Kiraly announces 18 USA Volleyball women on FIVB VNL Roster

USA Volleyball announced on Thursday its 18-player women’s roster for the FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) that will be played May 25-June 24 in Rimini, Italy. It is the only major international competition before the Tokyo Olympics in July.

Coach Karch Kiraly’s USA squad, ranked No. 2 in the world, includes four Olympians, three setters, and newcomer Kathryn Plummer. Of the 18 players, 13 are products of Big Ten programs.

The Olympians are team captain Jordan Larson (an outside hitter who was MVP of the recent Athletes Unlimited pro volleyball season), middle Foluke Gunderson, and outsides Kim Hill and Kelsey Robinson.

The setters are all from the Big Ten in Lauren Carlini (Wisconsin), Jordyn Poulter (Illinois), and Micha Hancock (Penn State).

Plummer is the former Stanford star, three-time NCAA champion and 2019 VolleyballMag.com national player of the year.

The Americans will defend their VNL title in a bubble that will include no fans, according to USA Volleyball. Also, according to USAV, 14 players will be selected from the roster of 18 for each three-day segment of the preliminary round.

The USA begins play May 25 against the Dominican Republic and then plays Canada and Brazil the next two days.

Click here for the complete USA Volleyball news release that includes the full schedule.

No. Player (Position, Height, Hometown, College)
1 — Micha Hancock (S, 5-11, Edmond, Okla., Penn State)
2 — Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Illinois)
3 — Kathryn Plummer (OH, 6-6, Aliso Viejo, Calif., Stanford)
4 — Justine Wong-Orantes (L, 5-6, Cypress, Calif., Nebraska)
6 — Tori Dixon (M, 6-3, Burnsville, Minn., Minnesota)
7 — Lauren Carlini (S, 6-2, Aurora, Ill., Wisconsin)
8 — Hannah Tapp (M, 6-3, Stewartville, Minn., Minnesota)
10 — Jordan Larson (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., Nebraska)
11 — Annie Drews (OPP, 6-4, Elkhart, Ind., Purdue.)
12 — Jordan Thompson (OPP, 6-4, Edina, Minn., Cincinnati)
13 — Sarah Wilhite Parsons (OH, 6-2, Eden Prairie, Minn., Minnesota)
14 — Michelle Bartsch-Hackley (OH, 6-3, Champaign, Ill., Illinois)
15 — Kim Hill (OH, 6-4, Portland, Ore., Pepperdine)
16 — Foluke Gunderson (M, 6-3, London, Canada, Stanford)
17 — Megan Courtney (L, 6-1, Dayton, Ohio, Penn State)
22 — Haleigh Washington (M, 6-3, Colorado Springs, Colo., Penn State )
23 — Kelsey Robinson (OH, 6-2, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Nebraska)
24 — Chiaka Ogbogu (M, 6-2, Coppell, Texas, Texas)