COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 15, 2017) – Eight players from the U.S. Paralympic gold medal women’s sitting volleyball team are in Hangzou, China this week to compete at the World ParaVolley World Super 6.
Six of the world’s best women’s sitting volleyball teams will compete at the tournament, which is the first to offer prize money: USD$20,000.
“That’s a big deal,” U.S. Head Coach Bill Hamiter said. “It’s great that the sitting teams are getting this opportunity.”
The U.S. is bringing a 10-player squad to China with eight players from the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Team that won gold at the Games in Rio de Janeiro last September, along with two newcomers.
It will be the last tournament of the year for starting setter Kaleho (Kanahele) Maclay, who is competing while pregnant.
Along with Maclay, Paralympic MVP Heather Erickson will also play in China along with Paralympians Monique Burkland, Tia Edwards, Kari Miller, Nicky Nieves, Lexi Shifflett and Bethany Zummo. The newer players on the roster are Courtney Baker and Whitney Dosty.
Hamiter said he would use the competition in China to work on the team’s offense in Maclay’s absence this season. Shifflett will become the starting setter.
The U.S. will be playing Japan, China, Ukraine Netherlands and Russia on May 16-20 with the medal matches on May 21.
The tournament will be the first time the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team has played China since the 2016 Paralympic gold medal match when the U.S. won and took over the No. 1 ranking in the world from the Asian power.
World ParaVolley World Super 6
U.S. Women’s Sitting Team
No. – Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
2 – Bethany Zummo (L, 5-2, Dublin, Calif.)
3 – Alexis Shifflett (S, 5-4, Waseca, Minn.)
6 – Heather Erickson (OH, 5-11, Fayetteville, N.C.)
7 – Monique Burkland (OH, 5-9, Ardmore, Okla.)
8 – Whitney Dosty (OH, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz.)
10 – Kari Miller (L, 5-6, Washington D.C.)
14 – Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Edmond, Okla.)
16 – Nicky Nieves (MB, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla.)
17 – Tia Edwards (OH, 5-7, Skitatook, Okla.)
18 – Courtney Baker (OPP, 5-8, Crofton, Ken.)
Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coaches: Lazaro Beltran and Jon Aharoni
Technical Coordinator: Jeff Hicks
Team Leader: Michelle Goodall
Athletic Trainer: Patrick Lawrence
Competition Schedule (all times ET)
May 16: USA vs Japan, 2 a.m.
May 17: USA vs China, 4 a.m.
May 18: USA vs Ukraine, 2 a.m.
May 18: USA vs Netherlands, 10 p.m.
May 20: USA vs Russia, 4 a.m.
May 21: Medal matches