Four Rebels To Participate In USA National Team Open Trials

OXFORD, Miss. Four members of the Ole Miss volleyball team will get a shot at making the US National Team when they participate in the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryout hosted by USA Volleyball, the organization has announced. 

Participating in the trials from Ole Miss are middle blockers Miranda Kitts and Regina Thomas, outside hitter Katie Norris and libero Morgan Springer.

USA Volleyball will host approximately 160 athletes as part of  its U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryout set for Feb. 20-22 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“We’re very excited to have four of our athletes take part in such a prestigious event and have the opportunity to work with the National team,” said Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin. “This is the highest level of volleyball in the country. It should be a great experience for them.”

Thomas, a rising sophomore with the Rebels, earned SEC All-Freshman honors last season as she hit .320 for the season and tallied 200 kills as well as an average of 0.81 blocks per set. Kitts led the team in blocks with 81 on the year and tallied 193 kills on the season.

At outside hitter, Norris led the team as a freshman with 321 kills and averaged a team-high 3.03 kills per set last season. Springer, the only defensive player from Ole Miss in the trials, averaged 2.42 digs per set and tallied 259 digs on the season, second highest on the team.

As part of the tryout, athletes will compete for spots on the USA Women's Volleyball National Team program. Athletes not selected to participate with the National Team may be considered for other programs run by USA Volleyball. Included in this list of other programs are the U.S. Women's Junior National Team competing at the FIVB Women's Junior World Championship or the USA Women's Senior A2 Teams competing at the USA Adult Open Championships. A total of 33 athletes are eligible for the U.S. Women's Junior National Team as well as the other National Team programs.

U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) will lead a team of 30 tryout staff that will serve as court coaches and evaluators putting the players through physical testing, drills and match play.

"USA women's volleyball has such depth and talent, it is wonderful to see this many outstanding young athletes attending this National Team tryout," McCutcheon said. "I believe playing for the National Team is the highest achievement possible for our indoor players. In that regard, our goal is to create the best environment for these players to train and compete at the international level."

The tentative roster, which could change depending on late adds or drops due to injury, includes 44 outside hitters, 41 middle blockers, 36 liberos, 30 setters and 12 opposites. A total of 64 different colleges are represented on the roster, including four non-NCAA Division I institutions.

Athletes in college with collegiate eligibility remaining for the 2009 season and not selected to the USA Women's National Team may be invited to participate on the USA Senior A2 Teams. This program is scheduled to take place in Minneapolis from May 18 through May 27. A projected 24 athletes will be invited to participate in the program, which will include training and competition in the 2009 USA Adult Open Championships in the Open Division from May 23-26.

In addition, the 2009 FIVB Women's Junior World Championship will be held July 16-25 in Mexico. Athletes must be born in either 1990 or 1991 to be eligible for this program.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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