USA Women's Volleyball Team

USA Women's National Volleyball Team Defeat Japan 

Hats off to our USA Women.  They won the Gold Medal at the 2010 FIVA World Grand Prix held in China.  This is the next best thing to winning the Olympics.... Kids Talk Radio Sports.

“It's so tough to play against Japan,” U.S. captain Jennifer Tamas (Milpitas, Calif.) said. “They played so good in defense. I think tonight we can find a place to celebrate. When we go back home, we will work harder and become even better for the next tournament.”

McCutcheon started Tom and Larson at outside hitter, Akinradewo and Bown at middle blocker, Hooker at opposite and Glass at setter. Sykora was the designated libero for the match. Cynthia Barboza (Long Beach, Calif.) served once in the first set.

As with the entire tournament, the U.S. net defense was dominant as it produced a 15-3 block advantage over Japan. Team USA added a 3-0 margin in aces and 43-40 edge in kills. The Americans converted 33.9 percent of their attacks into kills as part of a .252 hitting efficiency. Japan converted 29.4 percent of its attacks for a .228 hitting efficiency. However, Japan stayed close as it benefited from 24 American errors to only 15 of its own.

“USA had a clear advantage in height, so they took control over the net,” Japan Head Coach Masayoshi Manabe said. “The Americans are really strong in spiking and blocking.”

Saori Kimura scored 15 points for Japan to match Larson’s match-high honors. Kaori Inoue added eight points in the loss.

Team USA’s next event will be a friendly four-match exhibition tour of Brazil between Sept. 20 and Sept. 30. Both teams are using the tour as final preparations for the FIVB World Championship that starts Oct. 29 in Japan.

Team USA has racked up some impressive victories in 2010. During the Final Round, the U.S. garnered wins over some of the top teams in the world, including No. 1 Brazil, No. 2 China, No. 5 Japan and No. 7 Italy. The Americans have also defeated No. 6 Cuba in two tournaments.

Just two weeks ago, Team USA’s chances of reaching the World Grand Prix Final Round seemed remote based on its 1-2 record and eighth place in the standings following the first weekend in Poland. However, the Americans caught fire in Thailand starting with a four-set victory over Italy followed by wins over Thailand and Puerto Rico. Last weekend the U.S. carried the momentum into Hong Kong, beginning with a three-set win over Germany to avenge a four-set loss in the opening weekend. Team USA allowed Thailand to score just 48 points in a three-set win on Aug. 21. In front of over 10,000 fans on Aug. 22, the Americans won their sixth straight match over the host Chinese in four sets to complete a run from eighth place to second place.

USA Women's Volleyball

2009 Pan American Cup

Miami, FL

June 26 through July 4, 2009

USA Volleyball is hosting its first-ever Women’s Pan American Cup, which serves as a qualifying event into the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix. The event, which will tentatively have three of the four semifinalists from the 2008 Olympic Games, is the largest international volleyball event hosted by USA Volleyball in terms of country participation. Brazil won the 2008 Olympic Games gold medal by defeating silver medalist USA in the title match, while three-time Olympic Games gold medalist Cuba finished fourth in the 2008 Olympic Games. All three teams are currently ranked in the top four in the current FIVB World Rankings.

Team USA has not hosted a women’s senior-level international tournament since the 1998 FIVB World Championship Qualifier tournament in 1998. Due to international scheduling and professional league commitments, matches on domestic soil have become a rarity with only seven contests against foreign teams in the most recent Olympic quadrennial (2005-2008).

USA Women's Volleyball

Support Women's Volleyball

National Team will play an intrasquad scrimmage at JSerra High School at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 20, at San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

The scrimmage will serve as a final tune-up before the team leaves for Florida on June 24 to compete in the Eighth Women’s Pan American Cup in Miami and the FIVB Women’s World Championship Qualification Tournament’s Third Round NORCECA Pool G in Orlando. The Pan Am Cup will be contested from June 26 until July 4, while the FIVB World Championship Qualification Tournament is scheduled for July 6-8.

Tickets can be purchased for $10 and proceeds help benefit the host JSerra High School boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams.

U.S. Women’s National Team Preliminary Roster (O-2)
Eighth Women’s Pan American Cup and World Championship Qualification Tournament
# - Name (Pos, Ht, Hometown, College)
1 - Nicole Vargas (S, 5-8, Seal Beach, Calif., Long Beach State)
2 - Danielle Scott-Arruda (MB, 6-2, Baton Rouge, La., Long Beach State)
3 - Tayyiba Haneef-Park (OH/OPP, 6-7, Laguna Hills, Calif., Long Beach State)
4 - Angie Pressey (OH, 5-8, Lake Mary, Fla., California)
5 - Stacy Sykora (L, 5-10, Burleson, Texas, Texas A&M)
6 - Nicole Davis (L, 5-6, Stockton, Calif., Southern California)
7 - Heather Bown (MB, 6-3, Yorba Linda, Calif., Hawaii)
8 - Cynthia Barboza (OH, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Stanford)
9 - Jennifer Joines (MB, 6-3, Milpitas, Calif., Pacific)
10 - Kristin Richards (OH, 6-1, Orem, Utah, Stanford)
11 - Jordan Larson (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., Nebraska)
12 - Nancy Metcalf (OPP, 6-1, Hull, Iowa, Nebraska)
13 - Tracy Stalls (MB, 6-4, Denver, Colo., Nebraska)
14 - Heather Hughes (OPP, 6-2, Fallbrook, Calif., Loyola Marymount)
15 - Courtney Thompson (S, 5-7, Kent, Wash., Washington)
16 - Christa Harmotto (MB, 6-2, Aliquippa, Pa., Penn State)
17 - Nellie Spicer (S, 5-10, Barrington, Ill., UCLA)
18 - Cassie Busse (OPP, 6-1, Prior Lake, Minn., Minnesota)
19 - Jane Collymore (OH, 5-11, Seattle, Wash., Florida)
Head Coach: Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand)
Assistant Coaches: Karch Kiraly (San Clemente, Calif.), Paula Weishoff (Irvine, Calif.), Troy Tanner (San Clemente, Calif.)
Technical Coordinator: Jamie Morrison (Dana Point, Calif.)
Athletic Trainer: Jill Wosmek