Antwi, Holston & Mallette Named to USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team for European Tour
Monday, March 17, 2014 | Volleyball
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- A trio of Florida volleyball players will have the honor of trading in the Orange and Blue this summer for the Red, White & Blue to represent the Gators and Team USA on the U.S. Collegiate National Team for the European Tour, announced by USA Volleyball Monday.
Rising junior middle blocker Simone Antwi, soon to be sophomore right side Alex Holston and 2014-15 junior outside hitter Gabby Mallette were all named to the U.S. Collegiate National Team that will tour Europe July 8-19, with destinations in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. The three Gators were honored among the 12-athlete European Tour squad following a weekend of tryouts and evaluation at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., Feb. 21-23.
“The USA Collegiate National Team provides one of the few opportunities for international competition for this age group,”Florida volleyball head coach Mary Wise remarked. “By their selection, Alex, Gabby, and Simone will have a chance not only to improve their individual game, but help make Florida a better team come fall.”
The players will depart July 8 with Venice, Italy, as the first destination, followed by a four-day training camp in Maribor, Slovenia. The squad will train and have friendly scrimmages with Slovenia's national team and under-20 national team, along with other countries' under-20 national teams. The U.S. will then travel to Pula, Croatia, to compete in the Global Challenge July 13-18. The U.S. Collegiate National Team program is considered a second tryout for the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Collegiate National Team China Tour roster was announced. In addition, USA Volleyball will select 36 players to participate in the U.S. Collegiate National Team program that will train and compete in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls'Junior National Championships from June 22 to July 1. The players will be placed onto three teams and compete in a round-robin event along with a Canadian Senior A2 team.
The Gators are in full spring volleyball mode, having turned their sights towards the 2014 season. Florida will kick off its four-match spring schedule Friday, March 21, at FSU in Tallahassee. First serve between the Gators and Noles is slated for 4 p.m.
Simone Antwi Resume
· 2013 AVCA All-Southeast Region Honorable Mention
· 2013 USA Senior National A2
· 2011 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll
· 2012 Fall Academic Honor Roll
· 2013 Fall Academic Honor Roll
Gabby Mallette Resume
· 2012 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll
· 2013 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
· 2009 USA Select A1
· February 2013 USA Volleyball National Team tryouts
Alex Holston Resume
· 2013 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention
· 2013 AVCA All-Southeast Region
· 2013 All-SEC Team
· 2013 SEC All-Freshman Team
· 2012 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year
U.S. Collegiate National Volleyball Team – European Tour
| Name | Position | School | Hometown | Years Remaining |
| Simone Antwi | MB | University of Florida | Fairfax Station, Va. | 2 |
| Breeann David | OH | Texas Tech | Denver City, Texas | 1 |
| Katie George | S | University of Louisville | Louisville, Ky. | 2 |
| Alex Holston | OPP | University of Florida | Olney, Md. | 3 |
| Kelly Lamberti | OH | Ohio University | Cary, Ill. | 1 |
| Whitney Little | MB | University of Missouri | Keller, Texas | 1 |
| Gabby Mallette | OH | University of Florida | Orange Park, Fla. | 2 |
| Taylor Morey | L | University of Wisconsin | Muncie, Ind. | 2 |
| Val Nichol | S | Purdue University | Normal, Ill. | 1 |
| Caroline Niedospial | L | Northwestern University | Chicago, Ill. | 2 |
| Adrianna Nora | OPP | University of Minnesota | Stillwater, Minn. | 1 |
| Kiara Wright | MB | University of Southern California | Houston, Texas | 2 |
Head Coach: Mike Sealy (UCLA head coach)
Assistant Coach: Jenny Glenn (University of Northern Colorado associate head coach)
Assistant Coach: Kyle Robinson (Long Island University head coach)
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