It's World Championship Or Bust For Allison, Eggleston & Team USA

It's World Championship Or Bust For Allison, Eggleston & Team USA

The Girls Junior National Team is primed and ready for the NORCECA U20 Women's Continental Cup in Mexico, June 18-23.

Jun 14, 2018 by Megan Kaplon
It's World Championship Or Bust For Allison, Eggleston & Team USA

The preparation is finished. It's officially winning season for the U.S. Women's Junior National Team, as the NORCECA U20 Women's Continental Cup is upon us for the next six days.

Seven members of the 2017 U.S. Girls Youth National Team that finished eighth at the U18 FIVB World Championship last summer are back: Mica Allison (S/OPP), Logan Eggleston (OH), Skylar Fields (OH), Madison Horin (MB), Madi Kubik (OH), Brooke Nuneviller (L) and Selina Xu (S)

With so much experience returning, there is a distinct veteran feel to this group.

Girls Junior National Team head coach Keegan Cook, also the head coach at the University of Washington, completed the 12-person roster for the U20 Champs with Adeola Owokoniran (MB), Anita Anwusi (MB), Caitlin Baird (OH), Destiny Cox (OH), and Molly Phillips (MB).

The winner of the NORCECA U20 Continental Championship automatically qualifies for the FIVB U20 World Championship next summer.

Team USA Players to Watch

Logan Eggleston

Six-foot-three outside hitter Logan Eggleston made a name for herself at the FIVB U18 World Championship last summer where she led Team USA in points, kills, and aces and ranked second in blocks and digs. 

Originally a member of the Class of 2019 headed to Texas, Eggleston recently revealed that she would graduate early from Brentwood High School in Tennessee and head to Austin a year early. 

(Perhaps this opportunity presented itself when Lexi Sun decided to transfer from Texas to Nebraska, which opened up some scholarship money and an outside hitter starting spot for this fall.)

Eggleston joins the training group in Colorado Springs just days after returning from a two-week trip to Europe with the Texas squad, so she should be warmed up and ready to bring it.

Brooke Nuneviller 

Libero Brooke Nuneviller, who was also a key member of the Youth National Team last summer, will team up with Eggleston on serve receive and defense. 

An all-around fantastic athlete, Nuneviller played outside hitter for her club and high school teams, but has established herself as a libero in the Team USA pipeline. She’ll also focus on defense this fall at Oregon.

Mica Allison

Speaking of versatility, Mica Allison dons the Team USA jersey for a second consecutive summer, this time after completing her first semester at Auburn. 

The 6-1 setter/hitter led her St. Thomas More High School team to a Class 2A state title last fall and then earned the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year honor in January. 

Last summer, Allison played mostly opposite for the Youth National Team, but we could very well also see her quarterback Team USA in Mexico—or contribute on both sides of the ball in a 6-2 offense, opposite Selina Xu.

Challengers to the USA

If any team is going to prevent the Americans from punching their ticket to the U20 World Championships, it’s the Dominican Republic. 

The reigning NORCECA U18 Continental Champion defeated Team USA in five sets to win the title in 2016 and went on to win a silver medal at the 2017 FIVB U18 World Championship last summer. 

Dominican Republic also won the NORCECA U18 Continental Championship in 2014, again, taking down the U.S. women in the final match.

Natalia Martinez has earned the title of tournament MVP in the last two iterations of the continental champs, and since she’s still only 17 years old, it seems likely she’ll return to lead the D.R. once again. 

Of the eight teams in attendance at the U20 NORCECA Continental Champs, only the USA, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Mexico competed in the U18 World Championship last summer. Cuba and Mexico both went winless in pool play.

Mexico did manage to push Team USA to five sets when the two teams faced off in Argentina, with Uxue Amaya Guereca Parra leading Mexico with 28 total points.

2018 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team

# - Name (Position, Height, HS Grad Year, Hometown, Club, Region, College Commitment)

3 – Brooke Nuneviller (L, 5-11, 2018, Chandler, Arizona, Aspire Volleyball Club, Arizona, Oregon)

5 – Mica Allison (S, 6-0, 2018, White Heath, Illinois, Illini Elite, Great Lakes, Auburn)

6 – Selina Xu (S, 6-0, 2019, San Carlos, California, Vision Volleyball, Northern California, Uncommitted)

9 – Madison Kubik (OH, 6-2, 2019, West Des Moines, Iowa, Iowa Powerplex TPP, Iowa, Nebraska)

10 – Adeola Owokoniran (M, 6-2, 2018, Raleigh, North Carolina, Triangle VBC, Carolina, Duke)

11 – Anita Anwusi (M, 6-3, 2019, Houston, Texas, Houston Juniors, Lone Star, Uncommitted)

12 – Caitlin Baird (OH, 6-3, 2019, Indianapolis, Indiana, Circle City Volleyball Club, Hoosier, Stanford)

13 – Destiny Cox (OH, 6-3, 2018, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Triangle VBC, Carolina, UNC)

14 – Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-3, 2018, Franklin, Tennessee, Alliance Mizuno 18-1, Southern, Texas)

15 – Skylar Fields (OH, 6-2, 2019, Missouri City, Texas, Houston Juniors, Lone Star, Texas)

16 – Madison Horin (M, 6-3, 2019, Munster, Indiana, First Alliance, Great Lakes, USC)

17 – Molly Phillips (M, 6-4, 2019, Mansfield, Texas, Texas Image Volleyball, North Texas, Texas)