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Three former Huskers will represent the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team in the NORCECA Women's Olympic Qualification Tournament to be played Jan. 7-9 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
As expected, Jordan Larson-Burbach, Kayla Banwarth and Kelsey Robinson were among the 14 players selected by Head Coach Karch Kiraly to Team USA, as it tries to clinch a bid to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The entire roster:
- Middle Blockers: Rachael Adams (Cincinnati, Ohio), Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Fla.), Christa Dietzen (Hopewell Township, Pa.) and Tori Dixon (Burnsville, Minn.)
- Outside Hitters: Megan Easy (Boston, Mass.), Kim Hill (Portland, Ore.), Jordan Larson (Hooper, Neb.) and Kelsey Robinson (Bartlett, Ill.)
- Opposites: Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio) and Karsta Lowe (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.)
- Setters: Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) and Courtney Thompson (Kent, Wash.)
- Liberos: Kayla Banwarth (Dubuque, Iowa) and Natalie Hagglund (Encinitas, Calif.)
“We’ve had a strong training block so far, with all 21 players here working very hard to make USA the strongest it can be going into the NORCECA Olympic Qualifier,” Kiraly said. “We chose the travel roster in the hope of maximizing our chances to accomplish our goal of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, and we’re excited to begin the battle, Thursday against Canada.”
The U.S., ranked No. 1 in the world and reigning world champions, hosts No. 7 Dominican Republic, No. 15 Puerto Rico and No. 16 Canada. The tournament field was determined by the top four teams from the eight-team 2015 NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship held in Mexico. Team USA captured the title with a four-set win over Dominican Republic, while Puerto Rico won the bronze medal over Canada.
Thursday, Jan. 7
Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico, 5 p.m. CT
USA vs. Canada, 7 p.m. CT
Friday, Jan. 8
Canada vs. Dominican Republic, 5 p.m. CT
USA vs. Puerto Rico, 7 p.m. CT
Saturday, Jan. 9
Canada vs. Puerto Rico, 5 p.m. CT
USA vs. Dominican Republic, 8 p.m. CT (live on NBC Sports)
The U.S. versus Dominican Republic match will be played at 8 p.m. CT and broadcast live on NBC Sports. All matches will be streamed live and available on the qualifier event page.
“It’s truly an honor and a privilege - and a phenomenal opportunity - to play on an American court, in front of thousands of USA fans, with these four teams battling for a ticket to the Rio Olympics,” U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Karch Kiraly said.
Prices for all-session reserved tickets range from $21-$81 dollars plus applicable taxes, while day session reserved seat prices range from $10-$30 dollars plus applicable taxes. Students, military and senior citizens can receive a $3 discount on day session tickets only.
Tickets are available through Ticket Master and Pinnacle Bank Arena (http://www.pinnaclebankarena.com/). USA Volleyball is partnering with the Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau to produce the event.