Feb. 27, 2009

Two Army volleyball student-athletes were among over 160 top athletes from the United States to take part in the USA Women's National Volleyball Team Open Tryout at the world renowned U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Senior middle blocker Jamie Clark and junior setter Maureen Bannon competed at the tryout Feb. 20-22 for the right to play for their country.

Top players from around the country swarmed Colorado Springs to compete for a limited number of spots on the USA Women's Volleyball National Team program. Athletes not selected to participate with the National Team may also be considered for other programs run by USA Volleyball, including U.S. Women's Junior National Team or the USA Women's Senior A2 Teams. A total of 33 spots are available for the U.S. Women's Junior National Team as well as the other National Team programs.

"To have the chance to play among the best in the nation is a great opportunity for anyone," said 2008 Patriot League Coach of the Year Alma Kovaci. "It was especially significant for Maureen and Jamie in different ways. For Maureen, hopefully she can take some of this experience and apply it to her game next year. I can already see a rise in her confidence level and this was a great experience for her. Jamie headed out there in the best shape possible after training for the last couple of months. She has such a great drive and just wanted to test herself against some of the best out there. These are the kinds of kids that West Point has to offer. They always want to compete with the nation's best and that's something that I truly value."

U.S. Women's National Team renowned head coach Hugh McCutcheon, who coached the USA Men's National Team to a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, led a team of 30 tryout staff members that served as court coaches and evaluators throughout the weekend.

"USA Women's volleyball has such depth and talent, it was wonderful to see so many outstanding young athletes attend the National Team tryout," McCutcheon said in a press release. "I believe playing for the National Team is the highest achievement possible for our indoor players. In that regard, our goal is to create the best environment for those players to train and compete at the international level."

The staff conducted physical testing, drills and match play in order to evaluate the talent-rich field, which featured 44 outside hitters, 41 middle blockers, 36 liberos, 30 setters and 12 opposite hitters. Players represented a total of 64 colleges and universities, including four non-NCAA Division I institutions.

Clark exhausted her eligibility last fall, finishing her four-year career as one of the top middles to ever pass through the program. The Pueblo, Colo., native holds West Point records for career blocks (340) and hitting percentage (.368), while also ranking seventh on the all-time kills chart with 1,077 career kills. While captaining Army to its winningest season in program history (26-4), Clark is one of eight players in Army's 30-year history to eclipse the 1,000-kill mark. A three-time All-Patriot League player, Clark capped her decorated career by becoming the first player in Army history to be recognized on the All-East Region Honorable Mention team by the American Volleyball Coaches Association in December.

A two-time Patriot League Setter of the Year and three-time all-league selection, Bannon heads into her final year with the Black Knights sitting in fourth on Army's all-time assists ledger with 3,033. A three-year starter, Bannon has led the Patriot League in assists per set from 2006-2008 and lands first in Army's record book averaging 11.40 assists over 266 sets played. She also holds the top two single-season records, averaging 11.99 assists per set in 2007 and 11.57 assists per set in 2006. The Manhattan Beach, Calif., has also developed an effective jump serve which she used to record 46 service aces last fall. That number ties her with senior Briana Stremick for ninth in Army history.

Bannon and Clark followed in the footsteps of senior Elizabeth Lazzari, who became the first player in Army history to attend the USA National Team Open Tryout in 2008.

"The tryout was such a rewarding experience for both Maureen and me," Clark said. "Regardless of the outcome, I feel confident in my ability and was personally satisfied with how I performed there. As Coach McCutcheon told us - worry about the things you can control like being coachable, working hard, and physically competing - let the coaches worry about who makes the team or not. In the end I learned a lot and it was a great way to cap my career here at West Point."

"I was honored to get a chance to play and try out with some of the best in the country," Bannon echoed. "If it weren't for Alma (Kovaci) and the Army volleyball program, I would never have been able to do it. I felt great pride in being one of two players there representing Army volleyball and the Patriot League. It was an experience that I will be forever grateful for."

The coaching staff will take the next two weeks to evaluate players and make decision regarding players that will be kept.