Membership
B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
BJ.Evans@USAV.org
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 18, 2007) - The U.S. Women's Sitting Volleyball Team came away from its three-match exhibition tournament against China with positive feelings even though it won just one set against the world's top-ranked sitting volleyball team.
The matches were played Dec. 4-6 at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, which is the home of both the U.S. women's and men's sitting volleyball teams. In two of the matches, the two teams played five sets, despite China winning the first three.
"Every other time we've played them, we would come close in one game and get smoked in the rest," said U.S. Women's Sitting Team Head Coach Mike Hulett. "This time, we were very competitive throughout all three matches."
Hulett said blocking was a strong point for the team. In the final match, which was a three-set U.S. loss (18-25, 26-28, 14-25) the U.S. Sitting Women averaged 3.2 blocks per set.
However, serving errors were especially frustrating for the team.
"We've got to stop missing serves so that our block can perform," Hulett said.
Lora Webster (Cave Creek, Ill.) had four solo blocks and seven block assists. Allison Aldrich (Schuyler, Neb.) had three solo blocks and seven block assists.
"Everybody got some good opportunities to play against the No. 1 team in the world," Hulett said. "I call it a really good checkpoint."
U.S. Women's Sitting Volleyball Team Roster
Allison Aldrich (Schuyler, Neb.)
Heather Erickson (Fayetteville, N.C.)
Alex Gouldie (St. Paul, Neb.)
Katie Holloway (Lake Stevens, Wash.)
SuGui Kriss (Ravena, N.Y.)
Kendra Lancaster (Sheridan, Ind.)
Brenda Maymon (Sellersberg, Ind.)
Gina McWilliams (The Colony, Texas)
Nichole Millage (Champaign, Ill.)
Kari Miller (Washington D.C.)
Tatiana Rivera Torres (Bayamon, Puerto Rico)
Lora Webster (Cave Creek, Ill.)
Head Coach: Mike Hulett (Des Plaines, Ill.)
Assistant Coach: Denise Van De Walle (Bowling Green, Ohio)