Women's U20 Team Undefeated after First Round at Worlds

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 11, 2021) – The U.S. Women’s U20 Team finished its first round of pool play undefeated after beating Turkey on Sunday, 3-0 (25-18, 27-25, 25-22) at the FIVB U20 World Championship in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The U.S. U20 Women (3-0) and Russia (2-1),

which finished second in the pool, will move on to Pool E for the second round, which will also include Brazil (3-0) and Netherlands (2-1). The first match will be Tuesday.

Turkey led the U.S. in kills (45-37) and aces (6-4). The U.S. led in blocks (8-2) and scored 28 points on Turkey’s errors while holding their own errors to 12. Starting setter Kami Miner and backup Averi Carlson combined to set the U.S. to a .355 hitting efficiency. Turkey hit .244.

OFFICIAL STATISTICS * TEAM STATISTICS

“Our block really came out today,” opposite Emily Londot said. “We’ve been working on it. I think our timing and our urgency to get those blocks came out. We worked as a team today and never gave up.”

When asked the team’s secret to success after only training together for a week prior to the tournament, Londot said, “We play with a lot of heart. We leave it all out on the floor and just give it our all. That’s what makes us Team USA.”

The U.S. got balanced scoring from outside hitters Ally Batenhorst and Allison Jacobs and Londot who all finished with 11 points. Batenhorst scored on 11 kills. Londot had 10 kills and one block. Jacobs totaled a team-high three aces to go with eight kills.

Middle blocker Caroline Crawford finished with seven points on four kills and three blocks. Middle Reagan Hope scored four points on three kills and one block and substitute opposite Lindsay Krause added four points on three kills and one block.

Miner scored one point on an ace. Libero Lexi Rodriguez was credited with two digs and three excellent receptions.

U.S. Women’s U20 National Team
Player (Position, Height, HS Grad Year, Hometown, Club, Region, College) 

1 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-7, 2021, Sterling, Ill., Club Fusion VBC, Great Lakes, Nebraska)
3 Elena Oglivie (OH, 5-9, 2020, Kapolei, Hawaii, Kuikahi VBC, Aloha, Stanford)
5 Allison Jacobs (OH, 5-11, 2020, Stevenson Ranch, Calif., Legacy VBC, Southern Cal, UCLA)
6C Kami Miner (S, 6-0, 2021, Redondo Beach, Calif., Mizuno Long Beach VBC, Southern Cal, Stanford)
7 Averi Carlson (S, 6-0, 2022, Lucas, Texas, Skyline Juniors Dallas, North Texas Region, Baylor)
10 Reagan Hope (MB, 6-2, 2021, Phoenix, Ariz., Arizona Storm Elite, Arizona Region, Oregon)
11 Jordan Middleton (OH, 6-2, 2022, Gilbert, Ariz., Arizona Storm Elite, Arizona, Southern California)
12 Caroline Crawford (MB, 6-2, 2020, Lansing, Kan., MAVS KC, Heart of America, Kansas)
14 Emily Londot (OH, 6-2, 2020, Utica, Ohio, Mintonette Sports, Ohio Valley, Ohio State)
16 Gabbi Essix (MB, 6-4, 2021, Hoover, Ala., Southern Performance, Southern, Florida)
17 Lindsay Krause (OH, 6-4, 2021, Papillion, Neb., Premier Nebraska, Great Plains, Nebraska)
19 Ally Batenhorst (OH, 6-4, 2021, Katy, Texas, Houston Juniors, Lone Star, Nebraska)

Head Coach: Dan Fisher (Head Coach, University of Pittsburgh)
Assistant Coach: Jon Newman-Gonchar (Head Coach, University of New Mexico)
Assistant Coach: Jessica Aschenbrenner (Assistant Coach, University of Denver)
Technical Coordinator: Jon Wong (Assistant Coach, Texas Tech)
Doctor: David Dyck Jr.
Team Lead: Nicole Segura (Athlete Development Lead, NTDP)

U.S. First-Round Pool-Play Schedule (all times PT)
Matches will be live streamed on the Volleyball World YouTube channel

July 9: USA def Russia, 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-14, 25-17)
July 10: USA def Thailand, 3-0 (25-15, 25-8, 25-13)
July 11: USA def Turkey, 3-0 (25-18, 27-25, 25-22)