COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 10, 2024) – USA Volleyball today announced the 12 women who will compete for the U.S. Sitting Volleyball Team at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024.
Nine players return from the 2020 Paralympic team that won gold in Tokyo, and 11 are Paralympic gold medalists. The nine returning from 2020 are outside hitter Katie Holloway Bridge, outside hitter/opposite Whitney Dosty, opposite Heather Erickson, setter Kaleo Kanahele Maclay, middle blocker/outside hitter Monique Matthews, outside hitter Emma Schieck, setter Lexi Shifflett-Patterson, middle blocker Lora Webster-Bargellini and libero Bethany Zummo.
Middle blocker/outside hitters Tia Edwards and Nicky Nieves both won gold with the team in 2016. Libero Sydney Satchell will make her Paralympic debut in Paris.
Webster-Bargellini will be playing in her sixth Paralympic Games. Holloway Bridge and Erickson will be playing in their fifth. Maclay and Matthews will play in their fourth. Zummo and Shifflett-Patterson will play in their third Paralympic Games, and Dosty, Edwards, Nieves and Schieck all return for their second Paralympics.
The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team’s head coach is Bill Hamiter, who made his Paralympic debut with team in 2008. Assistant coach Michelle Goodall will be working her third Paralympic Games and assistant coach Leo Filho will be making his debut in Paris.
Making Team USA presented by Xfinity (Follow Team USA throughout the Paralympics)
“As a coach, I look forward to taking the team to represent USA at the Games,” Hamiter said. “One of the difficult tasks on the road to the Games, and a process that the staff lament, is narrowing the roster to 12 players from among all the outstanding players we have on the National Team.
“Even though naming the roster is difficult, I believe the staff selected a roster that gives the team the best chance at medaling at the Games and possibly winning its third consecutive gold medal. I’m pleased with the overall strength of the roster, as 11 of the 12 players have previous Paralympic experience. It will be a privilege to coach these wonderful athletes at the Games.”
The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team has medaled at every Paralympics since 2004. Prior to winning gold in Tokyo (2020), the team won its first gold in Rio de Janeiro (2016), and also won silver medals in London (2012) and Beijing (2008) and bronze in Athens (2004).
The 2024 Paralympic sitting competition consists of two pools of four teams each. The U.S. Women are in Pool A with China, France and Italy. Pool B consists of Canada, Brazil, Rwanda and Slovenia.
The U.S. Women open the Paralympics against China in the first match. The two teams have met in the last four Paralympic finals. Most recently, the U.S. Women defeated China twice at the World ParaVolley Super 6 in June.
The Paralympic Opening Ceremony will be Aug. 28 with the sitting volleyball competition running Aug. 30-Sept. 7.
U.S. Women’s Schedule for the 2024 Paralympic Games
Aug. 30
USA vs. China, 12 p.m. Paris time/3 a.m. Pacific time
Sept. 1
USA vs. France, 8 p.m. Paris time/11 a.m. Pacific time
Sept. 3
USA vs. Italy, 2 p.m. Paris time/5 a.m. Pacific time
Sept. 4
Classification matches for 5th/6th and 7th/8th places
Sept. 5
Semifinals
Sept. 7
Medal matches
2024 U.S. Paralympic Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team
No., Name, Pos., Height, Hometown, USAV Region
1 Lora Webster-Bargellini (MB, 5-11, Point Lookout, N.Y., Garden Empire)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif., Northern California)
3 Lexi Shifflett-Patterson (S/L, 5-4, Waseca, Minn., North Country)
5 Katie Holloway Bridge (OH, 6-3, Lake Stevens, Wash., Puget Sound)
6 Heather Erickson (OPP, 6-0, Fayetteville, N.C., Carolina)
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)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Oklahoma City, Okla., Oklahoma)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB/OH, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla., Florida)
Alternates
18 Courtney Baker (OH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky., Pioneer)
22 MaKenzie Franklin (OH, 6-0, Red Wing, Minn., North Country)
24 Raelene Elam (OH, 6-1, St. George, Utah, Northern California)
Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coaches: Leo Filho, Michelle Goodall
Team Leader: Patrick Lawrence
Athletic Trainer: Kat King
Performance Analyst: Jeffery Hicks
Team Psychologist: Adam O’Neil
Athletic Performance Coach: Bobby Moore
Dietitian: Jacque Scaramella