Roster set as USA opens with Colombia in “Highway to Paris Volleyball Qualifier”

The trail to the Olympics formally will get underway for the USA ladies on Saturday in opposition to Colombia in Lodz, Poland.

That’s their website of the Highway to Paris Volleyball Qualifier the place groups can be start to assert spots within the 2024 Paris Olympics.

As defined by USA Volleyball:

There are two different eight-team qualifiers occurring on the similar time in Japan and China. On the finish of the three qualifiers, six groups for the Olympics can be decided, plus the host nation France.

The opposite 5 groups can be decided based mostly on world rankings in June 2024.

The USA ladies, who received the gold medal on the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, are presently ranked No. 2 on this planet behind Türkiye, adopted by Serbia, Brazil, Italy, China, Poland, Japan, the Netherlands and Dominican Republic. 

Türkiye received Volleyball Nations League this summer season and final week the Dominican Republic defeated the People within the NORCECA Continental Cup gold-medal match.

In Poland, the USA performs seven matches in 9 days (all instances Japanese):

Saturday, September 16, vs. Colombia, 5:30 a.m.
Sunday, September 17, vs. Thailand, 8:30 a.m.
Tuesday, September 19, vs. Slovenia, 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 20, vs. Korea, 8:30 a.m.
Friday, September 22, vs. Italy, 2:45 p.m. 
Saturday, September 23 vs. Poland, 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, September 24, vs. Germany, 11:30 a.m.

All matches may be seen on Volleyball World TV. Use “VOLLEYBALLMAG” for a reduction.

The USA is in Pool C. Pool A in Ningbo, China, has Canada, China, Czechia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Netherlands, Serbia and Ukraine; and Pool B in Tokyo has Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Japan, Peru, Puerto Rico and Türkiye.

The USA roster appears a bit totally different than the one which completed fourth in Volleyball Nations League. To start with, Olympic setter Micha Hancock is out with an harm. The USA was already with out beginning Olympic setter Jordyn Poulter, who’s recovering from main knee surgical procedure.

So backing up Lauren Carlini, who break up time with Hancock in VNL, can be veteran Ashley Evans. Evans has been with the crew all spring and summer season and was with the squad for VNL. The Purdue product performed in a single match. 

Coach Karch Kiraly advised us, “Our plan had Micha on our roster, as we did in NORCECA, however she is unable to take part presently. 

“Trying again, we can’t keep in mind a single main occasion going ‘in accordance with plan,’ and that is no exception. 

“So we’ll proceed to maneuver ahead, sempre avanti — with Micha in our hearts, and with gratitude for Ash relentlessly staying prepared to assist and serve this crew.”

“Sempre avanti,” Kiraly defined, means “all the time ahead.”

The USA is used to rolling with the setter punches. In the course of the Olympics, Poulter was injured and Hancock stepped in for her.

And the squad consists of seven of these gold-medalist on the 14-player roster.

The liberos are Olympian Justine Wong-Orantes — named the captain of this crew — and Morgan Hentz.

The skin hitters embrace the captain of the Olympic crew, Jordan Larson, who sat out VNL. The opposite outsides are Ali Frantti, Kathryn Plummer , Olympic veteran Kelsey Robinson and Avery Skinner. Plummer was additionally not with the crew for the VNL finals once they beat Japan after which misplaced to Türkiye within the semifinals and to Poland within the bronze-medal match. 

The middles embrace Olympians Haleigh Washington and Chiaka Ogbogu and Dana Rettke.

Each Olympic opposites are on the crew, Jordan Thompson and Annie Drews.

To learn our tales from Arlington the VNL finals, click here for the bronze-medal match recap when the Americans lost to Poland and right here for the recap of the semifinals loss to Türkiye.

Right here’s a take a look at the opposite groups in Pool C.

POLAND: Poland, attempting for its first Olympic bid since 2008, passionate house crowd will undoubtedly present a major benefit. Star setter Joanna Wolosz, who was absent throughout the VNL, is again. Poland is led by reverse Magdalena Stysiak, who emerged because the crew’s high scorer within the European Championship. Poland has encountered accidents at outdoors hitter and can depend on Olivia Rozanski and Martyna Lukasik. Agnieszka Korneluk the 6-foot-6 center, is a drive who completed the European Championship second in blocks.

ITALY: Disagreements, drama and want for change between head coach Davide Mazzanti and his gamers have led to a revamped roster. Lengthy-time stalwarts together with Ofelia Malinov, Cristina Chirichella, Monica De Gennaro, and Caterina Bosetti, have been excluded from the nationwide crew and weren’t a part of the European Championship squad.

World celebrity Paola Egonu, whose relationship with the nationwide crew soured after experiencing racial abuse in 2022, was included within the European Championship however in a supporting function and is on this roster. Russian-born Italian Ekaterina Antropova acquired approval from the Italian authorities and FIVB to symbolize Italy earlier this summer season and made her debut within the European Championship, main Italy with 73 factors. Italy completed fourth. Miriam Sylla and Elena Pietrini have seen elevated taking part in time as outdoors hitters. Anna Danesi holds down the center with Marina Lubian. Alessia Orro was the beginning setter all through the European Championship, is out with an harm, so Francesca Bosio will step in.

GERMANY: Germany, within the VNL finals for the primary time, took a success throughout the European Championship when star outdoors hitter Hanna Orthmann sustained a severe knee/leg harm that may maintain her sidelined for a lot of months. 

Reverse Kimberly Drewniok is again and offers coach Important Heynen some flexibility. Germany, final within the Olympics in 2004, will rely closely on center Camila Weitzel.

THAILAND: Thailand, which has by no means been to the Olympics, received the Asian Championship for the primary time since 2013. Fatigue could turn into an element, as evidenced at VNL, and star setter Pornpun Guedpard may be absent with an harm. That may open the door for the return of the legendary setter Nootsara Tomkom. Thailand will look to their two star attackers, Chatchu-on Moksri and Pimpichaya Kokram.

KOREA: After a winless VNL, Korea failed to succeed in the Asian Championship podium for the primary time since 2009. So coach Cesar Hernandez may view this match as a chance to offer helpful expertise to youthful gamers.

COLOMBIA: Colombia confirmed promise the previous two years however has been disappointing in 2023. The crew consists of Amanda Coneo future participant for the Grand Rapids of the Professional Volleyball Federation, and Texas A&M product Camila Gomez.

SLOVENIA: Slovenia, ranked No. 25 on this planet, is making its debut in a world-level occasion, a major milestone of their nationwide crew historical past. The roster consists of a younger and promising group, with a number of gamers below the age of 20. Outdoors hitter Lorena Fijok, 20, was Slovenia’s main scorer within the European Championship. Outdoors Mija Siftar, 17, is taken into account one in every of Europe’s most promising rising stars.