Women's U20 Team Tops Thailand at Worlds

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 10, 2021) – The U.S. Women’s U20 Team was tied with Thailand 11-11 to open the first set on Saturday at the FIVB U20 World Championship.

The U.S. finished the set with a 14-4 scoring run and didn’t look back as it beat Thailand, 3-0 (25-15, 25-8, 25-13) in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The Women’s U20 Team (2-0) will finish the first round of pool play against Turkey (1-1) on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. PT. Matches are being show live and on demand on the Volleyball World YouTube channel.

OFFICIAL STATISTICS * TEAM STATISTICS

The U.S. serving was on point as the team led in aces (11-1) and had only seven service errors. The U.S. also led in kills (45-18) and blocks (8-1).

Every athlete on the U.S. roster got playing time.

Opposite Emily Londot led the U.S. scoring with 13 points on nine kills, a match-high three blocks and one ace. Outside hitters Allison Jacobs and Ally Batenhorst and middle blocker Caroline Crawford scored 10 points each. Crawford scored on six kills, two blocks and two aces. Jacobs had eight kills and two aces. Batenhorst finished with nine kills and one ace.

“We really worked on our timing as a team; making sure that our hands are in the right formation on the block, forming the right defense behind us,” Jacobs told the FIVB. “It really felt good to feel everything we are working on as a team, to put it on the play and having it worked out so well. Our goal here is to keep working harder, and of course we have the dream of winning the Worlds.”

Middle blocker Reagan Hope scored nine points on five kills, two blocks and two aces. Setter Kami Miner totaled five points on three kills and two aces. Miner and backup setter Averi Carlson combined to set the U20 Team to a .519 hitting efficiency.

Libero Lexi Rodriguez was credited with eight successful receptions and one dig.

Lindsay Krause played as a sub at opposite and scored three points on three kills. Middle blocker Gabbi Essix started the third set and scored two points with a kill and block. Carlson and substitute middle blocker Jordan Middleton each scored a point. Outside hitter Elena Oglivie also played as a substitute.

U.S. Women’s U20 National Team
Player (Position, Height, HS Grad Year, Hometown, Club, Region, College) 

1 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-7, 2021, Sterling, Ill., Club Fusion VBC, Great Lakes, Nebraska)
3 Elena Oglivie (OH, 5-9, 2020, Kapolei, Hawaii, Kuikahi VBC, Aloha, Stanford)
5 Allison Jacobs (OH, 5-11, 2020, Stevenson Ranch, Calif., Legacy VBC, Southern Cal, UCLA)
6C Kami Miner (S, 6-0, 2021, Redondo Beach, Calif., Mizuno Long Beach VBC, Southern Cal, Stanford)
7 Averi Carlson (S, 6-0, 2022, Lucas, Texas, Skyline Juniors Dallas, North Texas Region, Baylor)
10 Reagan Hope (MB, 6-2, 2021, Phoenix, Ariz., Arizona Storm Elite, Arizona Region, Oregon)
11 Jordan Middleton (OH, 6-2, 2022, Gilbert, Ariz., Arizona Storm Elite, Arizona, Southern California)
12 Caroline Crawford (MB, 6-2, 2020, Lansing, Kan., MAVS KC, Heart of America, Kansas)
14 Emily Londot (OH, 6-2, 2020, Utica, Ohio, Mintonette Sports, Ohio Valley, Ohio State)
16 Gabbi Essix (MB, 6-4, 2021, Hoover, Ala., Southern Performance, Southern, Florida)
17 Lindsay Krause (OH, 6-4, 2021, Papillion, Neb., Premier Nebraska, Great Plains, Nebraska)
19 Ally Batenhorst (OH, 6-4, 2021, Katy, Texas, Houston Juniors, Lone Star, Nebraska)

Head Coach: Dan Fisher (Head Coach, University of Pittsburgh)
Assistant Coach: Jon Newman-Gonchar (Head Coach, University of New Mexico)
Assistant Coach: Jessica Aschenbrenner (Assistant Coach, University of Denver)
Technical Coordinator: Jon Wong (Assistant Coach, Texas Tech)
Doctor: David Dyck Jr.
Team Lead: Nicole Segura (Athlete Development Lead, NTDP)

U.S. First-Round Pool-Play Schedule (all times PT)
Matches will be live streamed on the Volleyball World YouTube channel

July 9: USA def Russia, 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-14, 25-17)
July 10: USA def Thailand, 3-0 (25-15, 25-8, 25-13)
July 11 at 9:30 a.m. PT USA vs Turkey