Volleyball's Taryn Kloth Named To U.S. Collegiate National Team-Minneapolis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 1, 2017) - Rising junior Taryn Kloth has been announced by USA Volleyball as one of 36 players who will train and compete as part of the U.S. Collegiate National Team-Minneapolis (CNT-Minneapolis) program. Five spots remain open for the CNT-Minneapolis program pending final outcome of the U.S. Women's Junior National Team's results at the Women's U20 Pan American Cup held in early May.

The CNT-Minneapolis squad, which is part of USA Volleyball's High Performance pipeline and is considered a second tryout for the U.S. Women's National Team, will train from June 22-26 at the University of Minnesota. Afterward, the athletes will be assigned to one of three 12-member teams and compete in a round-robin format at the Minneapolis Convention Center from June 27-30. The matches are being held in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships under the same roof.

Kloth is the second Bluejay to play on the domestic team in as many years, joining Jaali Winters last summer. Winters was recently named to the CNT-Europe team that travels to Slovenia and Croatia in early July. In addition, Brittany Witt was named libero with the CNT-Thailand team that is headed to Bangkok later this month.

A Sioux Falls, S.D. native, Kloth averaged 3.20 kills per set on .277 hitting last season. She earned First Team All-BIG EAST accolades, as well as Honorable-Mention All-American acclaim from the AVCA. Kloth helped the Bluejays to a 29-7 record, including BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles, as the team advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time. Kloth is coached at Creighton by Kirsten Bernthal Booth.

Selected CNT-Minneapolis liberos are Tita Akiu (Texas Tech, Honolulu, Hawaii), Brandi Donnelly (University of Illinois, Williamsville, Illinois), Brooke Peters (Purdue University, Avon, Indiana) and Brittany Thomas (Lipscomb University, Overland Park, Kansas).

Middle blockers chosen to the team are Jasmine Bennett (University of Louisville, Paducah, Kentucky), Faith Dooley (University of North Dakota, Wheatland, North Dakota), Deja Harris (San Diego State University, Las Vegas, Nevada), Kirstie Hillyer (Colorado State University, Bayfield, Colorado), Darrielle King (University of Florida, DeSoto, Texas), Kelsey O'Neill (University of Pittsburgh, Skokie, Illinois), Amber Witherspoon (Syracuse University, Chicago, Illinois) and Lynsey Wright (Missouri State University, Glen Carbon, Illinois).

Setters named to the team are Olivia Dailey (University of Kentucky, Trussville, Alabama), Ashley Evans (Purdue University, Liberty Township, Ohio), Monique Harris (Iowa State University, Clinton, Iowa), Kristyn Nicholson (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Lewisville, Texas) and Taylor Tashima (Northwestern University, Wilmette, Illinois).

The outside hitters selected for the CNT-Minneapolis program are Symone Abbott (Northwestern University, Northville, Michigan), Lauren Fuller (University of San Diego, Clarendon Hills, Illinois), McKenna Granato (University of Hawaii, Kailua, Hawaii), Leah Hardeman (Coastal Carolina University, Clarkston, Georgia), Veronica Jones-Perry (BYU, West Jordan, Utah), Taryn Kloth (Creighton University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota), Julia Scoles (University of North Carolina, Mooresville, North Carolina) and Stephanie Williams (University of Pittsburgh, Eastlake, Ohio).

Opposites named to the program at Sherridan Atkinson (Purdue University, Long Beach, California), Angel Gaskin (University of Maryland, Tampa, Florida), Amanda Green (University of Louisville, Skokie, Illinois), Kayla Principato (University of Denver, Rockville Centre, New York), Casey Schoenlein (Washington State University, Bellevue, Washington) and Holly Tolliver (Michigan State University, Berrien Springs, Michigan).

Schoenlein was part of the 2016 U.S. Collegiate National Team-Europe Tour, while O'Neill and Wright were both part of the 2016 CNT-Indianapolis program.

The CNT-Minneapolis will have Rod Wilde of Madison Elite, NC State University Assistant Coach Nicki Holmes and West Hills College Head Coach Jeff Wanderer as the program managers and administrators. The head coaches for the three teams will be UCF Head Coach Todd Dagenais, East Tennessee State University Head Coach Lindsey Devine and Trinity Western University (Canada) Assistant Coach Dennis Janzen.

Assistant coaches for the CNT-Minneapolis program are Grand Canyon University Assistant Coach Jay Van Vark, University of Kentucky Assistant Coach Lindsey Gray-Walton and University of San Diego Assistant Coach Marie Zidek. The technical assistants will be Grand Canyon University Director of Operations Rachel Ferguson and Bradley University Assistant Coach Jon Wong.
Earlier this year USA Volleyball named its CNT-Thailand and CNT-Europe rosters. Athletes in the three CNT program 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, Colorado.

2017 U.S. Collegiate National Team - Minneapolis
Name (Position, School, Height, College Eligibility Remaining, Hometown)
Symone Abbott (OH, Northwestern University, 6-1, 1, Northville, Michigan)
Tita Akiu (L, Texas Tech University, 5-2, 2, Honolulu, Hawaii)
Sherridan Atkinson (OPP, Purdue University, 6-5, 2, Long Beach, California)
Jasmine Bennett (M, University of Louisville, 6-2, 2, Paducah, Kentucky)
Olivia Dailey (S, University of Kentucky, 5-10, 2, Trussville, Alabama)
Brandi Donnelly (L, University of Illinois, 5-8, 1, Williamsville, Illinois)
Faith Dooley (M, University of North Dakota, 6-3, 1, Wheatland, North Dakota)
Ashley Evans (S, Purdue University, 6-1, 1, Liberty Township, Ohio)
Lauren Fuller (OH, University of San Diego, 6-3, 2, Clarendon Hills, Illinois)
Angel Gaskin (OPP, University of Maryland, 6-1, 2, Tampa, Florida)
McKenna Granato (OH, University of Hawaii, 6-0, 2, Kailua, Hawaii)
Amanda Green (OPP, University of Louisville, 6-1, 3, Skokie, Illinois)
Leah Hardeman (OH, Coastal Carolina University, 5-10, 1, Clarkston, Georgia)
Deja Harris (M, San Diego State University, 6-2, 1, Las Vegas, Nevada)
Monique Harris (S, Iowa State University, 5-9, 1, Clinton, Iowa)
Kirstie Hillyer (M, Colorado State University, 6-6, 3, Bayfield, Colorado)
Veronica Jones-Perry (OH, BYU, 6-0, 2, West Jordan, Utah)
Darrielle King (M, University of Florida, 6-3, 3, DeSoto, Texas)
Taryn Kloth (OH, Creighton University, 6-4, 2, Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
Kristyn Nicholson (S, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6-0, 1, Lewisville, Texas)
Kelsey O'Neill (M, University of Pittsburgh, 6-1, 1, Skokie, Illinois)
Brooke Peters (L, Purdue University, 5-9, 2, Avon, Indiana)
Kayla Principato (OPP, University of Denver, 6-3, 1, Rockville Centre, New York)
Casey Schoenlein (OPP, Washington State University, 6-5, 1, Bellevue, Washington)
Julia Scoles (OH, University of North Carolina, 6-1, 3, Mooresville, North Carolina)
Taylor Tashima (S, Northwestern University, 6-0, 1, Wilmette, Illinois)
Brittany Thomas (L, Lipscomb University, 5-4, 1, Overland Park, Kansas)
Holly Toliver (OPP, Michigan State University, 6-2, 1, Berrien Springs, Michigan)
Stephanie Williams (OH, University of Pittsburgh, 6-0, 3, Eastlake, Ohio)
Amber Witherspoon (M, Syracuse University, 6-4, 2, Chicago, Illinois)
Lynsey Wright (M, Missouri State University, 6-0, 1, Glen Carbon, Illinois)

Program Managers and Administrators: Rod Wilde (Madison Elite), Nicki Holmes (NC State University assistant coach), Jeff Wanderer (West Hills College head coach)
Head Coaches: Todd Dagenais (UCF head coach), Lindsey Devine (East Tennessee State head coach), Dennis Janzen (Trinity Western assistant volleyball coach)
Assistant Coaches: Jay Van Vark (Grand Canyon University assistant coach), Lindsey Gray-Walton (University of Kentucky assistant coach), Marie Zidek (University of San Diego assistant coach)
Technical Assistants: Rachel Ferguson (Grand Canyon University director of operations) and Jon Wong (Bradley University assistant coach)

Volleyball's Taryn Kloth Named To U.S. Collegiate National Team-Minneapolis

Players Mentioned

Taryn Kloth

Jaali Winters

Brittany Witt

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