WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Libero Amanda Neill came home with a silver medal from her time in New Orleans with the Collegiate National Team program. Neill's Team Red fell to Team Blue 25-21, 25-20, 19-25, 25-23 in the first place match at the Morial Convention Center on Monday.
Team Red reached the championship match by defeating Team White 25-12, 25-19, 27-25 in the play-in semifinal match earlier in the day on Monday.
The matches concluded the U.S. Collegiate National Team Program ââ'¬"New Orleans training period. All told, 35 athletes began training June 21. The group was split into three times, Blue, Red & White for a round-robin tournament which took place concurrently to the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships.
Outside hitter Azariah Stahl was selected to the program, but was unable to participate due to illness.
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. Danielle Cuttino was a member of the U.S. Junior National team, which competed at the NORCECA Women's U-20 Championships 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.
In addition to Neill and Stahl, three other Purdue players are competing abroad this summer. Redshirt sophomore setter Ashley Evans was part of the U.S. Collegiate National Team-China Tour, June 13-26. Senior outside hitter Annie Drews was part of the Big Ten Foreign Tour, June 13-25 in Slovenia, Croatia and Italy. Sophomore middle blocker Danielle Cuttino will compete with the U.S. Junior National Team in the Global Challeng , July 13-16 in Croatia. The team begins its training and will play several other matches from July 4 to 12 in Slovenia and Italy.
The Boilermakers begin their 2015 season on August 28-29, playing host to Ohio, Austin Peay and VCU at the annual Mortar Board Premier on Belin Court.