COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Washington State's
Taylor Mims is one of 12 players chosen for the U.S. Women's Collegiate National Volleyball Team - Europe Tour (CNT-Europe) roster competing this summer, USA Volleyball announced Monday.
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Mims, a rising junior, will train and compete July 5-16 on the CNT-Europe squad, one of three teams within the U.S. Collegiate National Team program. The CNT-Europe team will compete in the 13th Annual European Global Challenge, July 11-14, in Pula, Croatia, after training and friendly matches in Europe. Prior to the Global Challenge, the CNT-Europe squad will tentatively train in Maribor, Slovenia, with friendly matches versus various National Teams.
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Cougar players
Casey Schoenlein and
McKenna Woodford and Head Coach
Jen Greeny were on the 2016 CNT-Europe team that became the first U.S. Collegiate team to win the Global Challenge Tournament in Pula, Croatia, in its 12-year history.
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Mims is a 6-3 middle blocker from Billings, Mont., who was a 2016 PrepVolleyball.com All-America Honorable Mention selection and named to the 2016 All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention Team. Mims earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week after she tallied 21 kills, hit .425, and had 13 blocks in the upset win over No. 9 Stanford and sweep of California. She also was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after a career-high 14 kills with 11 blocks versus Arizona State. In upset wins at No. 4 Washington and at No. 9 UCLA, she contributed 21 kills, hit .319, and had 11 digs and 11 blocks. Mims' career-high 11 blocks at Oregon State and again versus Arizona State tied
Claire Martin at fourth-best for blocks in a four-set match in WSU records. Mims' career-high four aces versus No. 20 Oregon is tied for third-best in WSU all-time. In 2016 statistics, Mims' 1.49 blocks per set average was second-best in Pac-12 and eighth-best in NCAA while her 191 total blocks was fourth-best in NCAA. She led the team with a .303 hitting percentage and in Pac-12 only stats, her 30 solo blocks and 1.52 blocks per set was the best in the conference. Mims' 191 total blocks is 19th-best in NCAA all-time single season records (25-point scoring, 2008-16). Her 161 block assists is third-best in WSU all-time single season records. In WSU career statistics, her 1.30 blocks per set average is fifth-best all-time, 42 solo blocks is 14th-best, 239 block assists is 16th-best, and 281 total blocks is 16th-best.
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University of Cincinnati Head Coach Molly Alvey will serve as the CNT-Europe head coach and will be assisted by North Carolina State University Assistant Coach Nicki Holmes.
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2017 U.S. Collegiate National Team - Europe Tour
Name (Position, School, 2017 College Year, Height, Hometown)
Corissa Crocker (M, University of Michigan, 6-3, 3, Brighton, Michigan)
Kristen Gengenbacher (S, University of San Diego, 5-9, 1, Quincy, Illinois)
Claire Kiefer-Wright (M, University of Michigan, 6-1, 1, South Pasadena, California)
Taylor Mims (OPP, Washington State University, 6-3, 2, Billings, Montana)
Carlyle Nusbaum (OH, Lipscomb University, 5-10, 2, Overland Park, Kansas)
Kelsie Payne (OPP, University of Kansas, 6-3, 1, Austin, Texas)
Taira Robins-Hardy (S, Brigham Young University, 6-2, 1, Waimanalo, Hawaii)
Jenna Rosenthal (M, Marquette University, 6-6, 2, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin)
Courtney Schwan (OH, University of Washington, 6-1, 1, Auburn, Washington)
Jaali Winters (OH, Creighton University, 6-2, 2, Ankeny, Iowa)
Brittany Witt (L, Creighton University, 5-8, 3, Omaha, Nebraska)
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