Alhassan, Holston to Play in USA Volleyball Collegiate All-Star Showcase Intrasquad Scrimmage Jan. 9
Friday, January 9, 2015 | Volleyball
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- After All-American performances during the 2014 season, two decorated Florida athletes in SEC Freshman and Southeast Region Freshman of the Year Rhamat Alhassan and SEC Player of the Year Alex Holston are in Anaheim, Calif., this week to train with the USA Volleyball Women's National Team as part of the Collegiate All-Star Showcase.
The Collegiate All-Star Showcase comes as USA Volleyball begins its winter training block with a roster mostly of collegiate athletes or individuals who just finished collegiate eligibility this past December.
USA Volleyball will host two Collegiate All-Star Showcase matches involving members of its winter training block of athletes, the first scheduled for Jan. 9 at Irvine Valley College (5500 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, Calif.), which will feature Alhassan, the nation's leader in hitting efficiency in 2014, and Holston. The contest starts at 7 p.m. PT, while a Q&A session will take place beforehand is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT. Cost is $5 for adults and free for 18-and-under.
The training roster of aspiring U.S. Women's National Team players includes opposites Jen Hamson (BYU), Alex Holston (Florida) and Karsta Lowe (UCLA); setters Lexi Dannemiller (Michigan) and Micha Hancock (Penn State); middle blockers Inky Ajanaku (Stanford), Rhamat Alhassan (Florida), Alaysia Brown (San Diego) and Haleigh Washington (Penn State); outside hitters Ali Frantti (Penn State), Falyn Fonoimoana (formerly of Southern California), Macey Gardner (Arizona State), Taylor Simpson (Colorado) and Nicole Walch (Florida State); and liberos Kayla Banwarth(Team USA, formerly of Nebraska), Kori Moster (Michigan State) and Stevie Robinson (formerly of Pepperdine and Southern California).
ALHASSAN 2014 RESUME
For the third straight year, the Gators boasted the nation's hitting efficiency leader, this season's leader being Alhassan… Rhamat hit .458 her first season on campus to lead both the SEC and NCAA in the category...Hit .500 or above in 15 matches and .700 or above in five contests… Her first season on campus, Rhamat ranked second in the SEC in blocking with 149 roofs, an average of 1.32 per set… Had a career-high 10 blocks twice, against both Marquette and Illinois in the Elite Eight, and led the Gators in blocks in 30 of 32 matches… Finished the season among the top 30 players in the nation in blocks per set… An AVCA Second Team All-American and the 2014 SEC and Southeast Region Freshman of the Year.
HOLSTON 2014 RESUME
Alex led the Gators and all opposites in the SEC in 2014 with 3.83 kills per set and a total of 437 slams on the year… She paced Florida in kills in 21 matches and had a career-high 29 kills and 32.0 points in UF's upset at No. 3 Texas, the third-most in program history… Alex finished the 2014 campaign with double-digit kills in 12 of UF's last 13 matches, including 18 kills against both Illinois and Stanford in Iowa at NCAA Regionals… The 2014 SEC Player of the Year and AVCA First Team All-American for her second career All-America honor as a Gator.
