May 19, 2011
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford middle blocker Carly Wopat has been selected to the 12-player roster for the U.S. Women's Junior National Team (WJNT), which will represent the United States at the FIVB Women's Junior World Championship (U-20), held July 20-31 in Peru.
Prior to leaving for Peru, the team will train July 10-19 at Saint Mary's College in Moraga, Calif., under the direction of U.S. Women's Junior National Team head coach Rob Browning. He also serves as the head women's volleyball coach at Saint Mary's.
"While the competition will be fierce in Peru this summer, we have a group of players and coaches who can win it all," Browning said. "We want to return with the World Championship trophy."
Wopat is one of six players named to the 2011 squad which competed with the 2010 WJNT that captured the gold medal at the NORCECA Women's Junior (U-20) Continental Championship in Tijuana, Mexico last summer. Along with Wopat, the returning players include outside hitters Kelly Reeves (UCLA) and Stephanie Holthus (Northwestern), middle blocker Haleigh Hampton (Long Beach State), setter Molly Kreklow (Missouri) and libero/defensive specialist Jennifer Bonilla (Reseda, Calif.).
New to the team are outside hitters Moneshia Simmons (Clemson University), Madison Kingdom (Arizona) and Haley Eckerman (Waterloo, Iowa, Iowa Rockets), middle blocker Sallie McLaurin (Oklahoma), setter Lauren Plum (Oregon) and libero/defensive specialist Natalie Hagglund (USC).
Wopat was named to the 2010 All-Pac-10 Freshmen Team after ranking ninth in the conference with her .329 attack percentage in her first season at Stanford. She ended her rookie season second on the team with 0.97 blocks per set and fourth with 228 points.
Wopat played a key role on the 2010 U.S. Women's Junior National Team as its captain and led it to the gold medal at the NORCECA Women's Junior Continental Championships. She has also played in the 2009 FIVB Girls' Youth World Championship after leading the squad to the 2008 NORCECA Girls' Youth Continental Championship in the first year of the cycle.
Browning, who also coached the 2010 WJNT, will be assisted by Erik Sullivan and Jill Kramer. Sullivan is the assistant women's volleyball coach at the University of Texas, while Kramer is the head women's volleyball coach at West Virginia University. Stanford associate head coach Denise Corlett will serve as the team leader.
"Our goal is to win the World Championship and we have selected a team that can do it," Browning said. "The selection process was very competitive and there are some outstanding players who were left off the roster. We have a number of veterans from last year's NORCECA Championship team as well as some new addition and I am excited to see them come together and form a cohesive team. The coaches we have selected to join me are also exceptionally good and I feel fortunate to be able to work with them."
Seven alternates will participate in the training camp at Saint Mary's, but will not make the trip to Peru except in the case of an injured player on the 12-player U.S. Women's Junior National Team roster.
To be eligible for the 2011 U.S. Women's Junior National Team, athletes needed to be born in either 1992 or 1993.
Courtesy of USA Volleyball