USA Volleyball Announces Women's Junior National Team Roster

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 20, 2007) - USA Volleyball has announced the 12-player roster for the 2007 U.S. Women's Junior National Team after a training block with the 24-player U.S. Women's Junior National Training Team held May 18-20 in Austin, Texas.

The 12 players selected for the U.S. Women's Junior National Team will represent Team USA at the FIVB U-20 World Championships held July 19-27 in Nakhonratchasima, Thailand. The dozen players will train in Colorado Springs at the U.S. Olympic Training Center approximately July 5-16 in preparation for the World Championships. Prior to leaving for Thailand, the U.S. Women's Junior National Team will train alongside and scrimmage members of the U.S. Women's National Team who will not compete in the Pan American Games held July 14-19 in Brazil.

"I am very pleased with the group of athletes that we have selected to represent the USA at the FIVB Junior World Championships," U.S. Women's Junior National Team Head Coach Andy Banachowski said. "We have a good blend of experienced players and talented newcomers to the international game. The tournament will be tough, but our expectations are high. We had a very competitive 24 players to select our final group. All the players put forth an excellent effort."

The 2007 U.S. Women's Junior National Team roster has six carryovers from the 2006 NORCECA gold-medal winning team. Jennifer Doris (Houston), Whitney Dosty (Tucson, Ariz.), Zoe Garrett (Laguna Beach, Calif.), Lauren Gibbemeyer (St. Paul, Minn.), Alix Klineman (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Colleen Ward (Naperville, Ill.) all return for a second consecutive season representing the U.S. Women's Junior National Team.

Team USA qualified for the event by winning the 2006 NORCECA Continental Women's Junior Championship in Monterey, Mexico.

Along with Banachowski, the team will be coached by assistants Karrie Larsen (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Ted Wade (Austin, Texas). The training coach will be Daryl Tamashiro (Waipahu, Hawai'i).

2007 U.S. Women's Junior National Training Team Roster

Name (Position, Height, Hometown, HS Grad Year, Club/School)

Taylor Carico (S, 5-11, Manhattan Beach, Calif., 2006, University of Southern California)

Jennifer Doris (MB, 6-5, Houston, Texas, 6-5, Willowbrook)

Whitney Dosty (OH/MB, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz., 2007, University of Arizona)

Ashley Engle (S, 6-3, Yorba Linda, Calif., 2006, University of Texas)

Zoe Garrett (MB, 6-3, Laguna Beach, Calif., 2007, Mizuno Long Beach)

Lauren Gibbemeyer (MB, 6-2, St. Paul, Minn., 2007, Northern Lights)

Alix Klineman (OH, 6-5, Manhattan Beach, Calif., 2007, Mizuno Long Beach)

Cassidy Lichtman (L/OH, 6-1, Poway, Calif., 2007, San Diego VBC)

Tara Mueller (L/OH, 6-0, Scottsdale, Ariz., 2007, Club Red)

Kelly Murphy (S, 6-3, Wilmington, Ill., 2008, Sports Performance)