for the Intercontinental Cup (March 17-23)
# – Name (Position, Hometown, Height)
1 – Lora Webster (MB, Phoenix, Arizona, 5-11)
2 – Bethany Zummo (L, Dublin, California, 5-2)
3 – Alexis Shifflet (S, Waseca, Minnesota, 5-4)
4 – Michelle Schiffler (MB, Lake Wales, Florida, 6-0)
5 – Katie Holloway (OH, Lake Stevens, Washington, 6-3)
6 – Heather Erickson (OH, Fayetteville, North Carolina, 5-11)
7 – Monique Burkland (MB, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 5-9)
10 – Kari Miller (OPP/DS, Washington D.C., 5-6)
13 – Nichole Millage (OH, Champaign, Illinois, 5-7)
14 – Kaleo Kanahele (S, Edmond, Oklahoma, 5-6)
16 – Nicky Nieves (OH, Kissimmee, Florida, 5-10)
17 – Tia Edwards (OH/MB, Skiatook, Oklahoma, 5-7)

Staff
Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Cara Lang
Assistant Coach: Lazaro Beltran
Team Manager: Dr. Laura Finch
Athletic Trainer: Patrick Lawrence

U.S. Intercontinental Cup Women’s Sitting Team Schedule (times listed as Chinese Standard Time)
March 17: USA def Rwanda, 25-9, 25-10, 25-7
March 18: USA vs. China, 9 a.m. (9 p.m. ET on March 17)
March 18: USA vs. Iran, 2:30 p.m. (2:30 a.m. ET)
March 19: USA vs. Ukraine, 10:30 a.m. (10:30 p.m. ET on March 18)
March 20: USA vs. Canada, 5:30 p.m. (5:30 a.m. ET)
March 21: USA vs. Brazil, 12 p.m. (12 a.m. ET)

U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team Roster for the Intercontinental Cup (March 17-23)
# – Name (Position, Hometown, Height)
1 – Travis Ricks (DS, San Diego, California, 5-7)
2 – Daniel Regan (MB, St. Louis, Missouri, 6-0)
3 – Sam Surowiec (OH, Kirkland, Washington, 6-2)
4 – Ben Aman (OH, Tacoma, Washington, 6-5)
5 – Eric Duda (OH, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 6-5)
8 – James Stuck (S, New Kensington, Pennsylvania, 6-5)
9 – Hugo Storer (L, Greensboro, North Carolina, 6-0)
11 – Roderick Green (MB, West Monroe, Louisiana, 6-3)
13 – Charlie Swearingen (MB, Gulfport, Mississippi, 6-3)
14 – John Kremer (L, Buford, Georgia, 5-9)
15 – Chris Seilkop (OH, DeLand, Fla., 6-6)
16 – Josh Smith (MB/OPP, Riverside, California, 6-2)

Staff
Head Coach: Greg Walker
Assistant Coach: Joe Skinner
Assistant Coach: Mike Hobson
Team Manager: Dixie Collins
Athletic Trainer: Katherine King

U.S. Intercontinental Cup Men’s Sitting Team Schedule (times listed as Chinese Standard Time)
March 17: USA lost to China, 22-25, 25-19, 25-12, 25-18
March 18: USA vs. Germany, 12 p.m. (12 a.m. ET)
March 19: USA vs. Iran, 9 a.m. (9 p.m. ET on March 18)
March 20: USA vs. Egypt, 2:30 p.m. (2:30 a.m. ET)
March 21: USA vs. Brazil, 9 a.m. (9 p.m. ET on March 20)

ANJI, China (March 15, 2016) – The World ParaVolley Intercontinental Cup doesn’t officially begin until Thursday, but the U.S. Men’s Sitting Team wasted no time in making the most of their trip to China, making a little team history Tuesday afternoon.

During a scrimmage at Tuesday’s practice the U.S. Men’s Sitting Team buoyed its confidence by winning a set against No. 2-ranked Iran for the first time. The victory came less than a day after both U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sitting Teams arrived in China for the international tournament following more than 24 hours of travel. Both teams spent time practicing Tuesday afternoon, adjusting their minds and bodies after a long trip.

“We served much more aggressively and moved our block more, forcing Iran to play off the net,” said U.S. Men’s Sitting Team Head Coach Greg Walker. “We’ll find success if we’re forcing teams to play to our strengths, instead of playing to theirs.”

DID YOU KNOW? The Intercontinental Cup features 28 teams from 18 countries, including 13 of the 14 teams that have qualified for the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics. Qualified teams, including both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sitting Teams, play a round-robin format, while non-qualified teams will compete for the final men’s and women’s spots. Below are some additional facts about the tournament:

  • 99 matches will be played across seven days of competition
  • Due to local restrictions, the matches will not be live-streamed or broadcast. However, fans can check USA Volleyball’s website, or worldparavolley.org for results and information
  • The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team can improve its seed ranking for the Paralympics by winning gold at the Intercontinental Cup. The team currently is ranked No. 2 in the seeding standings, behind China
  • The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team will face Rwanda, China, Iran, Ukraine, Canada and Brazil, while the U.S. Men’s Sitting team plays China, Germany, Iran, Egypt and Brazil

WHAT’S IN THE BAG? For many athletes, long trips to foreign countries provides a unique opportunity to experience new cultures, food and scenery. However, sometimes creature comforts such as a favorite coffee or snack are necessary to help make long trips feel more comfortable. Members of the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team listed the following items as essentials for a great trip:

  • Kaleo Kanahele: Energy beans and coffee
  • Heather Erickson: Minnie Mouse pillow
  • Nicky Nieves: Make-up bag
  • Lora Webster: Lotion
  • Tia Edwards: An extension chord
  • Monique Burkland: Zombie blanket

CHRIS SEILKOP CONNECTS THE DOTS: When Chris Seilkop‘s flight from Houston to San Francisco was delayed an hour Sunday morning, the 6-6 outside hitter was nervous about making his connecting flight to Hong Kong, but didn’t worry too much. When the flight was delayed a second time, Seilkop quickly realized he would have to find an alternative route to the Intercontinental Cup. 

“They kept asking me if I just wanted to take the same flight the next day, but I really wanted to try and get (to Anji) by Tuesday morning,” Seilkop said. “I just kept telling the lady at the ticket counter, ‘Get me to Hong Kong and I’ll figure it out from there.'”

Seilkop eventually made it to Hong Kong after a layover in Tokyo, Japan, missing his original connecting flight to Hangzhou by an hour. Seilkop got a quick night’s sleep at the airport hotel before landing in Hangzhou, about 90 minutes from the Intercontinental Cup’s host city, Anji, early Tuesday morning.

“I’ve traveled so much I thought it’d probably work out, but I was going on blind faith that there’d be a game plan when I got to Hong Kong,” Seilkop said.

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team defensive specialist Kari Miller also fell victim to flight cancellations, arriving late Tuesday night. 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 9, 2016) – How do you defeat a familiar foe?

The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team hopes to answer that question next week when it travels to Anji, China for the World ParaVolley Intercontinental Cup where it will face China, its rival and the No. 1 ranked team in the world.

Since 2012, China and the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team have faced each other 14 times in international competitions and friendly matches; China holds a 10-4 overall advantage. But since 2013, the U.S. is 4-5 against the Asian side.

U.S. outside hitter Katie Holloway is confident her team will begin to even the record at next week’s tournament, noting that the U.S. nearly toppled the Chinese in five sets at the 2014 ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Championship.

“Each year we’ve gotten better and better (against them),” she said. “We haven’t seen a lot of growth (from them); they’re just consistently good. We have to get better, but it’s about what we do on our side of the net, like limiting errors.”

Held every four years in the same year as the Paralympic Games, the Intercontinental Cup is a Paralympic-qualifying event for both men’s and women’s sitting teams from around the world. This year, 28 teams are participating, 13 of which have already punched their ticket to Rio de Janeiro, including both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sitting Teams.

The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team qualified by finishing second at the 2014 ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Championship, while the Men’s U.S. Sitting Team qualified for the first time in more than 10 years when it took silver at the 2015 Parapan American Games.

While they’ve already qualified, both teams are hungry for success; final standings at the Intercontinental Cup will impact the seeding at the Paralympics. Currently, the Women’s Sitting Team is ranked No. 2 in the Paralympic standings, while the men sit in seventh place. To maintain their No. 2 ranking, the Women’s Sitting Team will have to win at least the silver medal.

The men will try to move up the ranks without the assistance of outside hitter and 2015 U.S. Men’s Sitting Team Player of the Year J. Dee Marinko, who will be absent due to personal obligations. However, Men’s Sitting Team Captain Eric Duda said Team USA has been training hard to balance the roster in Marinko’s absence.

“Right now we’re focused on getting back to the basics,” Duda said. “I don’t want to say too much, but if we can eliminate a couple of errors, we’re able to hang with every country in the world right now.”

During the team’s most recent training block at its headquarters at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, the Men’s Sitting Team focused on ball control and smart attacking, said Duda and his teammate Josh Smith.

“We’ve been focused on making sure that when we have contact with the ball we’re putting it where we want to put it,” Smith added. “We don’t want to force our teammates to work harder and play out of system.”

Meanwhile, the Women’s Sitting Team will debut a new offense months in the making. Head Coach Bill Hamiter said the new system has raised expectations.

“We feel like we should medal, and be able to come back afterward and look at what we’ve done to evaluate what we need to do in the next five months,” Hamiter said.

“We didn’t run our new offense when China came (in October), and I asked (Bill) right before camp was over if we’d be holding back,” U.S. player Nicky Nieves said. “He said, ‘No, we’re going to play,’ and I got so excited when he said that.”

Regardless, both teams know they can’t afford to overlook any country if they hope to medal. Of the qualified teams, only Bosnia-Herzegovina, currently ranked No. 1 on the men’s side, will be absent, creating fierce competition for a medal.

“Rio is the main goal, but these other tournaments are so important,” Bethany Zummo said. “We’re going to have a lot of competition (at the Intercontinental) and we have a newer team overall. This is a great chance for them to experience international play because the more tournaments we have together, the more confident we are.”

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Roster for the Intercontinental Cup (March 17-23)
# – Name (Position, Hometown, Height)
1 – Lora Webster (MB, Phoneix, Ariz., 5-11)
2 – Bethany Zummo (L, Dublin, Calif., 5-2)
3 – Alexis Shifflet (S, Waseca, Minn., 5-4)
4 – Michelle Schiffler (MB, Lake Wales, Fla., 6-0)
5 – Katie Holloway (OH, Lake Stevens, Wash., 6-3)
6 – Heather Erickson (OH, Fayetteville, N.C., 5-11)
7 – Monique Burkland (MB, Ardmore, Okla., 5-9)
10 – Kari Miller (OPP/DS, Washington D.C., 5-6)
13 – Nichole Millage (OH, Champaign, Ill., 5-7)
14 – Kaleo Kanahele (S, Edmond, Okla., 5-6)
16 – Nicky Nieves (OH, Kissimmee, Fla., 5-10)
17 – Tia Edwards (OH/MB, Skiatook, Okla., 5-7)

Staff
Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Cara Lang
Assistant Coach: Lazaro Beltran
Team Manager: Dr. Laura Finch
Athletic Trainer: Patrick Lawrence

U.S. Intercontinental Cup Women’s Sitting Team Schedule (times listed as Chinese Standard Time)
March 17: USA vs. Rwanda, 9 a.m.
March 18: USA vs. China, 9 a.m.; USA vs. Iran, 2:30 p.m.
March 19: USA vs. Ukraine, 10:30 a.m.
March 20: USA vs. Canada, 5:30 p.m.
March 21: USA vs. Brazil, 12 p.m.

U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team Roster for the Intercontinental Cup (March 17-23)
1 – Travis Ricks (DS, San Diego, Calif., 5-7)
2 – Daniel Regan (MB, St. Louis, Mo., 6-0)
3 – Sam Surowiec (OH, Kirkland, Wash., 6-2)
4 – Ben Aman (OH, Tacoma, Wash., 6-5)
5 – Eric Duda (OH, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 6-5)
8 – James Stuck (S, New Kensington, Pa., 6-5)
9 – Hugo Storer (L, Greensboro, N.C., 6-0)
11 – Roderick Green (MB, West Monroe, La., 6-3)
13 – Charlie Swearingen (MB, Gulfport, Miss., 6-3)
14 – John Kremer (L, Buford, Ga., 5-9)
15 – Chris Seilkop (OH, DeLand, Fla., 6-6)
16 – Josh Smith (MB/OPP, Riverside, Cali., 6-2)

Staff
Head Coach: Greg Walker
Assistant Coach: Joe Skinner
Assistant Coach: Mike Hobson
Team Manager: Dixie Collins
Athletic Trainer: Katherine King

U.S. Intercontinental Cup Men’s Sitting Team Schedule (times listed as Chinese Standard Time)
March 17: USA vs. China, 12 p.m.
March 18: USA vs. Germany, 12 p.m.
March 19: USA vs. Iran, 9 a.m.
March 20: USA vs. Egypt, 2:30 p.m.
March 21: USA vs. Brazil, 9 a.m.