USA Volleyball will hold an open tryout for the 2006 USA Women's National Team and associated training programs from Friday-Sunday, Jan. 13-15, 2006, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Hofstra University sophomore setter Shellane Ogoshi (Honolulu, HI/Roosevelt) was one of 68 student-athletes nationally to be invited to the tryouts, although Ogoshi will be trying out at the libero position.
The heart and soul of the Pride this season, Ogoshi led Hofstra with 1,130 assists and was second in digs with 425. She averaged 11.00 assists and 4.17 digs per game, while also notching a team second-best 19 services aces. Ogoshi also posted a .302 hitting percentage, knocking down 99 kills on 262 attempts with just 20 errors. The 2004 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Year, Ogoshi hit at a .330 clip in conference matches only, while her assists per game average went up nearly an assist per game to 11.83. Ogoshi "quarterbacked" Hofstra to a league-leading .241 hitting percentage this season, over 10 points higher than James Madison, the second-ranked squad in hitting percentage. Individually, Ogoshi ranked fourth in assists and eighth in digs overall in the regular season, while helping the Pride defensively to the tune of 17.80 digs per game, good for second in the conference. Ogoshi was a member of the CAA All-Rookie team in 2004 and earned CAA All-Tournament honors in addition to being named the team's Coca-Cola Most Valuable Player. A three-time CAA Player of the Week this season (October 3, 31 and November 14), Ogoshi was featured in the Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" section in the November 21 issue.
Ogoshi became Hofstra's first CAA Player of the Year this season and the Pride's first since Stefanie Rewitz was named the America East Player of the Year in 2000. In addition, she was named the conference's setter of the year as well, becoming the first Hofstra honoree in the CAA and the first since Brie Katz took home the honor from the America East in 2000.
Hofstra finished the 2005 campaign with an overall record of 19-8 and a CAA mark of 16-2. The Pride earned its first-ever CAA regular season title, with senior outside hitter Tessa Sphar (San Jose, CA) joining Ogoshi on the All-CAA first team and sophomore right side Talita Silva (Raritan, NJ) earning second team all-conference accolades.
The first session of the tryout (physical testing and player meetings) will take place on Friday, Jan. 13 beginning at 3:30 p.m. On-court sessions will take place from 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14 and from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15.
All of the 68 athletes in attendance will be trying to impress second-year Team USA head coach "Jenny" Lang Ping and her team of evaluators. Throughout the tryout process, USA Volleyball will be identifying prospective athletes to compete for the United States in the 2006 World Championship.
Athletes who have concluded their college eligibility and who wish to be invited to be a member of the USA Women's National Team on a full-time basis will be considered for the USA Women's National Team Program. This program would begin as early as late-January 2006 or when an athlete's scholastic or professional club season has concluded.
Also considered for training with this group will be athletes that have remaining college eligibility. Their participation will begin in mid-May or when their scholastic calendar ends for 2006.
All sessions of the tryout will be open to the general public.
2006 USA Women's National Team Open Tryout Participants (By Position)
LIBEROS
Athlete (School)
Tatum Ailes ( Missouri)
Jacqueline Bemardin ( University of San Diego)
Jennifer Casper ( Kentucky)
Dannielle Cathcart ( Urbana)
Kekai Crabbe (Pepperdine)
Connie Dangerfield ( Utah)
Jacqueline Gonzalez ( Houston)
Adrienne Green ( Dayton)
Candace Lee ( Washington)
Kelli Mulvany ( Arizona)
Shellane Ogoshi (Hofstra)
Debora Seilhamer (USC)
Blair Socci (UCLA)
MIDDLE BLOCKERS
Athlete (School)
Bethany Akerhielm ( Dayton)
Kathryn Arvidson ( Florida Atlantic)
Faye Barhorst ( Dayton)
Katelyn Bishop (USC)
Kelsey Bowers ( Florida)
Alesha Deesing ( Washington)
Robynne Green ( Dayton)
Chelsy Hyser (Northwestern)
Kristina Johnson ( Florida)
Jessica Jones ( Minnesota)
Lakisya Killingsworth ( Florida)
Dominique Lamb ( Arizona)
Kara McManus ( Oregon)
Nana Meriwether (UCLA)
Sophia Milo (Pepperdine)
Meredith Nelson ( Minnesota)
Jessica Nevitt ( Cincinnati)
Veronica Ogbeide (Tyler JC)
Lecca Roberts (Pepperdine)
Emillie Toone ( Utah)
Anna Vaughn ( Texas Christian)
Nicole Wilson ( Missouri)
OUTSIDE HITTERS
Athlete (School)
Iana Andonova ( Florida Atlantic)
Brooke Buringrud ( Arizona)
Katie Carter (UCLA)
Shonda Cole ( South Carolina)
Jamie DeKiewiet (Cal-Riverside)
Marcie Hampton ( Florida)
Angela Jakubov ( Wichita State)
Tess Rogers ( Colorado State)
Julie Rubenstein (Pepperdine)
Airial Salvo ( Utah)
Kaitlin Sather (UCLA)
Erica Short ( Indiana)
Kelli Tennant (USC)
Ami Stevens ( Ohio State)
OPPOSITES
Athlete (School)
Randy Goodenough ( Arizona)
Audra Jeffers ( Wisconsin)
Rachell Johnson (UCLA)
Sara Lungren ( Wichita State)
Amber McCray ( Florida)
Jamie-Lee Richards ( Dayton)
Jessica Vander Kooi ( Missouri)
SETTERS
Athlete (School)
Nirelle Hampton ( Texas Christian)
Abby Harsh ( Wichita State)
Heather Hughes (Loyola Marymount)
Casey LaRocca ( Florida Atlantic)
Marisa Main ( Ohio State)
Angie McGinnis ( Florida)
Ashley Nuu ( Colorado)
Jacqueline Simpson ( Wisconsin)
Kimberly Snider ( Towson)
Mary (Nellie) Spicer (UCLA)
Courtney Thompson ( Washington)
Kari Turkowski ( St. Cloud State)
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