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The USA ladies opened Volleyball Nations League 4-0, had every week off, and now are in Brasilia, Brazil, for the second spherical. They play Croatia on Tuesday after which face Thailand, Japan and Brazil. We caught up with three USA veterans — two who have been in Türkiye — final week.
By J. Anthony for VolleyballMag.com
For a group that solely spent a couple of week coaching collectively earlier than heading to Türkiye to compete within the first spherical of the Volleyball Nation’s League, the USA ladies did surprisingly effectively, a few of the veteran members mentioned.
“I really feel like we did a very good job,” libero Justine Wong-Orantes mentioned. The Nebraska product was enjoying in her second VNL.
“We went 4 and 0, and a few of us have been a bit of shocked, however we fought onerous, and I’m actually tremendous pleased with us.”
Wong-Orantes, who was the libero when the USA gained the Tokyo Olympics, completed her professional season in France and joined the group in mid-Might.
“We realistically had possibly one week to spend with one another to enter that and never being tremendous accustomed to one another, I actually commend everybody for digging deep and trusting one another and trusting the method,” Wong-Orantes mentioned.
We caught up with Wong-Orantes, setter Micha Hancock and out of doors Kelsey Robinson Cook dinner at a League One Volleyball (LOVB) occasion in Seal Seaside, California, a couple of 25-minute drive from American Sports activities Facilities in Anaheim, the place the USA nationwide volleyball groups practice.
A number of members of the USA squad who’ve signed with LOVB coached greater than 150 younger women over three days on the AIM Sports activities Advanced.
Not solely are the People enjoying VNL, which culminates with the finals in Arlington, Texas, subsequent month, they’re additionally eyeing the Olympic-qualifying course of for the 2024 Video games in Paris.
“Who can we wish to be? How can we wish to present up? So there’s plenty of work that goes into it, and it begins within the very starting,” two-time Olympian Robinson Cook dinner mentioned.
Robinson Cook dinner didn’t play in Türkiye, giving her physique a break after ending an eight-month membership season in Italy, and gained’t be with the group in Brazil subsequent week. She expects to play within the third spherical in Korea. The USA has a 30-person roster and brings 14 to every VNL spherical.
The group of 30 contains 10 VNL newcomers, together with Avery Skinner, Asjia O’Neal and Tori Dilfer-Stringer.
“I like watching younger gamers get their first alternative carrying purple, white, and blue, and you may’t assist however really feel excited for them and might’t assist being a part of it,” Robinson Cook dinner mentioned.
Getting into the primary week of the VNL, coach Karch Kiraly informed the group to have excessive hopes however low expectations, mentioned Hancock, who set within the Tokyo Olympics with Jordyn Poulter.
“Completely different faces are meshing collectively once more so it’ll be fascinating to see how we compete,” Hancock mentioned. “My greatest focus as captain will not be getting caught up within the outcomes of week one or what our outcomes may very well be however to have excessive hopes however low expectations.”
Kiraly informed the group, she mentioned, “Attempt to keep current with what’s in entrance of us and the group in entrance of us.”
In Türkiye, the USA beat Serbia in 5, Italy in 5, swept Korea after which beat Türkiye in 5.
“Everybody performs their greatest in opposition to Crew USA,” mentioned Wong-Orantes. “That strain and bullseye are all the time going to be on our again, and I feel it’s worrying about our aspect and what we will do and what we will contribute, and that begins within the Crew USA fitness center.”
Hancock agreed.
“All the video games I performed went all 5 units,” mentioned Hancock, lacking solely the Korea match when Ashley Evans bought the nod. “[We’re all] getting used to enjoying with new faces and seeing what individuals are like below strain and simply preventing for each ball. That was the large factor for us staying current even when issues weren’t going our method, particularly in entrance of 11,000 followers rooting in opposition to you.”
Whereas Hancock is in Brazil, Wong-Orantes is sitting the second spherical out. The liberos will likely be Morgan Hentz, who performed final week, and Kendall White. Hancock and Evans will set once more. The outsides will likely be Kathryn Plummer and Ali Frantti, who didn’t play in Türkiye, and Avery Skinner and Khalia Lanier, who did. The opposites will likely be Jordan Thompson, who sat the primary spherical, and Danielle Cuttino. The middles will likely be Asjia O’Neal and Brionne Butler, the Texas merchandise who performed the primary spherical, and Haleigh Washington and Anna Stevenson-Corridor.
Wong-Orantes mentioned Kiraly’s “excessive hopes and low expectations” theme match the group within the first week of the VNL competitors.
“With that new and previous mix [of players], we had a reset mentality,” she mentioned. “Each match we’re going to, in fact, compete our butts off, however ultimately, the end result isn’t crucial; it’s simply how we’re constructing to get to the larger objective.”
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