WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Junior libero Amanda Neill and freshman outside hitter Azariah Stahl were named among a group of 36 student-athletes chosen to be part of USA Volleyball's collegiate national team program, which will train and compete in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championship from June 21-29 in New Orleans, La.
The collegiate national program was formerly titled the USA Volleyball National A2 program. After the training portion of the program, the 36 athletes will be divided into three equal 12-person teams, which will compete in a round-robin event June 26-29. The round robin event may include an additional team to increase the field to four teams that would compete June 25-29.
Including a World University Games squad and a China Tour roster, which features Boilermaker redshirt freshman setter/outside hitter Ashley Evans, and this group of 36, the U.S. Collegiate National Team program will offer 60 athletes a chance to be part of the USA Volleyball High Performance pipeline. The program is considered a second tryout for the U.S Women's National Team.
Purdue has a long history with the USA Volleyball A2 and Collegiate National programs. In 2014, setter Val Nichol was a part of U.S. Collegiate National team, which competed at the Global Challenge in Pula, Croatia, July 13-18.
Alumna Ariel Turner was a member of the A2 program in 2011 and 2012, bringing home a gold medal in 2011 and finishing third with USA Blue in 2012. Turner also was a member of the 12-woman USA U-23 Team at the FIVB World Championships in Mexico in October 2013. The team finished fourth in the competition. Carly Cramer was a two-time participant A2 program participant, earning bronze with USA White in 2011 and gold with USA White in 2013.
Middle blocker KiKi Jones was a member of USA Red in 2012 and 2013, finishing fourth and following that with a bronze medal.
In 2013, Annie Drews was a member of the USA Blue Team which finished fourth.
Cuttino was a member of the U.S. Junior National team, which competed at the NORCECA Women's U-20 Chmapionships in Guatemala in the summer of the 2014 and also competed with the U.S. Youth National team, which finished second at the under-18 FIVB World Championships in 2013. Stahl was a member of the 2012 Junior National team that earn the bronze medal at the NORCECA Continental Championships.