COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - BYU senior libero Mary Lake has been named to the US Women's National Team's active roster for week one of the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
“We’re thrilled for Mary and this opportunity,” BYU head coach Heather Olmstead said. “She’s been an incredible player and exceptional teammate in Provo and she has the chance to do the same for the National Team. We’re very excited to cheer her and the team on when they start play in the Volleyball Nations League.”
Each country can designate 14 players from the 25-player roster to compete in each preliminary week of the VNL and the Final Six. Rosters can change each week upon discretion of the coaching staff.
The VNL, a 16-country league for both genders, includes 15 pool play matches for each country spread over five consecutive weeks with four pods of four teams competing in round-robin action every week. The top five teams from the preliminary round will compete in the VNL Final Six along with host China from July 3-7 with the winner receiving $1 million.
“Last year’s first-ever edition of VNL was a huge hit with fans and teams alike,” US Women's National Team head coach Karch Kiraly said. “We’re looking forward to an even better version in year two, to learning how this youthful week one roster responds to the fierce challenges that top-level international competition will surely provide, and to laying the foundation for great development in the years ahead.”
Lake is one of just three players on the roster with collegiate eligibility making their international debuts with the U.S. Women’s National Team, along with Dana Rettke (University of Wisconsin) and Jordan Thompson (University of Cincinnati). Kiraly and his staff have chosen the following 14 players for the VNL opening week in Bulgaria:
- Setters (2): Micha Hancock, Jordyn Poulter
- Liberos (2): Megan Courtney, Mary Lake
- Middles (4): Chiaka Ogbogu, Dana Rettke, Hannah Tapp, Haleigh Washington
- Outsides (4): Mikaela Foecke, Madi Kingdon Rishel, Simone Lee, Sarah Wilhite Parsons
- Opposites (2): Annie Drews, Jordan Thompson
Lake, an AVCA All-America Second Team selection last season, is a two-time West Coast Conference Defender of the Year and All-WCC First Team selection. Lake anchored the backline of a Cougar defense that finished No. 1 in the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2018 on the way to BYU advancing to the NCAA Final Four.
The U.S. Women open the tournament versus Belgium on May 21 at 10 a.m. ET. The U.S. faces long-time rival Japan on May 22 at 10 a.m. ET before concluding the opening week round robin on May 23 against host Bulgaria at 1:30 p.m. ET. All matches will be shown live at FloVolleyball.tv.