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Hancock, Washington Make Team USA Olympic Volleyball Roster

Penn State will be well represented when the United States heads to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic Games this summer.

Nittany Lions alumni Micha Hancock and Haleigh Washington were among 12 athletes named to the United States’ Olympic roster. They’re also joined by Penn State alumna Megan Courtney, who was named an alternate for the team.

https://twitter.com/usavolleyball/status/1401952889359065088

Penn State is just one of three schools with multiple alumni on the United States’ roster. Unsurprisingly, eight of the team’s 12 players once played in the Big Ten.

“Ultimately, we coaches are elated for this Olympic roster selection, and for our program,” head coach Karch Kiraly said in a statement. “Each one of the 12 contributes unique skills and qualities that make her the right person for the job. This collection of special people who are elite volleyball players is poised to make a fierce Olympic run.

Hancock played for Penn State from 2011 to 2014 and still holds the Nittany Lions’ all-time service ace record with 254 over her career. She won back-to-back national titles with the Nittany Lions in 2013 and 2014.

Washington’s tenure in Happy Valley stretched from 2014 to 2017, when she earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. She was also a three-time All-American and won a national title as a freshman in 2014.

Hancock is certainly no stranger to the professional volleyball stage. Following her storied Penn State career, she went on to play professionally in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Poland. Washington, on the other hand, has played professionally in Mexico since 2017 and joined Team USA in 2018.

The 2020 Olympic Games, which were postponed a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, will begin on July 23. The women’s volleyball tournament is set to kick off the next day on July 24.

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About the Author

Matt DiSanto

Matt proudly served as Onward State’s managing editor for two years until graduating from Penn State in May 2022. Now, he’s off in the real world doing real things. Send him an email ([email protected]) or follow him on Twitter (@mattdisanto_) to stay in touch.

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