Several players named to the 2020 U.S. Women’s Junior National Training Team earned gold at last year’s FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 17, 2020) – USA Volleyball is proud to announce its 2020 U.S. Women’s Junior National Training Team roster.
The 21-player roster includes seven outside hitters, six middles, three setters, three liberos and two opposites. The outside hitters are Ally Batenhorst (Katy, Texas, Houston Juniors), Allison Jacobs (Stevenson Ranch, Calif., Legacy VBC), Lindsay Krause (Papillion, Neb., Premier Nebraska), Jordan Middleton (Gilbert, Ariz., Arizona Storm Elite), Jess Mruzik (Livonia, Mich., Legacy VBC), Elena Oglivie (Kapolei, Hawaii, Kuikahi VBC) and Katelyn Smith (Irvine, Calif., Tstreet).
Middles tabbed to the WJNTT roster are Carter Booth (Englewood, Colo., Colorado Juniors), Caroline Crawford (Lansing, Kan., MAVS KC), Gabrielle Essix (Hoover, Ala., Southern Performance), Anna Herrington (Orlando, Fla., OTVA), Devyn Robinson (Ankeny, Iowa, Iowa Powerplex) and Shaylee Shore (Prosper, Texas, Skyline Juniors Dallas).
The trio of setters are Kami Miner (Redondo Beach, Calif., Mizuno Long Beach VBC), Kennedi Orr (Eagan, Minn., Northern Lights) and Sarah White (Cranberry Township, Pa., Pittsburgh Elite). Selected liberos are Hattie Monson (Morris, Ill., Adversity), Sydney Reed (Glenelg, Md., Metro VBC of DC) and Lexi Rodriguez (Sterling, Ill., Club Fusion). The WJNTT opposites are Emily Londot (Utica, Ohio, Mintonette Sports) and Katy Ryan (Rathdrum, Idaho, T3 VBC).
The WJNTT has a solid foundation with athletes who won gold at the 2019 FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship held last September and have matriculated to the U20 age group. Booth, Crawford, Jacobs, Krause, Londot, Miner, Mruzik, Oglivie, Orr, Robinson and Rodriguez all won world championship gold in Egypt for Team USA.
Eight of the WJNTT have completed their prep careers and heading off to college. Crawford (University of Kansas), Jacobs (UCLA), Londot (Ohio State), Monson (Notre Dame), Mruzik (University of Michigan), Oglivie (Stanford University), Reed (University of North Carolina), Robinson (University of Wisconsin) are slated to begin their collegiate careers this fall.
The WJNTT head coach is Dan Fisher, who serves as head coach at the University of Pittsburgh. He is assisted by Krista Vansant (assistant coach at Indiana University) and Jon Newman-Gonchar (head coach at University of New Mexico). TJ Read, director of volleyball operations at UCF, was selected to serve as technical coordinator.
The U.S. was scheduled to compete in the NORCECA Women’s U20 Continental Championship May 10-17 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The NORCECA event is a qualifier to the 2021 FIVB Women’s U20 World Championship. However, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the NORCECA event to be postponed without it being rescheduled to date. The WJNTT training period was set for July 4-10 in Colorado Springs, but the continuing impact of COVID-19 has prompted it to be canceled.
When the NORCECA Women’s U20 Continental Championship is rescheduled, the Team USA competition roster will come from the WJNTT roster.
2020 U.S. Women’s Junior National Training Team
Player (Position, Height, HS Grad Year, Hometown, Youth Club, Region, Committed College)
Ally Batenhorst (OH, 6-4, 2021, Katy, Texas, Houston Juniors, Lone Star Region, Nebraska)
Carter Booth (M, 6-7, 2022, Englewood, Colo., Colorado Juniors, Rocky Mountain Region, Minnesota)
Caroline Crawford (M, 6-2, 2020, Lansing, Kan., MAVS KC, Heart of America Region, Kansas)
Gabrielle Essix (M, 6-4, 2021, Hoover, Ala., Southern Performance, Southern Region, Florida)
Anna Herrington (M, 6-0, 2022, Orlando, Fla., OTVA, Florida Region, Boston College)
Allison Jacobs (OH, 5-11, 2020, Stevenson Ranch, Calif., Legacy VBC, Southern California Region, UCLA)
Lindsay Krause (OH, 6-2, 2021, Papillion, Neb., Premier Nebraska, Great Plains Region, Nebraska)
Emily Londot (OPP, 6-2, 2020, Utica, Ohio, Mintonette Sports, Ohio Valley Region, Ohio State)
Jordan Middleton (OH, 6-2, 2022, Gilbert, Ariz., Arizona Storm Elite, Arizona Region, Southern California)
Kami Miner (S, 6-0, 2021, Redondo Beach, Calif., Mizuno Long Beach VBC, Southern California Region, Stanford)
Hattie Monson (L, 5-6, 2020, Morris, Ill., Adversity, Great Lakes Region, Notre Dame)
Jess Mruzik (OH, 6-2, 2020, Livonia, Mich., Legacy VBC, Lakeshore Region, Michigan)
Elena Oglivie (OH, 5-9, 2020, Kapolei, Hawaii, Kuikahi VBC, Aloha Region, Stanford)
Kennedi Orr (S, 6-1, 2021, Eagan, Minn., Northern Lights, North Country Region, Nebraska)
Sydney Reed (L, 5-7, 2020, Glenelg, Md., Metro VBC of DC, Chesapeake Region, North Carolina)
Devyn Robinson (M, 6-2, 2020, Ankeny, Iowa, Iowa Powerplex VBC, Iowa Region, Wisconsin)
Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-7, 2021, Sterling, Ill., Club Fusion VBC, Great Lakes Region, Nebraska)
Katy Ryan (OPP, 6-5, 2021, Rathdrum, Idaho, T3 VBC, Evergreen Region, Washington State)
Shaylee Shore (M, 6-2, 2021, Prosper, Texas, Skyline Juniors Dallas, North Texas Region, Rice)
Katelyn Smith (OH, 6-3, 2021, Irvine, Calif., Tstreet, Southern California Region, Southern California)
Sarah White (S, 6-1, 2021, Cranberry Township, Pa., Pittsburgh Elite, Keystone Region, Ohio State)
Head Coach: Dan Fisher (head coach, University of Pittsburgh)
Assistant Coach: Krista Vansant (assistant coach, Indiana University)
Assistant Coach: Jon Newman-Gonchar (head coach, University of New Mexico)
Technical Coordinator: TJ Read (director of operations, UCF)
Team Lead: Nicole Segura (USA Volleyball High Performance)