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University of North Carolina Athletics
Five Tar Heels to Participate in National Team Open Tryout
February 20, 2015 | Volleyball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- Carolina volleyball will send five players to the annual U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryouts, held Feb. 20-22 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The tryout will play host to 232 athletes from 90 colleges and universities. North Carolina will be represented by Heather Gearhart, Hayley McCorkle, Beth Nordhorn, Taylor Treacy and incoming recruit Madison Laufenberg.
“I think that sending five players to these tryouts means that we have a really good program and we each can bring back different things from each position,” said McCorkle. “Our coaches always instill in us a hunger for growth and improvement, and I'm looking forward to seeing what other players do in my position and to take some of their good habits and bring it back to the program.”
Gearhart, a 5-5 DS/libero, had a breakout junior season as a key backrow substitute. She played in 28 matches and shone brightest in the biggest matches, posting a career-high 12 digs against USC in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
McCorkle, a 6-0 opposite hitter, proved to be dynamite off the bench for UNC as she garnered the nickname “The Closer”. She appeared in 28 matches and recorded 100 kills on a .274 hitting percentage.
Nordhorn, a 6-6 middle blocker, played in 16 matches and hit a blistering .410 efficiency in 2014. The freshman was a strong substitute behind Carolina's two All-ACC middles during her first season in Chapel Hill.
Treacy, a 6-2 opposite/outside hitter, finished the season as one of Carolina's go-to options. She pounded 12 kills with five digs and three blocks against No. 2 Texas in the Tar Heels Regional Final match with the Longhorns.
Laufenberg, representing the incoming class of new Tar Heels, will join the four current players at the tryouts. The 6-2 outside hitter is the #84 overall recruit according to PrepVolleyball.com and was previously a member of the USA Women's Volleyball Junior A1 National Training Team.
The tryouts are for spots on U.S. Women's National Team, U.S. Collegiate National Teams program and U.S. Junior National Team. Karch Kiraly, three-time Olympic gold-medalist and current U.S. Women's National Team Coach, will lead the tryout process along with National Team staff.
Previous Tar Heel standouts Emily McGee and Chaniel Nelson, who is now playing professionally in Puerto Rico, attended the Open Tryouts and were selected to participate on U.S.A. teams in past years.
“I think that attending the U.S.A. tryouts shows UNC is continually ready to compete on a national level,” said Gearhart. “We are a program on the rise and I love that our coaches and Carolina helps us take advantage of opportunities like this weekend.
“I am looking forward to competing this weekend, and I think will be really fun and give us an opportunity to see what our preseason will be like. I am approaching this weekend with the mindset that I should bring in confidence and walk away knowing that I am good enough to be competing with all of the players there,” concluded Gearhart.
Fans that want to keep track of the tryout can follow along on social media using the hashtag #USAVTryout, or follow the official @USAVolleyball handle on social media. The tryout will also be live-streamed starting at 4 p.m. ET/2 p.m. MT at this link.
