A Complete Guide To The 2018 NORCECA Women's XVII Pan-American Cup

The NORCECA Pan American Cup, July 6-14, brings together teams from North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Jul 7, 2018 by Megan Kaplon

A Complete Guide To The 2018 NORCECA Women's XVII Pan-American Cup

Just a week after the U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Turkey to claim the inaugural Volleyball Nations League title, a more youthful group of athletes with USA on their jerseys will take the court in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The NORCECA Pan American Cup, July 6-14, brings together teams from North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean for an annual tournament, which has for Team USA traditionally served as proving ground for recent college graduates looking to establish themselves in the national team pipeline.

The U.S. women have been dominant in the Pan-Am Cup, winning gold five times in the 17-year history of the tournament and finishing on top of the podium in four of the last six years. Last year, setter Micha Hancock earned MVP honors after leading the team to a win over Dominican Republic in the title match, while opposite Liz McMahon was named Best Opposite.

The 2018 Pan Am Cup features 12 teams competing in three pools. Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba, and Puerto Rico join USA in Pool B, while Canada, Peru, Costa Rica, and Dominican Republic make up Pool A. Pool C includes Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia.

The top two ranked teams at the end of pool play advance directly to the semifinals, with the next four highest ranked teams facing off in the quarters.

Team USA Players to Watch

Lauren Carlini

Seven of the 14 players named to the Pan Am Cup roster will make their international debuts against Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday, but the first player we’re going to highlight is not one of those rookies.

Setter Lauren Carlini has been a regular presence in the national team gym since even before she graduated from the University of Wisconsin where she was a four-time All-American. A member of the 2016 and 2017 Pan Am Cup teams, Carlini also played in the 2017 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup where USA claimed bronze.

Last year, Carlini signed her first professional contract with Savino Del Bene Volley, a team in Serie A1, Italy’s top pro league. The team ranked second in the league at the end of the regular season and then made it to the semifinals of the league playoffs.

Although included on the 21-player preliminary roster for Volleyball Nations League earlier this summer, Carlini never made the 14-player travel roster, so this will be her first international appearance for Team USA this year.

Jordyn Poulter

The second setter on the Pan Am Cup roster, Jordyn Poulter is still on the team at the University of Illinois where she will be a senior this fall. Long touted at one of the best setters in the college game, Poulter will be making her international senior national team debut in Santo Domingo.

As a junior, Poulter led the Fighting Illini to the Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament and a fifth-place finish in the Big Ten Conference. Standing 6-2, Poulter not only contributes to teams’ success from the setting position, she’s also a great defensive player and finished the 2017 season second on the Illinois squad in blocks (116) and digs (306).

Poulter is the only player on the Pan Am Cup roster with remaining collegiate eligibility.

Simone Lee

Outside hitter Simone Lee, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, had a fantastic senior season at Penn State in 2017, garnering First Team All-American honors and leading her team to the Final Four.

After graduating from Penn State in December, Lee signed with Imoco Volley in Italy’s Serie A League, and her team, which also includes national teamers Megan Easy and Kim Hill, won the league championship in April.

Lee is one of four outside hitters included on the Pan Am Cup roster, joining the 2016 AVCA Player of the Year Sarah Wilhite, recent Utah grad Adora Anae, and former Nebraska All-American Kadie Rolfzen.

Krystal Rivers

In her four years as a starter at the University of Alabama, opposite Krystal Rivers earned Honorable Mention All-American twice and Third Team All-American in 2014 as a redshirt sophomore.

Although only 5-11, Rivers jumps extremely well, and as a senior, she broke the Alabama program record for career kills (2,148) and points (2,506).

Rivers began her pro career last year in the Philippines, but transferred to Beziers Angels in France for the 2017-2018 season. Earlier this year, the Angels won the French league, beating RC Cannes in the championships match.

U.S. Women’s National Team Pan American Cup Roster

# - Name (Position, Height, College, Hometown)

1 – Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, University of Illinois, Aurora, Colorado)

4 – Justine Wong-Orantes (L, 5-6, University of Nebraska, Cypress, California)

7 – Lauren Carlini (S, 6-2, University of Wisconsin, Aurora, Illinois)

8 – Krystal Rivers (OPP, 5-11, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama)

10 – Simone Lee (OH, 6-1, Penn State University, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin)

13 – Sarah Wilhite (OH, 6-2, University of Minnesota, Eden Prairie, Minnesota)

14 – Adora Anae (OH, 6-1, University of Utah, Punaluu, Hawaii)

15 – Haleigh Washington (M, 6-3, Penn State University, Colorado Springs, Colorado)

18 – Aiyana Whitney (OPP, 6-4, Penn State University, Norwood, New Jersey)

20 – Amanda Benson (L, 5-7, University of Oregon, Litchfield Park, Arizona)

21 – Paige Tapp (M, 6-1, University of Minnesota, Stewartville, Minnesota)

22 – Molly McCage (M, 6-3, University of Texas, Spring, Texas)

24 – Kadie Rolfzen (OH, 6-3, University of Nebraska, Papillion, Nebraska)

25 – Chiaka Ogbogu (M, 6-2, University of Texas, Coppell, Texas)

Challengers to the USA

Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic is the only team besides the USA to win the Pan Am Cup since 2011, and last year, the Dominicans went undefeated all the way up to the gold-medal match where they lost to the USA in four.

Since Dominican Republic is in Pool A and USA is in Pool B, the two teams could never play each other, but the possibility of another face-to-face meeting in the gold-medal match looms large.

In an exhibition match in Santiago against Cuba on Sunday, Dominican Republic swept Cuba, holding the visiting team to fewer than 20 points in each set.

Six-foot-seven pin hitter Brayelin Martinez will no doubt play a starring role for her team as she has done since joining the senior squad in 2011 at the age of 15. Most recently, in VNL, where the DR finished with a 3-12 record, the 21-year-old led the team with 250 points, which ranked second overall in the preliminary round.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico enters the 2018 Pan Am Cup as the reigning bronze medalist and the only team to push the USA to five sets during last year’s tournament.

A number of former NCAA star players, including Minnesota’s Daly Santana, Arkansas’ Pilar Victoria, and Ohio State’s Valeria Leon, will take the court for Puerto Rico at the Pan Am Cup.

Santana played a pivotal role for the team in last year’s tournament, scoring 23 points in the bronze-medal victory over Peru. The University of Minnesota grad has been playing for the Puerto Rico senior national team since she was 16, and during her collegiate career, Santana started all four years and earned First Team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year honors as a senior in 2015. She also represented Puerto Rico at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

In her final year of NCAA eligibility, Victoria finished second in the country with 5.47 kills per set after leading in the category for most of the 2017 season. She also played a significant role on Puerto Rico’s 2017 Pan Am Cup team, and just last month signed her first full season professional contract with Bezier Angels in France.

On June 24, Puerto Rico won bronze at the FIVB Challenger Cup. A loss to Colombia in the semifinals came between PR and a shot at qualification for next year’s Volleyball Nations League, but the team showed promise with Victoria leading the way with 54 total points and Santana close behind with 53.

Team USA faces Puerto Rico in its final pool play match on July 10.