USA NT 2015

    Interesting drama being played out in Korean League Championships. Destinee Hooker is the foreign star for IBK versus Nicole Fawcett for HiPass.
    Although Nicole cannot be viewed as a direct Hooker replacement for the US NT as that honor falls on Kelly Murphy she is certainly one of the front runners for a spot on the Rio 16 squad. Nicole might be more accurately seen as a replacement for Haneef-Park.


    Still the back story on this match is who can lead their team to the Korean gold. Hooker fans desperately want to see her back on the NT for Rio 16 so a win here would certainly pump up her “I am back” credentials.
    For Nicole and HiPass a win says “look I’m just as big a hitter as Hooker” plus she has the advantage of being part of a very successful two person rotation that led the US to gold in Italy.


    The battle for the two OPP spots in Rio16 probably doesn’t open up if the USNT wins both the Grand Prix and the World Cup this summer. Plus it seems clear now based on Hookers’ EST Volleyball camp schedule this summer that she would have no time to practice with the NT even if Karch invited her back.


    It doesn’t seem possible at this point that a new player can break through at OPP for Rio16. Karch surely wants to win at the Grand Prix in Omaha, NB which means he might experiment at Montreux and Grand Prix prelims but he will certainly go with his Italy squad for the win and I would expect the same for the World Cup. If he gets the Grand Prix win then he will be only two wins short of Quad/Quad Gold (Grand Prix, World Championship, World Cup and Olympic golds in one quadrennial). A rare achievement that would certainly cement his reputation as the greatest US player/coach of all time and would validate his Quik Offense.

    However if the USNT falls short in these two tournaments then the door for OPP’s Rio16 might open just a bit. It would take a new player to have a summer break out season like Robinson in 2014 and then a very successful Club season in Europe to have a chance. For Hooker probably only a return to Europe and a Club and CEV Champions League title would soften up Karch enough to invite her back in.


    Certainly many interesting twists and turns are now in play for year three of the Rio16 Quad and the USNT.

    Quote from USAvolleyfan

    Destinee Hooker ‏@destineehooker 7h7 hours ago


    I find it hilarious when ppl say they know why I'm not national team.... Umm no you don't. Just leave it alone and let me live my life.


    I don't think we will see her in NT

    thats really sad because watching a powerful spiker like Hooker is a pleasure. I don't enjoy Murphy and Fawcette's game that much.

    As the club season finishes up and American athletes make their way back to Anaheim, it looks like it will be a very competitive summer. Based on the updates from USAV, the athletes competing for roster spots this year look to be (with other additions I'm sure):


    S: Alisha Glass, Courtney Thompson, Molly Kreklow, Carli Lloyd, Jenna Hagglund
    OH: Jordan Larson-Burbach, Kim Hill, Alix Klineman, Cassidy Lichtman, Kelsey Robinson, Sonja Newcombe, Kristin Hildebrand, Regan Hood
    OPP: Nicole Fawcett, Juliann Faucette, Kelly Murphy
    MB: Foluke Akinradewo, Christa Dietzen, Lauren Gibbemeyer, Rachael Adams, Tori Dixon, Lauren Paolini, Cursty Jackson
    L: Nicole Davis, Tamari Miyashiro, Kayla Banwarth, Natalie Hagglund

    Quote from TheUSAFAN

    As the club season finishes up and American athletes may their way back to Anaheim, it looks like it will be a very competitive summer. Based on the updates from USAV, the athletes competing for roster spots this year look to be (with other additions I'm sure):


    S: Alisha Glass, Courtney Thompson, Molly Kreklow, Carli Lloyd, Jenna Hagglund
    OH: Jordan Larson-Burbach, Kim Hill, Alix Klineman, Cassidy Lichtman, Kelsey Robinson, Sonja Newcombe, Kristin Hildebrand, Regan Hood
    OPP: Nicole Fawcett, Juliann Faucette, Kelly Murphy
    MB: Foluke Akinradewo, Christa Dietzen, Lauren Gibbemeyer, Rachael Adams, Tori Dixon, Lauren Paolini, Cursty Jackson
    L: Nicole Davis, Tamari Miyashiro, Kayla Banwarth, Natalie Hagglund


    This is one heck of a competition. I am actually more worried about the MBs. The first 2 choices are not in their best condition (Akinradewo and Dietzen).

    Well Rachael Adams had a terrific season in Italy this year but she is still shaky on service. If she can lower her error percentage she could become a rotation player. Her connection with Glass has been superb. Klineman doesn't have the defensive skills to play OH for Karch but she has been very good in attack and also with her block for Novara. Her serve is also very sporadic. She is actually listed as an OPP on last years NT roster. Any word on Hodge coming back from having her baby? Hooker fans are hoping she'll take a knee and get back in Karch's good graces. But will she?

    Klineman plays as opposite for the National Team and is not being considered as an OH. They are not interested in an OH who cannot pass at the international level.


    She has great potential for the opposite position. I was surprised she did not perform better in her opportunities in Grand Prix but expect she may improve this season (perhaps jumping ahead of Fawcett in the OPP order).

    Id prefer to see Klineman as OH. she spikes better from position 4 imo.


    Yes, she needs to improve her reception....but game speaking only, she should have been in Hildebrand spot in Wch last year already...I think she could be a good reserve for Hill. While Kelsey be the reserve from Larson.

    Quote from taylor10

    where is lauren cook ? she still playing volleyball ? ı really like her sets, style.


    kreklow or llyod can be second setter in olympic roster ? ı don't like thompson, she is good player for double substitution but no more.


    Cook had an injury while she was playing in Porto Rico with Indias de Mayaguez. The franchise had to change her with Micha Hancock.

    Not really USA NT 2015 team related (not directly anyway), but here's interesting news: Tayyiba Haneef-Park, a three-time U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team athlete, has been elected to the USA Volleyball Board of Directors as the indoor female athlete director. http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Vol…ark-Elected-to-USAV-Board

    With her recent official announcement of the summer tour schedule for her Destinee Hooker EST Volleyball camps, Hooker has essentially red lighted Coach kiraly on her non-availability for the USNT this summer. This takes a lot of stress off of Coach kiraly as he’ll no longer feel pressure to extend another invite to her to rejoin the team much to the chagrin of her many fans.


    This is a huge gamble by Hooker as she already missed an opportunity to MVP at the World Championships when she left the USNT in early summer 2014 after a spat with Coach kiraly regarding team rules and their application.


    Not only did she miss a huge chance to enhance her brand but she also missed the intense bonding that was visible among the NT members during their run to the World Championship title. The team synchronicity was stunning as they worked together in hive mind like unbreakable singularity in every game excepting their loss to Italy where they seemed to be overwhelmed by the intensity of the Seventh Fan support.


    What makes this all the more confusing is that Hooker appears to have played her way back to her electric high wire London 2012 form while starring for IBK Korea who she just led to the KOVO league championship gold. In social media mad Korean her sophisticated social media skills could create a lucrative market for Hooker branded products including her popular EST volleyball camps. Still to miss Rio 16 is to miss the premier venue for women volleyball players.


    So what is at risk here for Hooker. By opting out of the 2015 National Team season she will miss the Grand Prix finals which are to be played in Omaha, and which should draw huge US television interest. Assuming the USNT can sign some agreement with ESPN to make the games universally available. She’ll also miss the Olympic qualifying World Cup championships held in Japan which means that should the US win there and take the second leg of the coveted National Team “Triple Crown” she probably closes the door on an invite to join the USNT as a late Spring 2016 add-on.


    If that’s the case can Hooker grow her USA based brand without playing for the USNT? Can she shift her marketing base to Korea and maintain her US fan base through highlights and camps?


    It is clear now that she has returned to the skill levels that took her to the pinnacle of international prominence and that her professional career can last as long as her desire and health allow.


    How she manages her brand in both the professional Club season and the National Team season will go a long way towards defining her volleyball legacy. She has hit the bullseye in Korea but seems to have missed the mark in the USA.


    :call:

    Roster for the scrimmages in June can be seen here .

    WGP preliminary list selected. Must be a miracle, USA volleyball releasing such list so soon in the year..hehehehehehe Hope they keep that way from now on. :)


    http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Vol…ix-Prelim-Roster-Selected


    Setters: Alisha Glass, Molly Kreklow and Courtney Thompson
    Opp: Nicole Fawcett, Alix Klineman, Karsta Lowe and Kelly Murphy
    OH: Michelle Bartsch, Megan Easy, Kristin Hildebrand, Kim Hill, Jordan Larson-Burbach, Cassidy Lichtman, Kelsey Robinson and Krista Vansant
    MB: Rachael Adams, Foluke Akinradewo, Christa Dietzen, Tori Dixon, Lauren Gibbemeyer, Cursty Jackson and Lauren Paolini
    L: Kayla Banwarth, Nicole Davis and Tama Miyashiro