Women's U20 Team Beats Russia to Open World Championship

From left, Emily Londot, Reagan Hope and Ally Batenhorst

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 9, 2021) – The U.S. Women’s Under-20 National Team beat Russia 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-14, 25-17) on Friday to open the FIVB U20 World Championship in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The U20 Team returns to the court on Saturday

to play Thailand (0-1) at 6:30 a.m. PT. The match will be live streamed on the Volleyball World YouTube Channel.

The U20 Team led Russia in blocks (16-3) and aces (7-3). The teams tied in kills (56-56). The U.S. scored 19 points on Russia’s errors while committing 14.

OFFICIAL STATISTICS

Outside hitter Ally Batenhorst led the U.S. effort with 16 points on 16 kills. Middle blocker Caroline Crawford added 15 points on nine kills and six blocks. Outside hitter Allison Jacobs and opposite Emily Londot each scored 14 points. Londot scored on a match-high three aces, 10 kills and one block. Jacobs finished with two aces, 11 kills and one block.

Middle blocker Regan Hope scored 12 points on six blocks, five kills and one ace. Outside hitter Lindsay Krause scored four points on two kill and two blocks. Starting setter Kami Miner added three points on two kills and one block and backup setter Averi Carlson had one point with a kill.

U.S. Head Coach Dan Fisher started Miner at setter, Batenhorst and Jacobs at outside hitter, Londot at opposite, Crawford and Hope at middle blocker and Rodriguez at libero.

Miner and Carlson combined to set the U.S. to a .402 hitting efficiency. Russia hit .217.

“We have worked a lot on our service reception, on serving hard and putting pressure on them,” Miner said in translated quote. “We did it well in the later sets of the match. Our blocking on the right side also paid off. I am really proud of my team! We have been preparing together only a week.”

U.S. Women’s U20 National Team

Player (Position, Height, HS Grad Year, Hometown, Club, Region, College) 

1 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-7, 2021, Sterling, Ill., Club Fusion VBC, Great Lakes, Nebraska)

3 Elena Oglivie (OH, 5-9, 2020, Kapolei, Hawaii, Kuikahi VBC, Aloha, Stanford)

5 Allison Jacobs (OH, 5-11, 2020, Stevenson Ranch, Calif., Legacy VBC, Southern Cal, UCLA)

6C Kami Miner (S, 6-0, 2021, Redondo Beach, Calif., Mizuno Long Beach VBC, Southern Cal, Stanford)

7 Averi Carlson (S, 6-0, 2022, Lucas, Texas, Skyline Juniors Dallas, North Texas Region, Baylor)

10 Reagan Hope (MB, 6-2, 2021, Phoenix, Ariz., Arizona Storm Elite, Arizona Region, Oregon)

11 Jordan Middleton (OH, 6-2, 2022, Gilbert, Ariz., Arizona Storm Elite, Arizona, Southern California)

12 Caroline Crawford (MB, 6-2, 2020, Lansing, Kan., MAVS KC, Heart of America, Kansas)

14 Emily Londot (OH, 6-2, 2020, Utica, Ohio, Mintonette Sports, Ohio Valley, Ohio State)

16 Gabbi Essix (MB, 6-4, 2021, Hoover, Ala., Southern Performance, Southern, Florida)

17 Lindsay Krause (OH, 6-4, 2021, Papillion, Neb., Premier Nebraska, Great Plains, Nebraska)

19 Ally Batenhorst (OH, 6-4, 2021, Katy, Texas, Houston Juniors, Lone Star, Nebraska)

Head Coach: Dan Fisher (Head Coach, University of Pittsburgh)

Assistant Coach: Jon Newman-Gonchar (Head Coach, University of New Mexico)

Assistant Coach: Jessica Aschenbrenner (Assistant Coach, University of Denver)

Technical Coordinator: Jon Wong (Assistant Coach, Texas Tech)

Doctor: David Dyck Jr.

Team Lead: Nicole Segura (Athlete Development Lead, NTDP)

U.S. First-Round Pool-Play Schedule (all times PT)

Matches will be live streamed on the Volleyball World YouTube channel

July 9: USA def Russia, 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-14, 25-17)

July 10 at 6:30 a.m. PT USA vs Thailand

July 11 at 9:30 a.m. PT USA vs Turkey