We want to pass on what we've been hearing and reading from the Youth National Training Team in Gainesville, Florida - especially because we're all anxiously awaiting the one and final cut of an expected 5 ladies for the YNT roster. Well, it's official: Magnolia's own Michele Williams made the team!! Yeah, what great news!! Congratulations, Michele!!
Gainesville, Fla., will host the 2006 NORCECA Girls Youth Volleyball Championships on July 25-30, USA Volleyball announced Thursday. The Championships will take place at the O’Connell Center on the campus of the University of Florida. Among the countries expected to send teams, besides the United States, are Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago.
But, just when we started to celebrate Michele's newest exciting achievement, this statement was just released from Mr. Williams:
"Michele was a late addition to the original 18 member roster. Another girl was unable to participate due to an injury and Michele was asked to fill the roster spot. USA Volleyball submitted paperwork to NORCECA to have her added to the official roster. USA Volleyball was notified yesterday, shortly after announcing the final roster, that NORCECA had denied the request and that Michele had been ruled ineligible to play. The decision was appealed, but the original decision was upheld this morning.
I spoke with Michele, and while she is disappointed, she is thankful for the experience of having been able to train with such an unbelievably talented group of girls and coaching staff. It was an honor for her to have been selected to the final team, however she was quick to point out (as she has from the very beginning) that all 18 of the girls are exceptional athletes, all very deserving, and each more than capable of representing the US next week. She's looking forward to taking a couple of weeks off and then hitting the court for her high school season. Michele will be following the tournament results next week and cheering her new friends on to victory."
We are all looking forward to Michele returning to our fair city and we are all proud of her. Please be sure to welcome her back and check Michele out when she's back in uniform and on the court this season for the Lady Bulldogs. It is quite an achievement being selected for the YNT, and even more impressive - being considered one of the top dozen or so players (for 3 different positions) in her age group (ladies born in 1990 and 1991), and in the USA!! Paperwork problems, or not!............
