COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech junior libero Courtney Smith has been selected to attend the U.S. Women's Volleyball open tryout in Colorado Springs, Colo., this weekend.
“Being the first player to represent Tech at the National Team tryout is a big deal,” said head coach Dave Zelenock. “Courtney represents what this program is all about. She puts in work in the weight room, in the gym, and watches film. She’s a great teammate and was voted 'best teammate' by her peers. Being able to go train with and compete against the nation's best players is going to be a great experience for her. We expect her to learn all she can and fight for a spot on a summer roster. On top of that, we want her to come back to TTU and use what she’s learned to continue motivating her teammates to keep pushing and thriving through spring training.”
Smith led the Golden Eagles last season in digs with 397, averaging 4.32 per set. Smith also became a member of the 1,000 dig club this past season.
The U.S. Collegiate National Teams (formerly the Women's Senior A2 Teams) is available to athletes with collegiate eligibility remaining for the 2013 season. This program is scheduled to take place in Minneapolis from June 22 to July 1. A projected 48 athletes will be invited to participate in the program, which will include training and competing at the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships (GJNC) from June 26-28. These athletes may also be invited to participate with the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team.
Throughout the tryout process, USA Volleyball will be identifying prospective athletes for the following three different programs: first and foremost the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team Program; those not selected to the National Team may also be considered for an invitation to the U U.S. Collegiate National Teams (formerly the Women's Senior A2 Teams); and/or U.S. Women's Junior National Volleyball Team program and its various programs.
“I am both nervous and excited,” Smith said. “This is a huge opportunity for me to learn from some of the best coaches in the nation, and compete against the best players in college. I’m looking forward to being able to represent the Tech volleyball team and the University out in Colorado.”
