Publication Date: Friday, June 17, 2005
NATIONAL TEAMS
USA Volleyball getting help from Stanford
USA Volleyball getting help from Stanford
(June 17, 2005) by Rick Eymer
Stanford grad Ogonna Nnamani has yet to play for first-year United States National women's volleyball team coach Jenny Lang Ping, but when she does she will help the Americans in their effort to reach next year's World Grand Prix.
In the meantime, incoming Stanford freshman Cynthia Barboza., the only member of the national roster without collegiate experience, is doing her best to help the national team this summer.
Team USA (4-1) entered elimination play of the Pan American Cup in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Thursday after finishing with the second best record in Group B.
The Americans won their first four matches before falling to Cuba, 30-28, 26-24, 25-22, on Tuesday night.
The Cubans (5-0) clinched the top spot in Group B, an automatic berth in Friday's tournament semifinals and a trip to next year's World Grand Prix.
Stanford junior Kristin Richards and Stanford sophomore Byrn Kehoe are also playing with the national team, and traveled to Montreux, Switzerland, along with Stanford assistant coach Denise Corlett to compete in the Montreux Volley Masters last weekend.
The Americans lost all three of their matches but Kehoe and Richards were both among the leaders in several categories.
Kehoe, playing behind veteran setter Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, ranked 16th among all setters with an 0.33 per game average. She was also ranked among the leaders in digs.
Richards was among the leaders in kills and blocks.
The Pan American Cup serves as a qualifier for the World Grand Prix for the top three NORCECA teams and the best South American team.
Nancy Metcalf scored a match-high 14 points on 10 kills, three blocks and one ace for the United States.
"We entered the match thinking we could play with the Cubans," USA middle blocker Elisha Thomas said. "Although we lost, we now know we can play with them. We just have to learn how to finish games. They are very experienced and know how to do this."
Jane Collymore added 10 points on nine kills and one ace for Team USA, which played the No. 3 team from Group A, which was not yet determined. Possible opponents include Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Argentina.
"We have spent so much time in preparation for all matches - especially Cuba - that we really know very little about the teams in the other group except Brazil," Lang Ping said.
Team USA improved to 4-0 on Monday night with a 25-11, 26-24, 25-14 win over Canada.
Collymore had 13 kills and two blocks, while Metcalf, a 2004 Olympian, registered 13 kills and one block.
Nnamani is not on the Pan American Cup roster as she finished her undergraduate degree last week.
Men's water polo
Stanford grads Tony Azevedo and Peter Hudnut join the rest of the United States national team as it begins play in the FINA World League this weekend in Belgrade, Serbia, Montenegro. Competition continues in Stuttgart, Germany next weekend.
Guy Baker assumes control of the team after spending the last Olympics coaching the national women's team.
"Everybody with me is a newcomer," Baker said. "I think we're still trying to get to know each other. I like to think of the first two rounds of the World League as opportunities to evaluate where we are and see what we need to work on. It is truly just preparation for us at this time."
The FINA World League is water polo's first true international league and as Team USA hits the water, more than just international prestige is on the line. The first-place finishing team will be awarded $100,000, while second and third places will take home $70,000 and $50,000 respectively.
Women's water polo
The United States national team begins play in the FINA World League on June 30 at the Coggan Family Aquatic Complex in La Jolla.
Stanford grad and two-time Olympian Brenda Villa will help make the transition from Baker to new coach Heather Moody smooth.
The final roster has not been set, but Stanford junior Meridith McColl is among several who are in the running to make the team.
The team had played for a medal in every major international tournament since capturing silver at the first women's Olympic tournament in 2000 and sowed up its first World Championships gold in Barcelona in 2003. But one tight loss to Italy in the semifinals last year kept the U.S. from fulfilling its golden expectations.
Baker was originally replaced by two-time Olympic men's coach Bill Barnett, but he was unable to come to terms and Moody, a two-time Olympian, was named interim coach.
Moody has been working closely with Barnett through the National Team selections and will coach the team through the FINA World League and FINA World Championships this summer. 2000 Olympian Bernice Orwig will serve as Moody's assistant.
Men's volleyball
Kay van Dijk scored a match-high 21 points to lead a balanced attack as the Netherlands overcame a first-set loss to defeat the United States in the International Sports Invitational Sunday night.
Van Dijk had 18 kills, two service aces and one block in the 19-25, 25-21, 25-12, 26-24 victory that capped a perfect 5-0 tournament for the Dutch at Jenny Craig Pavilion on the campus of the University of San Diego.
"One of the things we have to do is be composed under pressure," Team USA coach Hugh McCutcheon said. "The way things are in international volleyball is you'll play teams who will get runs of points. Somehow, we can't completely lose it when that happens. The guys certainly came back in the fourth set, but it took us a while to calm down in the third when they started to get on a run."
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