COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 8, 2025) – A dynamic mix of athletes, including three Olympians, comprise the 30-player long-list roster for the U.S. Women’s National Team as it prepares for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the world’s premier annual international tournament.

The VNL brings together the world’s top 18 teams for three action-packed weeks of preliminary play, with each team competing in four matches per week. Only the top eight teams will earn a spot in the Final Round, where a VNL title will be on the line.

From the long list, U.S. coaches will select 14 athletes to compete at each of the three preliminary round stops: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 4-8), Belgrade, Serbia (June 18-22), and a highly anticipated home appearance in Arlington, Texas (July 9-13). The Final Round is set for July 23-27 in Łódź, Poland.

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“We’ve had an incredible group of athletes in the gym so far — they’re bringing great energy, a strong work ethic, and a real commitment to getting better every day,” U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Erik Sullivan said. “This roster brings together a lot of exciting skill sets, and it’s been fun to see how quickly they’re connecting and pushing each other. Our more experienced athletes have done a great job setting the tone and sharing their experience, which has been huge for our younger athletes. As we head into VNL, I’m looking forward to seeing this group grow and take on the challenge of international competition together.”

Three players return from the 2024 team that won silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: setter Jordyn Poulter, who also won gold with the team in 2020; outside hitter Avery Skinner and middle blocker Dana Rettke.

Ten athletes on the roster have competed in previous VNLs including setter Jenna Gray, liberos Morgan Hentz and Zoe Jarvis (previously Zoe Fleck), outside hitters Ali Frantti, Roni Jones-Perry and Khalia Lanier, middles Brionne Butler and Asjia O’Neal, and opposites Danielle Cuttino and Madisen Skinner.

Several athletes have competed for the senior U.S. National Team in NORCECA events, including libero Lexi Rodriguez, opposites Olivia Babcock, Taylor Mims and Stephanie Samedy, setter Ella Powell, outside hitters Logan Eggleston and Sarah Franklin, and middle blockers Serena Gray, Amber Igiede, Molly McCage and Tia Jimerson.

Six athletes have yet to compete for the senior U.S. National Team: setters Rachel Fairbanks and Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres, middle blocker Anna Dodson, outside hitter McKenzie Adams, opposite Logan Lednicky and libero Lauren Briseño.

Sullivan, who is in his first year coaching the U.S. Women’s National Team, is assisted by Tayyiba Haneef-Park, Brandon Taliaferro and Mike Wall.

The U.S. Women are the reigning Olympic silver medalists and ranked No. 3 in the world. They have won the VNL three times (2018, ’19, ’21) since its inception in 2018. In 2024, they lost in the quarterfinals to eventual Olympic champion Italy.

U.S. Women’s Preliminary Roster for 2025 VNL
No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
2 Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Univ. of Illinois, Rocky Mountain)
3 Avery Skinner (OH, 6-1, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky, Lone Star)
5 Ali Frantti (OH, 6-1, Spring Grove, Ill., Penn State, Great Lakes)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
7 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)
8 Brionne Butler (MB, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
9 Madisen Skinner (OH, 6-2, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
11 Taylor Mims (Opp, 6-3, Billings, Mont., Washington State, Evergreen)
10 Jenna Gray (S, 6-1, Shawnee, Kan., Stanford Univ., Heart of America)
13 Amber Igiede (MB, 6-3, Baton Rouge, La., Univ. of Hawaii, Delta)
14 Anna Dodson (MB, 6-5, Fort Collins, Colo., UCLA, Rocky Mountain)
15 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
17 Zoe Jarvis  (previously Fleck)(L, 5-6, Granada Hills, Calif., UCLA and Univ. of Texas, Southern California)
18 Asjia O’Neal (MB, 6-3, Southlake, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)
19 Khalia Lanier (OH, 6-2, Scottsdale, Ariz., Univ. of Southern California, Arizona)
20 Danielle Cuttino (Opp, 6-4, Indianapolis, Ind., Purdue, Hoosier)
21 Roni Jones-Perry (OH, 6-0, West Jordan, Utah, BYU, Intermountain)
22 Sarah Franklin (OH, 6-4, Lake Worth, Fla., Univ. of Wisconsin, Florida)
23 Lauren Briseño (L, 5-7, San Antonio, Texas, Baylor, Lone Star)
24 Olivia Babcock (Opp, 6-4, Los Angeles, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
25 Tia Jimerson (MB, 6-3, Sugar Hill, Ga., Ohio University, Southern)
27 Ella Powell (S, 6-0, Fayetteville, Ark., Univ. of Washington, Delta)
28 Logan Lednicky (Opp, 6-3, Sugar Land, Texas, Univ. of Texas A&M, Lone Star)
29 Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
30 McKenzie Adams (OH, Schertz, Texas, Univ. of Texas at San Antonio, Lone Star)
32 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-2, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)
34 Stephanie Samedy (Opp, 6-2, Clermont, Fla., Univ. of Minnesota, Florida)
43 Serena Gray (MB, 6-2, Temple City, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)

Head Coach:  Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Mike Wall
Second Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Second Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Second Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey
Team Manager: Rob Browning
Team Doctors:  William Briner, James Suchy, Chris Lee, Andrew Gregory
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shawn Hueglin, Shannon Boone
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker, Katy Stanfill
Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham

U.S. Women’s Schedule for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV.
(All times PDT)

Week 1:  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

June 4 at 10 a.m. vs. Italy
June 5 at 5 p.m. vs. Brazil
June 6 at 5 p.m. vs. Czechia
June 8 at 1 p.m. vs. Korea

Week 2: Belgrade, Serbia

June 18 at 11 a.m. vs. Serbia
June 19 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Poland
June 21 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Netherlands
June 22 at 7:30 a.m. vs. France

Week 3: Arlington, Texas
July 9 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Thailand
July 10 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Dominican Republic vs. USA
July 12 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Canada vs. USA
July 13 at 5 p.m. vs. China

Here’s a look at the MSL all-conference selections for girls water polo in the 2025 season:
Hersey’s Andrea Teves (left) and Emily Steinberg (right) celebrate after a goal by the Hersey boys team.
 
MSL East: 
Hersey: Emily Steinberg, Melissa Loch, Coco Schultz, Andrea Teves, Kayla Brace
Prospect: Sasha Martschenko, Katelyn Royal, Olivia Schiller
Wheeling: Jenny Dawson
Elk Grove: Anastasija Jevtić, Naima Leonatti
 
MSL West:
Fremd: Reese Winegar, Elly Jo Fay, Caterina Gaido, Molly Bold…

PORTLAND, Ore. — Like an Oregonian who forgot whether they turned their stove off or not just as they start a road trip, the Portland State track & field program is doing a U-turn on I-5 as the Vikings head back down to Corvallis for the second straight week. The Vikings will compete at the Pac-12 Open Saturday, a week after they were last at Whyte Track and Field Center for the OSU High Performance Meet.
 
Last week’s trip to the Beavers’ home track was kind to the Vikings, especially to Edward Niyongere, who set a top 10 mark in the triple jump. Niyongere sat eighth in the triple jump standings going into his sixth and final attempt in the competition. That’s when he uncorked a personal best of 48-00.75 (14.65m) to move up to fifth all-time in the event at Portland State.
 
Niyongere will return to the triple jump Saturday while also competing in the men’s long jump.
 
The other two Vikings to set top 10 marks last week – Dieumerci Migani in the men’s long jump, Ania Kapustka in the women’s 3k steeplechase – won’t be in action Saturday. Neither will Emma Stolte, who was a double heat winner between the women’s 800 and 1,500 meters last weekend. Those three will wait for their return the following week at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships in Sacramento.
 
Daniel Coppedge – the school record holder in the weight throw and hammer – figures to join them there, though he’ll first return to action this weekend. Coppedge took last weekend off but is entered in the hammer and discus Saturday.
 

Coppedge set the school record in the hammer at the Oregon Preview on March 21, throwing 186-10 (56.96m). He approached that mark at the last two meets at which he competed, throwing 183-10 (56.05m) at the John Knight Twilight on April 11 and 183-08 (56.00m) at the L&C Larry Byerly Invitational on April 18. Coppedge still has the ability to throw farther, as his personal best remains 193-02 (58.87m) when he was throwing for Clackamas Community College at the 2023 NWAC Championships.
 
Another Viking scheduled to return Saturday will be Portland State football player Micah Avery. With spring practices over for the Viking football team, Avery could make his return to the track in the 100 and 200 meters this weekend.
 

Avery’s only appearance so far during the outdoor season came before spring practices started for the football team at the L&C Electric Forest Opener on March 8. Avery cracked 11 seconds in the 100 meters at that meet, finishing in 10.98 seconds. He also ran the 200 meters in 22.74 seconds.
 
Phoenix Bakkum, Dillon Brost, Ty Hawkins and Braden Latscha will join Avery in the men’s 100 meters. That crew has shown improvements recently. Latscha set personal bests in the 100 and 200 meters last weekend at the OSU High Performance Meet, finishing in 11.20 and 22.91 seconds, respectively. Brost set a seasonal best in the 200 meters with his finish in 22.47 seconds, while Bakkum did the same with his finish in 22.91 seconds.
 
The women’s 800-meter crew also showed out for the Vikings last Saturday. With Stolte leading the way, that group produced two heat wins and three personal or seasonal bests at the OSU High Performance Meet.
 
While Stotle won’t be back this weekend, the Vikings’ other heat winner – Addison Capozzi – will be. Capozzi won her heat by more than a second and a half while finishing in 2:22.98. Taylor Nichols will also be back after cracking 2:20 in the 800 meters for the first time outdoors, setting a personal best with her finish in 2:19.64.
 
Run a good time again Saturday, and the Vikings’ trip back up I-5 to Portland will be a happy one. As long as they’re sure they turned off their burners.
 
MEET INFO
May 10 – Pac-12 Open – Corvallis, Ore. (Whyte Track and Field Center)
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Live Results | Live Video
 
MEET SCHEDULE
Saturday, May 10
Time (PT) – Event (PSU Entries)
10 a.m. – Men’s Javelin (Green)
~11 a.m. – Women’s Javelin (Garcia)
~12 p.m. – Men’s Hammer (Coppedge, Green, LaGris)
1 p.m. – Men’s Long Jump (Becker, Hawkins, Niyongere)
~1 p.m. – Men’s High Jump (Mathers)
2:15 p.m. – Women’s 1,500 Meters (Capozzi, Nichols, Schmitke, Wapsheli)
2:30 p.m. – Men’s 1,500 Meters (Brown, Chen)
2:55 p.m. – Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles (Olivier)
~3 p.m. – Men’s Discus (Coppedge, LaGris)
~3 p.m. – Women’s Shot Put (Garcia)
3:10 p.m. – Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles (Sweeney)
3:25 p.m. – Women’s 400 Meters (Coté, Faust)
3:30 p.m. – Men’s 400 Meters (Olubisi)
3:40 p.m. – Women’s 100 Meters (Wheat)
3:52 p.m. – Men’s 100 Meters (Avery, Bakkum, Brost, Hawkins, Latscha)
4 p.m. – Men’s Triple Jump (Niyongere, Sharps)
4:15 p.m. – Women’s 800 Meters (Brown, Capozzi, Nichols, Schmitke)
4:25 p.m. – Men’s 800 Meters (Brown, Chen, Ramirez, Walsh)
5:20 p.m. – Women’s 200 Meters (Coté, Wheat)
5:30 p.m. – Men’s 200 Meters (Avery, Bakkum, Brost, Kargbo, Latscha, Olubisi)
7:45 p.m. – Men’s 5,000 Meters (Moore, Muradas)
8:10 p.m. – Men’s 10,000 Meters (Ota, Sarver Huber)