Seasoned veterans, first-timers and a ton of athleticism dot the roster as the USA women take the first step in the summer of 2023 toward the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The USA women play Serbia, Italy, Korea and host Türkiye as the Volleyball Nations League gets underway this week in Antalya, Turkey, and Nagoya, Japan (Click here for a breakdown of all the other teams in the tournament).
Teams provide an overall roster of 30 players, but can only bring 14 to each VNL leg. In the case of the USA, coach Karch Kiraly took a mix of old and new to Antalya. He has the luxury of knowing that no matter what happens, the USA is guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals. That’s because the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship will be played in Arlington, Texas, July 12-16 and the host team is given a spot in the final eight.
Many of the veterans are coming off long pro seasons and simply need the rest. That would include the four who played in the Italian League finals two weeks ago, Kelsey Robinson Cook and Kathryn Plummer of Conegliano, which beat Milano and Jordan Larson and Jordan Thompson.
Accordingly, we’ll take a look at the 14 in Türkiye, which includes three members of the USA team that won gold in the Tokyo Olympics and eight players making their VNL debuts.
We’ve also got the recap of the USA women winning the NORCECA Pan American Cup on Sunday as the U21 team swept the host team in the final.
The USA 14 in Türkiye
Setters: Micha Hancock and Ashley Evans.
Hancock, who may have the most vicious serve in the sport, is the seasoned pro veteran from Penn State. When starter Jordyn Poulter sprained her ankle in Tokyo, Hancock came in and the team never missed a beat. She’s played most of her pro career in Italy, including this past season with Vallefoglia.
Evans, the product of Purdue, is making her VNL debut. Evans, a pro since 2018, played this past season for Aachen in Germany
Outside hitters: Brooke Nuneviller, Avery Skinner, Khalia Lanier and Roni Jones-Perry. All of the former NCAA stars are playing in the VNL for the first time.
Nuneviller, the former Oregon star, just finished her first pro season for Nilufer Belediyespor in Türkiye. We featured her last summer and much of the story was about how she would have to be a libero if she wanted to play for the national team, but in this case the 5-foot-9 outstanding all-around athlete continues to defy…
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