Feb. 7, 2012

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -

Six Arizona volleyball players will participate in open tryouts for the U.S. Women’s National Team, the U.S. Women’s National A2 Program and the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team this weekend in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Rising juniors Candace Nicholson (Long Beach, Calif.) and Emily Helm (Queen Creek, Ariz.), sophomores Ronni Lewis (San Jose, Calif.) and Madi Kingdon (Phoenix, Ariz.) and newcomers Chanel Brown and Olivia Magill will try out Feb. 10-12 in Sports Center II at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Kingdon was selected to the National A2 Program in 2011.

Among the 210 tryout participants representing 71 different colleges, are 54 outside hitters, 50 middle blockers, 46 liberos, 37 setters and 23 opposites. The 2012 tryouts are open to current college-age athletes and older.

The 2011 U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts attracted a record 204 participants. Barring athletes dropping from the tryouts due to injury at the last moment, the 2012 tryout will be the largest ever.

The U.S. Women’s National Team program is open to selected tryout athletes who have concluded their college eligibility and who wish to be invited to be a member of the U.S. Women’s Volleyball National Team on a full-time basis. This program could begin as early as the spring of 2012, or when an athlete’s scholastic or professional club season has concluded. Also considered for training with the U.S. Women’s National Team will be athletes who have remaining college eligibility; however, their participation will begin in mid-May or when their scholastic calendar ends for 2012.

Athletes in college and with collegiate eligibility remaining for the 2012 collegiate season not selected to join the U.S. Women’s National Team may be invited to participate with the U.S. Women’s Senior A2 program. This program is scheduled to take place in Columbus, Ohio, from June 26 through July 5. A projected 48 athletes will be invited to participate in the program, which will include training and competing at the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships (GJNC) from July 1-4.

For complete results and continued coverage of Arizona Volleyball, visit ArizonaWildcats.com.