The Pan American Volleyball Cup for Women is set to take place at the end of the month. The USA have named 18 players who will be whittled down to a final 12. We discuss them in the article below.
This week, USA Volleyball announced a squad of 18 athletes who will train for the under-23 Women’s National Team. Each selected athlete will be invited to a training week running from July 18-25. This will take place in Anaheim, California, at the National Team Training Centre. But who are the surefire selections on a squad with so much depth?
The Coaching Staff
From this pool of 18 players, only 12 participants will be chosen to represent the team at the NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup. The tournament will be held in Leon, Mexico, from July 25th to August 2nd.
It is not only the squad that has depth, either. Marie Zidek will lead the team, whom many may know as DePaul University’s head women’s coach. She has long been an advocate of improving and raising the profile of Women’s Volleyball, so she will be an inspirational leader. This will be her eighth season with DePaul. Her last 14 years have also been spent on the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program. The appointment to this role will have been a culmination of years’ worth of work for her, and she will want to get this team perfect.
She noted that “This is a well-balanced group, deep with skill and talent in every position, and it’s capable of producing many points in a variety of ways. They will work diligently this summer to become an organised team. My staff and I are excited for this unique program responsibility. We will strive to develop a strong team game that continues to represent USA Volleyball with competitive pride.”
Helping her in her duties will be Danielle Scott. She is a five-time Olympian, so she brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. More Olympic credentials come in the form of Kayla Banwarth.
While the odds are not yet in on who will win the competition, the USA are one of the hotly tipped favourites. This has mainly been down to the depth of their squad. According to Gambla, it is easier than ever to find betting sites in the United States. They provide easy-to-use filters, which can help you find them based on their ratings, bonuses and key highlights. There are also handy tools like odds calculators to help you work out your potential winnings. All you need to do is search through and see which one has the most extensive volleyball markets.
Ones to Watch
The team already has a host of players who bring a wealth of experience. This includes previous international competition experience, MVP awards and collegiate medals. Below are a few ones to watch.
Ava Martin & Norah Sis
These two female athletes played together on the 2024 Creighton Volleyball squad. If Zidek wants two players on the court who already have inbuilt synergy, these two are a surefire choice for the final 12. Last season, they were instrumental in securing Creighton an Elite Eight finish.
Martin was selected in the 2024 Women’s Collegiate National Team and last year trained in the same facility as the U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team. Norah Sis also has a huge bank of experience despite her young age. She has won gold medals as part of the U21 squad two years running at the Pan Am Cup. She was also awarded “Second Best Spiker” in the latter competition. It seems unlikely that a player of her calibre would be left out.
Lauren Briseño
Briseño has been in the picture for some time now. She has been in Anaheim training since early May, when she was chosen for the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) wide roster by USAVB. She already has a gold medal in hand, which she earned at the 2023 Pan American Cup. In this, she was also named the best receiver. Former Baylor alumnus, she has kept up this form; it is hard to imagine anyone else taking her place in the role.
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla enters her second year on the team. The Texas A&M star has worked hard both on and off the court, according to her coaches. A middle blocker, she has had a dominant season that has resulted in 228 kills, more than her previous two seasons combined. With this record and her experience, it is unlikely she would not make the final selection.
The end of the month promises to be an exciting time for Women’s Volleyball. This competition will be the highlight of the years calendar. Settle in and find your preferred way to view, or head out to Mexico for a holiday and experience it yourself!
