
Hammons (#4) and Kramer (back row, second from right) helped the U.S. make the top eight at U20 Worlds.
Trio of Gators Continue Success at World Events
Monday, July 17, 2017 | Volleyball
Murphy and the senior team are primed for a championship round berth, while the junior team remains in medal contention
CUIABA, Brazil – Gator Great and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Kelly Murphy and the U.S. Women's National Team dropped two of their three FIVB World Grand Prix matches, but remain in third place of the overall standings and well in the hunt for a coveted top-six spot.
Through the first three matches (July 7-9), Murphy led the Americans with 47 points, highlighted by 19-point outings in a straight-set win over No. 1 China and a five-set triumph over No. 5 Russia.
Defenses seemed to adjust and attempted to limit Murphy's success, though she still put together a pair of impressive performances.
Last week (July 14-16), in a five-set setback against China, Murphy tallied 22 points, the second-highest total of any player in the match. Murphy also notched 14 points, the third-highest total among Americans, in a five-set loss to No. 8 Italy. Finally, in a four-set win over No. 12 Turkey, Murphy accrued 11 points, making her one of four Americans in double figures.
If she is chosen once again by head coach Karch Kirlay, Murphy and Team USA's schedule for the final leg of the FIVB World Grand Prix Preliminary Round will be as follows:
Pool I – Cuiaba, Brazil (all times Eastern) | FIVB World Grand Prix Website
Championship play will be in Nanjing, China from Aug. 2-6. China and the top five finishers from the preliminary round qualify for the championship.
Team USA sits in third in the standings with 13 points, trailing Netherlands (15 points) and Serbia (15 points). There are six teams either three or four points behind Team USA in the standings.
Also in U.S. Women's National Team action this year, with the help of rising senior Rhamat Alhassan, the Americans went 7-0 en route to winning the Pan American Cup last month.
Hammons, Kramer, Team USA Crack Top Eight at FIVB U20 World Championship
Incoming freshman Paige Hammons and rising sophomore Rachael Kramer helped the U.S. Women's Junior National Team finish second in Pool C and keep their medal hopes intact at the FIVB World U20 Championship.
Hammons' top performance came in a five-set, comeback victory over Serbia. The Louisville, Ky. native tallied five points and played all five sets, starting the second.
The Americans need to finish in the top two of their new pool to advance to medal play. Here's a look at Team USA's upcoming schedule:
Pool F – Cordoba, Mexico (all times Eastern) | FIVB U20 World Championship Website
The Americans qualified for this year's FIVB U20 World Championship by winning the NORCECA U20 Pan American Cup. Hammons was a member of the gold medal-winning team the U.S. fielded at the U20 Pan American Cup.
Continue to check FloridaGators.com and follow @GatorsVB on both Twitter and Instagram for more updates on both these events.
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Coach Mary Wise on Twitter | Coach Mary Wise on Instagram
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Through the first three matches (July 7-9), Murphy led the Americans with 47 points, highlighted by 19-point outings in a straight-set win over No. 1 China and a five-set triumph over No. 5 Russia.
Defenses seemed to adjust and attempted to limit Murphy's success, though she still put together a pair of impressive performances.
Last week (July 14-16), in a five-set setback against China, Murphy tallied 22 points, the second-highest total of any player in the match. Murphy also notched 14 points, the third-highest total among Americans, in a five-set loss to No. 8 Italy. Finally, in a four-set win over No. 12 Turkey, Murphy accrued 11 points, making her one of four Americans in double figures.
If she is chosen once again by head coach Karch Kirlay, Murphy and Team USA's schedule for the final leg of the FIVB World Grand Prix Preliminary Round will be as follows:
Pool I – Cuiaba, Brazil (all times Eastern) | FIVB World Grand Prix Website
- Thursday, July 20 | No. 2 USA vs. No. 7 Netherlands – 4:10 p.m. | MATCH INFO / LIVE STATS
- Friday, July 21 | No. 2 USA vs. No. 16 Belgium – 4:10 p.m. | MATCH INFO / LIVE STATS
- Sunday, July 23 | No. 2 USA vs. No. 4 Brazil – 9:10 a.m. | MATCH INFO / LIVE STATS
Championship play will be in Nanjing, China from Aug. 2-6. China and the top five finishers from the preliminary round qualify for the championship.
Team USA sits in third in the standings with 13 points, trailing Netherlands (15 points) and Serbia (15 points). There are six teams either three or four points behind Team USA in the standings.
Also in U.S. Women's National Team action this year, with the help of rising senior Rhamat Alhassan, the Americans went 7-0 en route to winning the Pan American Cup last month.
Hammons, Kramer, Team USA Crack Top Eight at FIVB U20 World Championship
Incoming freshman Paige Hammons and rising sophomore Rachael Kramer helped the U.S. Women's Junior National Team finish second in Pool C and keep their medal hopes intact at the FIVB World U20 Championship.
Hammons' top performance came in a five-set, comeback victory over Serbia. The Louisville, Ky. native tallied five points and played all five sets, starting the second.
The Americans need to finish in the top two of their new pool to advance to medal play. Here's a look at Team USA's upcoming schedule:
Pool F – Cordoba, Mexico (all times Eastern) | FIVB U20 World Championship Website
- Tuesday, July 18 | USA (2-1) vs. China (2-1) – 2 p.m. | MATCH INFO / LIVE STATS
- Wednesday, July 19 | USA (2-1) vs. Japan (3-0) – 2 p.m. | MATCH INFO / LIVE STATS
- Thursday, July 20 | USA (2-1) vs. Bulgaria (2-1) – 2 p.m. | MATCH INFO / LIVE STATS
The Americans qualified for this year's FIVB U20 World Championship by winning the NORCECA U20 Pan American Cup. Hammons was a member of the gold medal-winning team the U.S. fielded at the U20 Pan American Cup.
Continue to check FloridaGators.com and follow @GatorsVB on both Twitter and Instagram for more updates on both these events.
FOLLOW FLORIDA VOLLEYBALL
FloridaGators.com
Coach Mary Wise on Twitter | Coach Mary Wise on Instagram
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