University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Pair Named To Women's World University Games Trials Roster
May 6, 2009 | Women's Basketball
May 6, 2009
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. --- Featuring four two-time USA Basketball gold medalists in Jayne Appel, Jantel Lavender, Maya Moore and Kayla Pedersen as well as North Carolina standouts Jessica Breland and Cetera DeGraffenreid, the 2009 USA Women's World University Games Team Trials roster includes 29 of the nation's best college athletes who will contend for one of 12 roster spots on the 2009 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team. The trials invitations were extended by the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team Committee.
"We are looking forward to a few great days of trials competition for the World University Games team," said Sue Donohoe, chair of the Women's Junior National Team Committee and NCAA Vice President for Division I Women's Basketball. "These young players are extremely talented, and there will be a very high level of competition for the opportunity to be selected to represent the United States in the World University Games. The committee is anxious to begin the evaluation process and anticipates a great team trial."
Trials to select finalists for the 2009 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team will be held May 14-17 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The selected finalists will return to Colorado Springs on June 18 for training camp, and the team is expected to depart for Serbia on June 25. The 12-member roster will be announced prior to the team's departure.
The World University Games is organized by the International University Sports Federation and held every other year. The 2009 women's basketball competition will take place July 1-11 in Belgrade, Serbia. Eligible athletes for the USA team must be currently enrolled in a college or university and have remaining NCAA athletic eligibility.
In addition to Appel, Lavender, Moore, Pedersen, Breland and DeGraffenreid, the 2009 USA Women's World University Games Team Trials Roster features: Danielle Adams, Doreena Campbell, Tina Charles, Alysha Clark, Dawn Evans, Tyra Grant, Alexis Gray-Lawson, Whitney Hand, Tiffany Hayes, Allison Hightower, Ashley Houts, Ify Ibekwe, Amy Jaeschke, Danielle McCray, Jacinta Monroe, Ta'Shia Phillips, Jeanette Pohlen, Epiphanny Prince, Alex Rack, Danielle Robinson, Carolyn Swords, Courtney Vandersloot and Natasha Vital.
After assisting the USA women to a gold medal at the 2007 FIBA U21 World Championship, Arizona State's Charli Turner Thorne returns to the USA sideline as head coach of the 2009 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team, with Suzy Merchant of Michigan State University and Julie Rousseau of Pepperdine University serving as assistant coaches.
"Having previously coached against most of the players who have been selected and being very familiar with the tremendous accomplishments of the others, I can say without hesitation the committee did an excellent job of pulling together a collection of the best players in the country," Turner Thorne said. "I am very excited, as are Suzy (Merchant) and Julie (Rousseau), to coach this assemblage of elite young ladies. Colorado Springs is an important first step because it is there where we will create the foundation with which we will pursue our ultimate goal of winning a gold medal in Serbia."
In addition to Donohoe, the 2009-2012 Women's Junior National Team Committee, formerly known as the Women's Collegiate Committee, includes NCAA appointees Joanne Boyle (head coach, University of California), Coquese Washington (head coach, Penn State University) and Connie Yori (head coach, University of Nebraska); and athlete representative Beth Cunningham (head coach, Virginia Commonwealth University), a member of the 1999 USA Pan American Games Team.
