APSU Sports Information
Colorado Springs, CO – Austin Peay State University volleyball middle blocker Lauren Henderson looks to continue her volleyball career when she travels to the U.S. Olympic Training Center to participate in the U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT) Open Tryouts, February 21st-23rd.
Henderson, who completed her Austin Peay volleyball career last fall, will be one of 27 athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and will be seeking an invitational to the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team on a full-time basis.
Karch Kiraly returns as the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team head coach after leading it to a silver medal at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. He will pilot the team toward the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games. Kiraly will be assisted by Jamie Morrison, who is in his eighth season with the national team, and Tom Black, who is the current head coach at Loyola Marymount.
“I know the team is excited for Lauren to have the opportunity to represent Austin Peay at the national level,” said Mott. “We wish Lauren the best of luck this weekend. She has been an incredible player on the court and ambassador off the court. With her hard work, she has earned the opportunity to compete for a spot on the national team.”
Henderson, of Fredericktown, MO, concluded her career by earning a spot on the Ohio Valley Conference all-conference and all-tournament teams. During OVC play, she led all blockers with 75 stops, averaging 1.27 per set. She also ranked fourth in both service aces (21, 0.36 per set) and points scored (3.79 per set) while finishing fifth in attack percentage (.326).
During the OVC tournament, Henderson recorded 25 kills at a .250 attack percentage, had three service aces and nine blocks in nine sets played during the tournament. She recorded 18 kills and six blocks in the Lady Govs semifinal loss to eventual tournament champion Morehead State.
Beginning February 21st, more than 240 athletes will converge on Colorado Springs with hopes of joining the Women’s National Team. Not only are athletes bidding for the WNT, the Collegiate National Team, formerly called the Senior A2 Team, will pull athletes for its program.
New this year, all tryout sessions will be video streamed live and available on the U.S. National Team website (www.teamusa.org). Fans can also receive exclusive content by following USA Volleyball’s feeds on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
