Two Longhorns make USA Volleyball Junior National Team roster
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- USA Volleyball has announced that freshman opposite hitter Ashley Engle and incoming freshman Jennifer Doris have been named to the 12-player roster for the 2007 U.S. Women's Junior National Team. The team was selected after a training block with the 24-player U.S. Women's Junior National Training Team held May 18-20 in Austin, Texas. The 12 players selected for the U.S. Women's Junior National Team will represent Team USA at the FIVB U-20 World Championships held July 19-27 in Nakhonratchasima, Thailand. The dozen players will train in Colorado Springs at the U.S. Olympic Training Center July 5-16 in preparation for the World Championships. Prior to leaving for Thailand, the U.S. Women's Junior National Team will train alongside and scrimmage members of the U.S. Women's National Team who will not compete in the Pan American Games held July 14-19 in Brazil. "I am very pleased with the group of athletes that we have selected to represent the USA at the FIVB Junior World Championships," U.S. Women's Junior National Team Head Coach Andy Banachowski said. "We have a good blend of experienced players and talented newcomers to the international game. The tournament will be tough, but our expectations are high. We had a very competitive 24 players to select our final group. All the players put forth an excellent effort." Engle, a First Team All-Big 12 and First Team AVCA All-Central Region selection, highlighted the Horns' offense in 2006, registering a team-high 463 kills while posting a 3.99 kills per-game average. The Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year also ranked second on the squad in digs (329), digs per-game (2.84), service aces (33) and assists (89), while ranking third on the team with 88 total blocks. She finished the season hitting .262 and ranked seventh in the Big 12 in kills and points per-game (4.68). Doris, PrepVolleyball.com's third-ranked national recruit, plays prep volleyball with the Willowbrook travel team out of Houston and attends Cypress Falls High School. She is a true middle blocker who touches 10'7" and has played internationally for the USA National (2006, Azteca Cup), USA Junior National (2006) and USA Youth National teams (2005). The 2007 U.S. Women's Junior National Team roster has six carryovers from the 2006 NORCECA gold-medal winning team. Doris, Whitney Dosty (Tucson, Ariz.), Zoe Garrett (Laguna Beach, Calif.), Lauren Gibbemeyer (St. Paul, Minn.), Alix Klineman (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Colleen Ward (Naperville, Ill.) all return for a second consecutive season representing the U.S. Women's Junior National Team. Team USA qualified for the event by winning the 2006 NORCECA Continental Women's Junior Championship in Monterey, Mexico. Along with Banachowski, the team will be coached by assistants Karrie Larsen (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Texas Volunteer Assistant Coach Ted Wade (Austin, Texas). The training coach will be Daryl Tamashiro (Waipahu, Hawai'i). 2007 U.S. Women's Junior National Team Roster Head Coach: Andy Banachowski (Culver City, Calif.)
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