Witt and Winters To Tour Europe With USA Volleyball

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 10, 2017) – Creighton Volleyball standouts Jaali Winters and Brittany Witt are two of 12 women who will train and compete in Europe from July 5-16 as part of USA Volleyball's U.S. Women's Collegiate National Team.

The CNT-Europe squad, as its known, is one of three teams within the U.S. Collegiate National Team program. It will compete in the 13^th Annual European Global Challenge July 11-14 in Pula, Croatia, after training and friendly matches in Europe. Prior to the Global Challenge, the CNT-Europe squad will tentatively train in Maribor, Slovenia, with friendly matches versus various National Teams.

A rising junior from Ankeny, Iowa, Winters led Creighton with 448 kills (3.61 kps.) and 500.5 points (4.03 pps.), while ranking second on the 2016 Bluejay unit with both 360 digs (2.90 dps.) and 36 service aces (0.29 saps.). The 2016 Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year was named BIG EAST Tournament MVP and was an honorable-mention AVCA All-American last year.

Witt, who will be a sophomore at Creighton in the fall, led Creighton with 4.09 digs per set in 2016. The Omaha native was named the AVCA's East Region Freshman of the Year, when she led all BIG EAST freshmen with 524 digs.

"I'm just really excited for both Jaali and Brittany to get this opportunity," said Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth. "We've had players make the initial pool of 36, but to have players selected for the foreign tour is really a compliment to the caliber of players that they are. I think it'll be a great opportunity for them to learn from different coaches and anytime you're playing with different players, you learn new things. It's a great honor for them and a great honor for our program.

The CNT-Europe roster includes four players with experience within the U.S. Collegiate National Team program. Rosenthal and Schwan were members of the 2016 CNT-China Tour roster, while Gengenbacher and Winters were part of the 2016 CNT-Indianapolis program. Further, Payne was a member of the U.S. Women's National Team last summer competing in the Pan American Cup. The 12^th player on the CNT-Europe roster will be announced in May.

Middles selected to the elite squad are Corissa Crocker (University of Michigan, Brighton, Michigan), Claire Kiefer-Wright (University of Michigan, South Pasadena, California) and Jenna Rosenthal (Marquette University, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin). The outside hitters name to the roster are Courtney Schwan (University of Washington, Auburn, Washington), Carlyle Nusbaum (Lipscomb University, Overland Park, Kansas) and Jaali Winters (Creighton University, Ankeny, Iowa).

The two opposites selected to the CNT-Europe tour are Kelsie Payne (University of Kansas, Austin, Texas) and Taylor Mims (Washington State University, Billings, Montana). The setters are Kristen Gengenbacher (University of San Diego, Quincy, Illinois) and Taira Robins-Hardy (Brigham Young University, Waimanalo, Hawaii). The libero will be Brittany Witt (Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska).

University of Cincinnati Head Coach Molly Alvey will serve as the head coach. She will be assisted by North Carolina State University assistant coach Nicki Holmes.

Athletes were selected through the U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryouts held March 3-5 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Name (Position, School, Height, College Eligibility Remaining, Hometown)
Corissa Crocker (M, University of Michigan, 6-3, 3, Brighton, Michigan)
Kristen Gengenbacher (S, University of San Diego, 5-9, 1, Quincy, Illinois)
Claire Kiefer-Wright (M, University of Michigan, 6-1, 1, South Pasadena, California)
Taylor Mims (OPP, Washington State University, 6-3, 2, Billings, Montana)
Carlyle Nusbaum (OH, Lipscomb University, 5-10, 2, Overland Park, Kansas)
Kelsie Payne (OPP, University of Kansas, 6-3, 1, Austin, Texas)
Taira Robins-Hardy (S, Brigham Young University, 6-2, 1, Waimanalo, Hawaii)
Jenna Rosenthal (M, Marquette University, 6-6, 2, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin)
Courtney Schwan (OH, University of Washington, 6-1, 1, Auburn, Washington)
Jaali Winters (OH, Creighton University, 6-2, 2, Ankeny, Iowa)
Brittany Witt (L, Creighton University, 5-8, 3, Omaha, Nebraska)

Head Coach: Molly Alvey (head coach at University of Cincinnati)
Assistant Coach: Nicki Holmes (assistant coach at North Carolina State University)

Witt and Winters To Tour Europe With USA Volleyball

Players Mentioned

Jaali Winters

Brittany Witt

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