Friday, 17 May 2024

Kiraly Names USAV Cup Roster for Matches vs Brazil

The U.S. Women’s National Team is gearing up for the upcoming USA Volleyball Cup, and Head Coach Karch Kiraly has just announced the team’s 14-player roster. Four Olympians will be making their 2017 debuts in this two-match exhibition series against Brazil, which will take place on August 27 and August 29 at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena.

Ranked as the second-best team in the world, the U.S. Women will face off against Brazil, who holds the fourth-place ranking. The first match on August 27 will begin at 4 p.m. PT, followed by the August 29 match at 7:30 p.m. PT, which will be aired live on NBC Sports Network. Additionally, the first 500 fans to arrive at Tuesday’s match will receive a premium giveaway item from USA Volleyball’s partner, adidas.

The roster includes Olympians Rachael Adams, Foluke Akinradewo, Kim Hill, and Jordan Larson, who all played a crucial role in securing the U.S.’s bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. These athletes were given some time off this summer to recover from an intense 2016 Olympic year and their pro club seasons overseas.

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The setters for the USAV Cup will be Carli Lloyd, an Olympian from California, and Lauren Carlini from Aurora, Illinois. Annie Drews from Indiana and Aiyana Whitney from New Jersey will serve as the team’s opposites. The libero positions will be filled by Megan Courtney from Ohio and Justine Wong-Orantes from Cypress, California.

The outside hitters on the roster are the Olympians Kim Hill and Jordan Larson, as well as Michelle Bartsch-Hackley from Illinois and Madi Kingdon from Arizona. The middle positions will be covered by Olympians Rachael Adams and Foluke Akinradewo, alongside Tori Dixon from Minnesota and Lauren Gibbemeyer from St. Paul.

Kiraly expressed his excitement about integrating the veterans back into training and competition, emphasizing the challenge of playing against a strong Brazil team fresh off their victory in the World Grand Prix competition.

The majority of the roster for the USA Volleyball Cup consists of players who represented the U.S. in the FIVB World Grand Prix this summer. Despite having just two Olympians, Carli Lloyd and Kelly Murphy, and mostly first- and second-year players, Team USA secured its spot in the World Grand Prix Finals Round with a 6-3 record. They finished fifth overall after facing Serbia and Italy in the Finals Round pool play.

Now, let’s move on to the FAQs section to address some common questions about the USAV Cup and the team’s roster.