National Team | Former Huskies help USA to opening Grand Prix volleyball win

Tama Miyashiro and Jenna Hagglund part of Round 1 win against Russia

• #1 USA def. #6 Russia 3-1 (25-20, 17-25, 25-21, 25-12)
• next: #1 USA vs. #15 Poland | August 3, 2013 | Campinas, Brazil

Former Washington setter Jenna Hagglund in action Friday against Russia in Campinas, Brazil
-photo courtesy FIVB

Two former Washington stars—Tama Miyashiro and Jenna Hagglund—contributed to USA’s 3-1 opening-round World Grand Prix victory against Russia in Campinas, Brazil. Set scores were 25-20, 17-25, 25-21, 25-12.

Miyashiro was USA’s libero in all four sets and recorded 14 digs plus 6 “excellent” serve receives (an international volleyball statistic.) Hagglund briefly substituted for starting setter Alicia Glass in sets 1 & 2, tallying 15 set attempts (assists are not an international stat.)

Former Washington libero Tama Miyashiro (L) prepares to cover an attack against the Russian block by USA hitter Kim Hill of Portland
-photo courtesy FIVB

USA out-hit Russia 44% to 34%. Opposite hitter Kelly Murphy replaced Nicole Fawcett in the third set, and went on to tally 12 kills on 18 swings. Murphy, who played at Florida, is a shy left-hander with a whip-fast arm. Portland’s Kim Hill (Pepperdine) was the other big scorer, with 12 kills on 32 swings. Both Murphy and Hill are new this summer to the US National Team.

USA is ranked #1 in the world and is the three-time defending World Grand Prix champion. The Grand Prix is an annual month-long international tournament featuring 20 top teams. Last summer, USA earned $200,000 for winning the tournament. Former UW stars—and 2012 Olympians—Miyashiro and Courtney Thompson were key members of last year’s championship run.

Each week of the Grand Prix is played in a different part of the world. USA faces Poland Saturday and host Brazil Sunday. Next week, the team travels to Belgrade, where it plays Algeria, Holland and host Serbia. Rosters are usually shuffled week-to-week; Thompson should be one of two USA setters in Serbia. The third round—and the following week’s championships—will be in Japan.

NOTES:

• Former Washington assistant Pat Stangle joins former Washington All-American Sanja Tomasevic as an assistant at UT-San Antonio. Stangle, former head coach at Wyoming, was a Washington State assistant last season. He was Jim McLaughlin’s assistant from 2001 to 2004, where one of his players was Tomasevic. Sanja joined the UTSA staff last season, when the Roadrunners finished 21-9 and secured second place in the Western Athletic Conference. This year, the team moves to Conference USA, where a preseason coaches’ poll picked it to finish second this season, behind Rice.