USA Volleyball has announced the U.S. Women's National Team's 25-athlete roster for Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2022. Former Husker volleyball standouts Kelsey Robinson and Justine Wong-Orantes are two of the 25 players on the roster. 
 
The U.S. Women are the three-time defending VNL champions as well as the 2020 Olympic gold medalists and the No. 1-ranked team in the world. Fourteen players from the long list will be chosen for each week's travel roster. The U.S. Women's first preliminary VNL round will be May 31-June 5 at Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City, La.
 
They will move on to play preliminary rounds in Quezon City, Philippines and Calgary, Canada. The finals will be July 13-17 in Ankara, Turkey.
 
Karch Kiraly, in his 10th year as Women's National Team head coach, will lead the team along with assistant coaches Erin Virtue, Tama Miyashiro and Alfee Reft.
 
"We are excited to return to competition and begin a new Olympic cycle, especially since we get to host the first phase of the 2022 VNL in Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana," said U.S. Women's Head Coach Karch Kiraly. "We're thrilled about the people on our roster. We've got a great range of experience, from Olympians to people spending their first time with our program. And finally, we're eager to face the unknowns, and see what lessons this group can gather from battling the strong teams of the world."
 
Eight players on the roster return from the group that won the VNL Final Round in 2021 and later that summer took the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo: setters Micha Hancock and Jordyn Poulter, middle blockers Chiaka Ogbogu and Haleigh Washington, opposites Annie Drews and Jordan Thompson, outside hitter Kelsey Robinson and libero Justine Wong-Orantes.
 
Eight players on the roster have VNL experience or have been on previous VNL rosters: setter Lauren Carlini; middles Tori Dixon, Dana Rettke and Hannah Tapp; opposite Danielle Cuttino and outsides Kathryn Plummer, Madi Kingdon Rishel and Sarah Wilhite Parsons.
 
VNL newcomers are setter Jenna Gray, middles Brionne Butler and Anna Stevenson, opposite Nia Reed, outsides Kara Bajema, Dani Drews and Ali Frantti and liberos Morgan Hentz and Kendall White.
 
Five players on the roster spent their college careers representing Penn State University. Two each played previously for the University of Minnesota, Stanford University, the University of Texas, Purdue University and the University of Nebraska.
 
1 Micha Hancock (S, 5-11, Edmond, Okla., Penn State Univ.)
2 Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Univ. of Illinois)
3 Kathryn Plummer (OH, 6-6, Aliso Viejo, Calif., Stanford Univ.)
4 Justine Wong-Orantes (L, 5-6, Cypress, Calif., Univ. of Nebraska)
5 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ.)
6 Tori Dixon (M, 6-3, Burnsville, Minn., Univ. of Minnesota)
7 Lauren Carlini (S, 6-2, Aurora, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin)
8 Hannah Tapp (M, 6-3, Stewartville, Minn., Univ. of Minnesota)
9 Madi Kingdon Rishel (OH, 6-1, Phoenix, Ariz., Univ. of Arizona)
10 Brionne Butler (MB, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Univ. of Texas)
11 Annie Drews (Opp, 6-4, Elkhart, Ind., Purdue Univ.)
12 Jordan Thompson (Opp, 6-4, Edina, Minn., Univ. of Cincinnati)
13 Sarah Wilhite Parsons (OH, 6-2, Eden Prairie, Minn., Univ. of Minnesota)
15 Haleigh Washington (M, 6-3, Colorado Springs, Colo., Penn State Univ.)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin)
17 Dani Drews (OH, 6-0, Sandy, Utah, Univ. of Utah)
18 Kara Bajema (OH, 6-2, Lynden, Wash., Univ. of Washington)
19 Jenna Gray (S, 6-1, Shawnee, Kan., Stanford Univ.)
20 Danielle Cuttino (Opp, 6-4, Indianapolis, Ind., Purdue Univ.)
22 Kendall White (L, 5-5, Zionsville, Ind., Penn State)
23 Kelsey Robinson (OH, 6-2, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Univ. of Nebraska)
24 Chiaka Ogbogu (M, 6-2, Coppell, Texas, Univ. of Texas)
30 Ali Frantti (OH, 6-1, Spring Grove, Ill., Penn State)
31 Anna Stevenson (MB, 6-2, Laurens S.C., Univ. of Louisville)
33 Nia Reed (Opp, 6-1, Fort Lee, N.J., Penn State)
 
Head Coach: Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coaches: Erin Virtue, Tama Miyashiro, Alfee Reft
Performance Analyst: Brian Hurler
Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer: Kara Kessans
Team Doctor: Christopher Lee
Consultant Coach: Sue Enquist
Team Manager: Coley Pawlikowski
Sports Dietitian: Shawna Hueglin
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Brandon Siakel
 
2022 U.S. Women's VNL Schedule (All times CDT)
 
Week 1 – Bossier City, La.
Tuesday, May 31
8 p.m. USA vs. Dominican Republic
 
Friday, June 3
8 p.m. USA vs. Canada
 
Saturday, June 4
8 p.m. USA vs. Brazil
 
Sunday, June 5
3 p.m. Japan vs. USA
 
Week 2 – Quezon City, Philippines
Wednesday, June 15
2 a.m. USA vs. Bulgaria
 
Thursday, June 16
10 p.m. USA vs Poland
 
Saturday, June 18
6 a.m. USA vs China
 
Sunday, June 19
2 a.m. USA vs Thailand
 
Week 3 – Calgary, Canada
Wednesday, June 29
9 p.m. USA vs Belgium
 
Thursday, June 30
9 p.m. USA vs Serbia
 
Saturday, July 2
3 p.m. USA vs Turkey
 
Sunday, July 4
3 p.m. USA vs Germany
 
Finals: July 13-17 in Ankara, Turkey

Baete Fires 69 in Final Round

Nebraska women's golfer Kirsten Baete fired a final-round 69 to vault up the leader board and tie for 30th individually at the NCAA Stanford Regional in California on Wednesday.

Playing in the final round of her collegiate career, Baete left it all out on the 6,267-yard, par-71 layout of the Stanford Golf Course, scorching the back nine with a three-under par 33 to close out a sensational round that featured five birdies, 11 pars and a pair of bogeys.

"Terrific play by Kirsten today," said Lisa Johnson, who spent her final days as Nebraska's head coach with Baete at the regional. "She left it all out there and finished with one of the lowest final rounds of the field. Kirsten had a tremendous career. She excelled in the classroom and on the course. She displayed an outstanding work ethic and lots of grit in her five-year career."

Baete finished the tournament with a three-round total of 220 (75-76-69) to finish seven-over par in the 54-hole tournament. She vaulted 13 spots up the leader board on the final day of competition to claim Nebraska's best individual NCAA Regional finish since JC Stevenson tied for 14th and Elli Brown tied for 22nd at the 2008 NCAA Central Regional in Austin, Texas (May 8-10).

USC's Amari Avery, ranked No. 5 nationally entering the tournament, won the regional title with a three-round total of 204 (-9), including a final-round 68. She defeated the nation's top-ranked golfer, Rose Zhang from Stanford, by one stroke. Zhang finished at 205 (-8), including a final-round 66.

USC won the team title with a three-round total of 837 (-15), defeating both Stanford and LSU by eight strokes.