Freshmen selected to Junior National Team

May 18th, 2006

University of Florida incoming freshmen Allison Cecchini and Janine Williams were both selected to the USA Volleyball Junior National A2 Team.

Williams, an outside hitter who was an early enrollee at Florida during the 2006 spring semester, and Cecchini, a setter, will participate with the Junior National A2 Team. The group of athletes represent 30 of the top volleyball players in the nation who were born in 1988 or 1989 (ages 17-18).

In 2006, the JA2 team will train with 30-32 athletes in Fort Lauderdale, FL, from July 13-23. From July 13-18 the JA2 team will train and be divided into teams that will participate in the Junior Division of the USAV High Performance Championships at the Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

Cecchini and Williams add to a flurry of activity this summer for Florida players and coaches. Rising junior setter Angie McGinnis is currently in Colorado Springs training with the USA Volleyball Women's National Team coached by Hall of Famer "Jenny" Lang Ping. McGinnis was selected to train with the National Team through June 26 despite still having collegiate eligibility - a rarity for a setter.

Beginning next week, Mary Wise will serve as the head coach of the USA Volleyball National A2 Team. Rising juniors Kisya Killingsworth and Marcie Hampton will accompany Wise on the trip. That team consists of some of the top collegiate players in the nation and will train in New Orleans on the campus of Tulane University for five days before competing in the U.S. Open Championships May 27-30 in New Orleans.

Florida associate head coach Nick Cheronis will also lead a squad of USA Volleyball players including rising sophomore Kelsey Bowers and redshirt freshman Kristina Johnson as the team will train and then travel to South America from May 30-June 10 to face teams from Argentina.

The summer of 2006 will prove to be no different than those in recent times for Gators and USA Volleyball. Since 2001, a total of 10 current and former Gator players have been selected for 23 USA national team appointments, including the USA National Team, the USA Junior National Team, the USA A2 Team and the USA Junior National A2 Team.