COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 13, 2018) – USA Volleyball is proud to announce its 20-player U.S. Girls Youth National Training Team (GYNTT) roster, which will train July 20-Aug. 3 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
The GYNTT will be evaluated for one of 12 spots on the U.S. Girls Youth National Team that will compete at the 2018 NORCECA Girls’ U18 Continental Championship Aug. 25 to Sept. 2 in Honduras. The top two countries in the NORCECA event will qualify for the 2019 FIVB Girls U18 World Championship.
The roster breakdown includes eight wing spikers (outsides and opposites), six middles, four setters and two liberos.
- Outsides/Opposites (8): Allysa Batenhorst (Katy, Texas, Houston Juniors), Jade Demps (Raleigh, North Carolina, Triangle VBC), Madi Endsley (Temecula, California, Coast VBC San Diego), Colleen Finney (Blythewood, South Carolina, Carolina Juniors), Allison Jacobs (Stevenson Ranch, California, Legacy), Lindsay Krause (Papillion, Nebraska, Nebraska Premier), Jess Mruzik (Livonia, Michigan, Legacy VBC), Reagan Rutherford (Missouri City, Texas, Houston Skyline Juniors)
- Middles (6): CC Crawford (Kansas City, Missouri, Mid-America Volleyball), Rylee Gray (Omaha, Nebraska, Nebraska Elite), Bre Kelley (Rockwall, Texas, Excel VBC), Emily Londot (Utica, Ohio, Mintonette), Kaya Merkler (Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Triangle VBC), Devyn Robinson (Ankeny, Iowa, Iowa Power Plex)
- Setters (4): Naomi Cabello (Clermont, Florida, Top Select), Celia Cullen (Brighton, Michigan, Legacy), Kami Miner (Redondo Beach, California, Mizuno Long Beach), Kennedi Orr (Eagan, Minnesota, Northern Lights)
- Liberos (2): Hattie Monson (Morris, Illinois, Sports Performance), Sydney Taylor (Grove City, Ohio, Mintonette)
The GYNTT will be led by head coach Jim Stone, who has been a been involved with the U.S. Girls Youth National Team program for over a decade. Except for the 2016 season, he has held the head coaching role for the GYNT since 2008. Stone spearheaded the GYNT to win silver medals at the 2013 and 2015 FIVB Girls U18 World Championship, which marks USA Volleyball’s only medals in age-group World Championships. The U.S. also won gold medals at the 2008, 2010 and 2012 NORCECA Girls U18 Continental Championships, along with the silver medal at the 2014 event.
“I’m excited to get this group in the gym and see how much progress we can make in our limited time together,” Stone said. “I’m starting with a blank canvas. But the challenge doesn’t change, we need to finish first or second in order to qualify for the world championship next summer. So, we need to both conduct a tryout and a training camp simultaneously. From what I have seen, we have some good athletes that are motivated to play at the highest possible level. I’m looking forward to watching this young group improve and accept the challenges in front of them.”
The GYNTT assistant coaches are Nicki Holmes (women’s associate head coach at George Washington University) and Kelly Surrency (St. Pete Volleyball Club). The GYNTT technical coordinator is Fabian Ardila (assistant coach at Babson College).
The U.S. Girls Youth National Team has won the NORCECA Girls U18 Continental Championship seven of the 10 times of the biennial event. The Americans have finished second to Dominican Republic in the last two editions in 2014 and 2016. Team USA has won the event’s silver medal three times.
2018 U.S. Girls Youth National Training Team
# – Name (Position, Height, Hometown, High School Grad Year, Youth Club/Region, College Status)
1 – Allysa Batenhorst (OH, 6-4, Katy, Texas, 2021, Houston Juniors Volleyball/Lone Star, Uncommitted)
64 – Naomi Cabello (S, 6-1, Clermont, Florida, 2020, Top Select Volleyball Academy/Florida, verballed to University of Texas)
2 – CC Crawford (M, 6-2, Kansas City, Missouri, 2020, Mid-America Volleyball/Heart of America, verballed to University of Kansas)
3 – Celia Cullen (S, 6-1, Brighton, Michigan, 2020, Legacy/Lakeshore, verballed Michigan State University)
4 – Jade Demps (OH, 6-2, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2020, Triangle VBC/Carolina, University of Wisconsin)
65 – Madi Endsley (OH, 6-3, Temecula, California, 2020, Coast VBC San Diego/Southern California, verballed to University of Nebraska)
5 – Colleen Finney (OH, 6-1, Blythewood, South Carolina, 2020, Carolina Juniors/Carolina, verballed to Clemson University)
6 – Rylee Gray (M, 6-4, Omaha, Nebraska, 2021, Nebraska Elite/Great Plains, Uncommitted)
77 – Allison Jacobs (OH, 5-11, Stevenson Ranch, California, 2020, Legacy/Southern California, verballed to UCLA)
7 – Bre Kelley (M, 6-3, Rockwall, Texas, 2021, Excel VBC/North Texas, Uncommitted)
66 – Lindsay Krause (OH, 6-3, Papillion, Nebraska, 2021, Nebraska Premier/Great Plains, verballed to University of Nebraska)
67 – Emily Londot (M, 6-2, Utica, Ohio, 2020, Mintonette/Ohio Valley, verballed to Ohio State University)
68 – Kaya Merkler (M, 6-3, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 2020, Triangle VBC/Carolina, verballed to University of North Carolina)
43 – Kami Miner (S, 6-0, Redondo Beach, California, 2021, Mizuno Long Beach/Southern California, Uncommitted)
44 – Hattie Monson (L, 5-5, Morris, Illinois, 2020, Sports Performance/Great Lakes, verballed to Notre Dame)
51 – Jess Mruzik (OH, 6-1, Livonia, Michigan, 2020, Legacy VBC, Lakeshore, verballed to University of Michigan)
70 – Kennedi Orr (S, 6-0, Eagan, Minnesota, 2021, Northern Lights/North Country, verballed to University of Nebraska)
9 – Devyn Robinson (M, 6-1, Ankeny, Iowa, 2020, Iowa Power Plex/Iowa, University of Wisconsin)
10 – Reagan Rutherford (OH, 6-0, Missouri City, Texas 2020, Houston Skyline Juniors/Lone Star, verballed to University of Kentucky)
45 – Sydney Taylor (L, 5-8, Grove City, Ohio, 2021, Mintonette/Ohio Valley, Uncommitted)
NOTE: Jersey number represents number being used in training with the U.S. Girls Youth National Training Team
Head Coach: Jim Stone (USA Volleyball)
Assistant Coaches: Nicki Holmes (women’s associate head coach at George Washington University), Kelly Surrency (St. Pete Volleyball Club)
Technical Coordinator: Fabian Ardila (assistant coach at Babson College)
Doctor: Dr. Jarod Keller
Team Leader: Katie Mitchell (USA Volleyball)