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University of North Carolina Athletics
Holly Carlton Named To U.S. Women's Junior National Team
April 13, 2017 | Volleyball
COLORADO SPRINGS – North Carolina freshman Holly Carlton was selected to the 12-person U.S. Women's Junior National Team roster that will compete in the 2017 U20 Women's Pan American Cup, held May 8-13 in San Jose, Costa Rica. The tallest player on Carolina's roster, Carlton redshirted this past fall as a true freshman.
"I am very excited that Holly was selected," said head coach Joe Sagula. "She is a young player and getting an opportunity to compete this time of year will help prepare her for the upcoming season. This is s a testament to her commitment throughout the year to her work ethic and training that has allowed her to compete at this level.
"Any time a student-athlete such as Holly can be part of a National Team you have the honor of representing your country in competition and with that comes an intensive chance to learn more about the game. Holly will gain valuable experiences both on and off the court that will help her continue to mature as a player and leader. I am very proud of Holly and the opportunities she has ahead of her to represent UNC and USA Volleyball."
A 6-foot-7 setter/opposite hitter, Carlton was one of five current Tar Heels invited to participate at the National Team Open Tryout in Colorado Spring on May 3-5. Nearly 250 athletes from the around the country were in attendance, vying for spots on various USA Volleyball programs, including the U.S. Women's Senior, Collegiate, and Junior National Teams. Carlton is the first Tar Heel to be selected to a team in 2017, with the majority of the national team programs having not yet announced their rosters.
"The tryout was a very special experience and going with my teammates made it even more special," said Carlton. "It was a long three days of travel and volleyball and it was a surreal experience to be competing with and against some of the best college players in the country."
A native of Sterling, Virginia, Carlton will be the first Tar Heel to compete with the U.S. Women's Junior National Team since Chaniel Nelson '15, who competed in London before the 2012 Olympic Games and played on a European tour in Slovenia. Additionally, Nelson, Taylor Treacy, Hayley McCorkle, Heather Gearhart and Emily McGee have been selected to USA Volleyball Collegiate National Teams in recent years.
Carlton is listed as one of two opposite hitters on the WJNT-U20PAC roster, joining South Carolina's Mikayla Shields. The team will be led by Jerritt Elliott, the head coach at the University of Texas, and assisted by fellow Longhorn Kevin Inlow and three-time Olympian Paula Weishoff of Concordia University Irvine.
"Beyond the travel, great volleyball and meeting new people," said Carlton, "I am most looking forward to an opportunity to stretch myself both as an individual and as a volleyball player by traveling to a foreign county with a group of players and coaches I don't know and then getting to compete with and against some of the best U20 players in the world."
The U20 Women's Pan American Cup serves as a qualification tournament into the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's U20 World Championship that takes place July 14-23 in Boca del Rio and Cordoba, Mexico. The top team from NORCECA and the top team from the South American Confederation will earn spots into the biennial world championship.
The U.S. is will compete in Group A in the U20 Women's Pan American Cup with pool play matches against Argentina on May 9 and Dominican Republic on May 10. Pool B includes Costa, Puerto Rico and Uruguay. Pool C has Chile, Cuba and Peru. The quarterfinals will take place on May 11 with the third-best pool winner and the three second-place finishers. The semifinals will be on May 12 with the quarterfinal winners advancing to meet the two teams with the best record in pool play. The medal round is scheduled for May 13.
Five of the 12 players on this year's roster competed in the 2016 NORCECA Women's U20 Continental Championship and helped Team USA win the silver medal. Dominican Republic won the NORCECA event and qualified for the 2017 FIVB Women's U20 World Championship.
Should the U.S. qualify for the FIVB World Championship, USA Volleyball will hold a training camp July 2-12 to identify the 12-player team that will compete at the world championship. Players on the WJNT-U20PAC squad will have a guaranteed spot in the training camp alongside others identified through the U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryout and USA Volleyball High Performance tryouts this spring. The final roster for the world championship will come from the July training camp.
"To have this opportunity is incredible and only recently did I convince myself that having the goal to play for Team USA was even realistic," said Carlton. "It has not been an easy road for me to get to this point in my career and this accomplishment has come through working hard every day to get stronger and become a better volleyball player. I feel extremely blessed and thankful to God to have been selected to play and represent my county and the University of North Carolina in Costa Rica."
U.S. Women's Junior National Team for 2017 U20 Women's Pan American Cup
# - Name (Position, 2017 Club/College, Height, Hometown, Region)
1 – Brionne Butler (M, University of Texas, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Lone Star)
2 – Tiffany Clark (L, University of Michigan, 5-11, Naperville, Illinois, Great Lakes)
3 – Thayer Hall (OH, Upward Stars, 6-3, Moore, South Carolina, Palmetto)
4 – Paige Hammons (OH, University of Florida, 6-2, Louisville, Kentucky, Pioneer)
5 – Khalia Lanier (OH, University of Southern California, 6-2, Scottsdale, Arizona, Arizona)
6 – Madison Lilley (S, University of Kentucky, 6-0, Overland Park, Kansas, Heart of America)
7 – Mackenzie May (OH, UCLA, 6-3, Dubuque, Iowa, Iowa)
8 – Regan Pittman (M, University of Minnesota, 6-5, Spring Hill, Kansas, Heart of America)
9 – Holly Carlton (OPP, University of North Carolina, 6-7, Sterling, Virginia, Chesapeake)
10 – Elle Sandbothe (M, Kansas State University, 6-0, Lee's Summit, Missouri, Heart of America)
14 – Mikayla Shields (OPP, University of South Carolina, 6-0, Orlando, Florida, Florida)
15 – MacKenzi Welsh (S, University of Michigan, 6-1, Bolingbrook, Illinois, Great Lakes)
Head Coach: Jerritt Elliott (head coach at University of Texas)
Assistant Coach: Paula Weishoff (head coach at Concordia University Irvine)
Assistant Coach: Kevin Inlow (graduate assistant at University of Texas)
Team Leader: Tom Pingel (USA Volleyball High Performance)Â
2017 U20 Women's Pan American Cup Schedule (all times local)
Group A
May 8: Argentina vs. Dominican Republic, 5:30 p.m.
May 9: United States vs. Argentina, 7:30 p.m.
May 10: United States vs. Dominican Republic, 5:30 p.m.
Group B
May 8: Costa Rica vs. Uruguay, 7:30 p.m.
May 9: Uruguay vs. Puerto Rico, 3:30 p.m.
May 10: Costa Rica vs. Puerto Rico, 7:30 p.m.
Group C
May 8: Cuba vs. Chile, 3:30 p.m.
May 9: Chile vs. Peru, 5:30 p.m.
May 10: Peru vs. Cuba, 3:30 p.m.
Classification for 9th Place
May 11: Lowest two 3rd Place Pool Teams, 3:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals
May 11: best 2nd Place Pool vs. second best 2nd Place Pool or third-best 2nd Place Pool, 5:30 p.m.
May 11: third-best 1st Place Pool vs. second best 2nd Place Pool or third-best 2nd Place Pool, 7:30 p.m.
Final Classification 7/8
May 12: best 3rd Place Pool vs. winner of lowest two 3rd Place Pool Teams, 3:30 p.m.
Semifinals
May 12: second-best 1st Place Pool vs. Quarterfinal winner (TBA), 5:30 p.m.
May 12: best 1st Place Pool vs. Quarterfinal winner (TBA), 7:30 p.m.
Final Classification 5/6
May 13: Quarterfinal losers, 3:30 p.m.
Medal Round
May 13: Semifinal losers, 5:30 p.m. (Bronze)
May 13: Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m. (Gold)
