Colorado Springs, USA, July 12, 2016 – USA Volleyball announced its 12-player Olympic women’s team roster that will try to make history in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games from August 6 to 20.
Middle blockers Foluke Akinradewo and Christa Harmotto Dietzen, outside spiker Jordan Larson and setter Courtney Thompson return from Team USA’s 2012 Olympic Games silver-medal finish in London.
Newcomers to the Olympian family are outside spikers Kimberly Hill and Kelsey Robinson, middle blocker Rachael Adams, opposites Karsta Lowe and Kelly Murphy, setters Alisha Glass and Carli Lloyd, and libero Kayla Banwarth.
The roster will have three outside spikers, three middles, three setters, two opposites and one libero, who average 27 years of age. Thompson, who turns 32 in November, is the oldest member of the squad and the only player in her 30s. Lowe, who turned 23 in February and is in her second year with the programme, is the youngest member of the team in terms of age and national team experience.
“We aspire to be a team that adds up to far more than the sums of our parts,” Kiraly said. “We are extremely fortunate to have so many great people and great players who give us so much passion and effort to this programme; and will look to honour their contributions by competing our hardest in Rio. Ultimately, we have assembled a group that we believe is capable of embracing the challenges of a tournament like the Olympics will surely present.”