COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Jan. 30, 2017) – U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Karch Kiraly and several of the brightest coaching minds will be presenters at the annual USA Volleyball High Performance Coaches Clinic slated for Feb. 9-11 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
KIRALY HEADLINES HP COACHES’ CLINIC: U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Karch Kiraly will be one of five headline presenters for the 2017 USA Volleyball High Performance Coaches Clinic held Feb. 9-11 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Others headline presenters include:
- Bill Hamiter: head coach for U.S. Women’s Sitting Team which won gold at the 2016 Paralympic Games and silver at the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games
- Matt Fuerbringer: assistant coach on U.S. Men’s National team which won bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games
- Keegan Cook: head coach for University of Washington women’s volleyball team; head coach for 2016 U.S. Collegiate National Team-China Tour; 2015 AVCA Pacific North Region Coach of the Year
- Beth Launier: head coach for University of Utah women’s volleyball team; head coach for 2016 U.S. Collegiate National Team-Europe Tour; 500+ career college victories
Since 2004, the USA Volleyball High Performance Department has featured the annual Coaches’ Clinic as a way to bring together great coaching minds to network and share the most current, pertinent and critical issues in the sport. Topics vary annually and have covered ideas such as the men’s versus women’s game, sports psychology, uses of technology and drill ideas.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW COURTNEY THOMPSON: Natalie Hagglund (Encinitas, California, Twitter, Instagram) recently profiled two-time Olympic medalist Courtney Thompson (Kent, Washington, Twitter, Instagram) in a blog titled “Ask a Pro: Courtney Thompson”. Through her blog, Hagglund goes deeper than Thompson’s resume to provide little known facts about her. Check it out to learn Thompson’s favorite pump-up song, dream house location, secret talent and more. Hagglund also asks Thompson to go into detail on her college volleyball experience and advice she would give to young athletes, what she would have done differently and the same, where her fire comes from within, adversities she has overcome, what was different from her first Olympics and the recent Rio Games and what is next for her. To read Thompson’s responses, click here.
JENNIFER JOINES TAMAS ELECTED TO WCC HALL OF HONOR: Jennifer Joines Tamas (Milpitas, California), a middle on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team which earned silver at the Beijing Games, has been selected to be inducted into the West Coast Conference (WCC) Ninth Annual Hall of Honor class. She made 60 appearances over eight years with the U.S. Women’s National Team, serving as captain for four years. Tamas helped the U.S. win gold at the 2012 Pan American Cup in her last official tournament with Team USA. She also played professionally for eight years in Japan, Italy, Russia, Azerbaijan and Puerto Rico. Tamas, now a volunteer assistant coach with the University of Nebraska women’s volleyball team, was one of the most decorated female athletes in the University of the Pacific’s history. She was the school’s only four-time all-American and was voted Big West Player of the Year as a senior in 2003. Tamas left Pacific having several records to her credit including career kills (2,225), kills per set (4.89), attacks (4,615), attack efficiency (.350), points (2,710.5) and points per set (5.96). She finished second in all-time block assists (553), total blocks (639) and blocks per set (1.40). The induction ceremony will take place at the WCC Hall of Honor Brunch on March 4 at 9 a.m. PT at the Mardi Gras Ballroom in the Orleans Hotel.
HILL WITH TURKEY’S VAKIFBANK: Outside hitter Kim Hill (Portland, Oregon, Instagram) a bronze medalist on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team, returns this winter to play for Turkey’s VakifBank and in the European Champions League. In the European Champions League, VakifBank swept Germany’s Dresdner SC 25-12, 25-16, 25-11 on Jan. 25. Hill was near perfect in the match as she converted 15 of 19 attacks into kills without an error for a .789 hitting efficiency. She added four blocks to raise her individual point total to 19. Hill added a team-best 15 receptions with a 47 positive reception percent. VakifBank (3-0, 8 points) resumes action on Feb. 8 with a rematch against Dresdner SC (0-3, 0 points). VakifBank handled Seramiksan 25-16, 22-25, 25-16, 25-9 on Jan. 28. Hill was a sub in the second and third sets, tallying one kill on four swings and four receptions as part of a 50 positive reception percent. VakifBank (13-0) takes on 11th-place Nilufer BLD (1-12) on Feb. 5 in its next Turkish League contest. In the Turkish regular season.
LARSON, ADAMS WITH TURKEY’S ECZACIBASI: Outside hitter Jordan Larson (Hooper, Nebraska, Twitter, Instagram) and middle Rachael Adams (Cincinnati, Ohio, Twitter, Instagram), both members of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team that won bronze in Rio, are playing for Eczacibasi of the Turkish League and as part of the European Champions League this winter. In Champions League Pool D action, Eczacibasi swept Russia’s Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg 25-11, 26-24, 26-24 on Jan. 24 with a balanced scoring effort. Larson totaled 11 points with seven kills on 17 swings, two aces and two blocks. She added an 83 positive reception percent on 12 chances. Adams charted nine points with seven kills on 13 swings, one block and one ace. Eczacibasi, now in second place in Pool D with a 2-1 record and seven points, returns to Champions League action on Feb. 8 with a rematch against Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg (1-2, 3 points). In the Turkish League, Eczacibasi swept 12th-place Idman Ocagi (2-10) 25-13, 25-13, 25-19 on Jan. 28. Adams scored a match-high 16 points with 13 kills on 13 swings, four aces on 10 serves and two blocks. Larson chipped in seven kills and a block for eight points while handling 15 receptions with a 47 positive reception percent. Eczacibasi, which ranks second in the league standings with a 10-3 record, will take on third-place Fenerbahce (10-3), the recent Turkish Cup champion, on Feb. 4.
CRIMES WITH TURKEY’S SARIYER: Middle Alexis Crimes (Rancho Cucamonga, California, Instagram), an alternate to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team, is competing for Sariyer in the Turkish League this winter. Sariyer lost to fifth-place Canakkale 25-15, 25-27, 25-19, 25-18 on Jan. 28. Crimes contributed five kills on 12 swings and a block for six points. Sariyer, in 10th place in the Turkish League regular season standings with a 3-10 record, takes on eight-place Halkbank (4-9) on Feb. 4 in its next Turkish League match.
LLOYD, GIBBEMEYER WITH ITALY’S CASALMAGGIORE: Carli Lloyd (Bonsall, California, Instagram), a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist setter for Team USA, and middle Lauren Gibbemeyer (St. Paul, Minnesota, Twitter, Instagram) have returned to Italy to compete for Pomi Casalmaggiore in the Italian Serie A1 league and the CEV Cup. In CEV Cup action, Casalmaggiore swept its 16th Final Round home-and-home series following a 25-21, 25-15, 25-19 victory over Maccabi XT Haifa in Israel. Gibbemeyer pocketed 15 points in the victory with nine kills on 14 errorless swings and a match-high six blocks. Lloyd, who started the first two sets, helped Casalmaggiore to a 48 kill percent as a team and added one block and one kill for two individual points. Casalmaggiore has now advanced to the 8th Final Round where it will have a home-and-home series with HPK Hameelinna with dates to be determined. In the Italian League, second-place Casalmaggiore dominated Suditrol Bolzano 25-11, 25-14, 25-14 on Jan. 30. Lloyd was stellar in leading Casalmaggiore to a 53 kill percent and .390 hitting efficiency (41-11-77) as she added three blocks and two individual kills for five points. Gibbemeyer notched five kills on 11 swings with just one error to go with an ace for six points. Casalmaggiore (13-1, 36 points), now in first place, resumes Italian League action on Feb. 5 against third-place Igor Gorgonzola Novara (10-4, 31 points).
BARTSCH WITH ITALY’S BOLZANO: Outside hitter Michelle Bartsch (Maryville, Illinois, Twitter), an alternate on the U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team, is competing for Sudtirol Bolzano in the Italian Serie A1 this winter. Bolzano lost to league-leader Pomi Casalmaggiore 25-11, 25-14, 25-14 on Jan. 30. Bartsch scored four kills on 13 attacks and added five receptions. Bolzano (5-9, 18 points), now in eighth place, returns to the court on Feb. 2 against defending champion Imoco Volley Conegliano (12-2, 34 points), which is currently in second place.
AKINRADEWO WITH SWITZERLAND’S VOLERO ZURICH: Middle Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Florida, Twitter, Instagram), the Best Blocker in the 2016 Olympic Games after leading the U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team to a bronze medal, is playing for Volero Zurich in the Swiss League and in the European Champions League. In the CEV Champions League, Volero scored a 25-21, 25-15, 25-16 victory over Romania’s CS Volei Alba BLAJ on Jan. 25. Akinradewo contributed six kills on 14 attacks, one ace and one block for eight points in the victory. Volero (2-1, 7 points) will meet CS Volei Alba Blaj (0-3, 0 points) in its next Champions League Pool B match on Feb. 7. In the Swiss League, Volero (15-0) defeated sixth-place Edelline Koniz 25-20, 23-25, 25-14, 25-12 on Jan. 28. Volero plays twice in the coming week against Sm’Aesch Pfeffingen I on Feb. 4 and 10th-place Volley Top Luzern on Feb. 5. Volero is the only undefeated team in the Swiss League, but is in second place as Sm’Aesch Pfeffingen I (16-1) has played two additional matches and holds a one-victory margin over Volero.
HANCOCK WITH POLAND’S IMPEL WROCLAW: Setter Micha Hancock (Edmond, Oklahoma, Twitter, Instagram), who played for the U.S. Women during the 2016 Pan American Cup and set the tournament record for aces in a match and tournament, is playing for Poland’s Impel Wroclaw in the Orlen Liga. Wroclaw topped Atom Trefl Sopot 26-24, 22-25, 25-16, 25-19 on Jan. 29. Hancock set Wroclaw to a 47 kill percent while scoring eight individual points with five kills on eight swings, two blocks and an ace. American teammate Megan Courtney notched 15 points with 12 kills on 18 swings and three blocks. Wroclaw, in second place with a 14-4 record and 45 points, will challenge fourth-place Tauron MKS Dabrowa Gornicza (12-6, 33 points) on Feb. 11 in its next league match.
U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM OPEN TRYOUT: The U.S. Women’s National Team will hold its annual open tryout March 3-5 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The three-day tryout is expected to draw 240 athletes with hopes of earning a spot in one of the U.S. Women’s National Team programs. Athletes who have come out of the tryout include Kim Hill, the 2014 FIVB World Championship most valuable player. This tryout is open to current college-age athletes and older born in the years 1989-1999* inclusive (Women’s Junior age group athletes born in 1988 or 1999 AND NOT currently enrolled in college must be invited to attend this tryout) AND high school athletes born in 1997 or earlier.