Bergsma & Plum Tabbed to USA Volleyball A2 Team
The duo were selected based on their performance among 204 collegians at the U.S. Women’s National Team tryout, February 25-27 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
The All-Pac-10 Freshman Team pick Plum is one of six setters; the All-Pac-10 honorable mention Bergsma is among 10 outside hitters; and the roster also includes nine middle blockers, five opposites and six liberos.
In two months, the Duck duo will play with their A2 squad teammates in the 2011 USA Volleyball Open National Championships, set for Dallas on May 28-31. The A2 coaching staff will divide the roster into three teams, and last year’s units staked gold and bronze medals in the open division.
A complete USA Volleyball release about the announcement is available at the http://usavolleyball.org/news/2011/03/17/usa-volleyball-names-u-s-womens-a2-program-roster/41461?ngb_id=2 URL address.
In other USA Volleyball news, Plum will find out in early May if she has been picked for the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team, which will compete at the 2011 FIVB Women’s Junior (Under 20) World Championship, July 21-30 in Peru.
Bergsma and Plum are among five returning starters for the Ducks who posted +17 wins last year for the fifth straight season (19-’10; 20-’09; 25-’08; 22-’07; 17-’06) for the first the first time since 1983-87. Under head coach Jim Moore, Oregon opened the 2010 campaign with a school record 14-match win streak en route to a season-high national ranking of 11th.
UO graduates only one starter from last year’s squad, All-Pac-10 outside hitter Heather Meyers.
Last year, Bergsma posted double-digit kill totals in 18 matches, including two of the team’s top five totals vs. No. 7 Washington (21, .559) and Arizona (20, .395), and also had 19 kills vs. ASU and USC. Overall on the season, the first-year Duck posted 14 +.300 hitting marks in a match (including four +.400 that came in Pac-10 action). In late September, the Chandler, Ariz., native became UO’s fourth AVCA National Player of the Week in as many years after Oregon’s sweep of its Washington rivals. On the season, she ranked third on the team in hitting (.270) and kills (3.14 p/s).
Plum ranked 12th nationally in assists (11.75) – tops among freshmen - and one of only two frosh that directed a top-30 ranked offense (UO stood 30th with its .256 mark). The Poway, Calif., native registered eight +50-assist totals, and her seven double-doubles led Pac-10 freshmen. She logged a career high 65 assists vs. ASU, while her 48 in her collegiate debut vs. Santa Clara was the league season high in three-set matches. Her 11.75 assists per set average ranked fifth best all-time for UO (and second in the modern scoring format), and her 1,246 assists overall was seventh-most all-time for UO.
Also back for the Ducks is outside hitter Katherine Fischer – the top returnee in the Pac-10 among double-doubles (14) last season. In her first year as the starting libero, Haley Jacob logged the fifth-best Oregon digs total in a season (450), and middle blocker Ariana Williams’ team season high for hitting in a match (.722) ranked fourth-best in the Pac-10.
2011 U.S. Women’s National A2 Program Roster
Name (College, Position, Height, College Years Left, Hometown)
Rachael Adams (Texas, MB, 6-2, 1, Cincinnati, Ohio)
Cassandra Anderson (Florida, MB, 6-1, 1, Bakersfield, Calif.)
Ashley Bannister (Texas, OH, 6-1, 3, Sugar Land, Texas)
Brianne Barker (Oklahoma, S, 5-9, 1, Amarillo, Texas)
Michelle Bartsch (Illinois, OPP, 6-4, 1, Maryville, Ill.)
Kelsey Black (Texas A&M, OH, 5-11, 1, Amarillo, Texas)
Alaina Bergsma (Oregon, OH, 6-3, 2, Chandler, Ariz.)
Jennifer Bonilla (Illinois, L, 5-9, 3, Reseda, Calif.)
Taylor Brauneis (Louisville, S, 5-10, 3, Crystal Lake, Ill.)
Brittney Brimmage (Missouri, MB, 6-3, 1, East St. Louis, Ill.)
Morgan Broekhuis (Nebraska, OPP, 6-5, 3, Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Leslie Cikra (Tennessee, OPP, 6-4, 2, Chagrin Falls, Ohio)
Carly Cramer (Purdue, L, 5-6, 2, Martinsville, Ind.)
Kelli Fiegen (South Dakota State, MB, 6-3, 2, Parkston, S.D.)
Ashley Frazier (Kentucky, OH, 6-1, 2, Oregon, Ohio)
Natalie Hagglund (Southern California, L, 5-9, 3, Encinitas, Calif.)
Cursty Jackson (Arizona, MB, 6-1, 1, Los Angeles, Calif.)
Kristy Jaeckel (Florida, OH, 6-2, 1, Littleton, Colo.)
Kayla Jeter (Tennessee, OH, 5-11, 1, Solon, Ohio)
Correy Johnson (California, MB, 6-4, 2, Winter Park, Fla.)
Madison Kingdon (Arizona, OH, 6-0, 4, Phoenix, Ariz.)
Michelle Kocher (Texas, S, 5-10, 1, Wheaton, Ill.)
Alexis Mathews (Michigan State, MB, 6-4, 3, Detroit, Mich.)
Monique Mead (Georgia Tech, OPP, 5-9, 2, Newnan, Ga.)
Kelly Murphy (Florida, S, 6-2, 1, Wilmington, Ill.)
Tarah Murrey (California, OH, 6-3, 1, El Cerrito, Calif.)
Lauren Plum (Oregon, S, 5-9, 3, Poway, Calif.)
Ashley Rhoades (New Mexico, MB, 5-11, 1, Rio Rancho, N.M.)
Kelsey Robinson (Tennessee, L, 6-2, 3, Bartlett, Ill.)
Gwen Rucker (Louisville, MB, 6-2, 1, Lexington, Ky.)
Francesca Silva (Notre Dame, L, 5-3, 1, Laguna Nigel, Calif.)
Carly Thomas (Missouri State, S, 5-11, 3, Swansea, Ill.)
Ariel Turner (Purdue, OH, 6-1, 2, Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
Colleen Ward (Illinois, OH, 6-3, 1, Naperville, Ill.)
Carli Weiler (Michigan State, L, 5-4, 1, Oak Lawn, Ill.)
Allegra Wells (Mississippi, OPP, 6-1, 2, Garland, Texas)
- www.GoDucks.com
