May 27, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Sarah Ammerman, a 6-2 outside hitter on the Texas A&M volleyball team, captured the bronze medal as a member of the U.S. Women's National A2 Blue Team at the USA Adult Open Volleyball Championships held in Minneapolis, May 23-26.
It is the second consecutive year the senior-to-be from Parker, Colo., has played for the USA A2 program and won the bronze medal. Ammerman, one of only five repeat selections from the 2008 U.S. Women's National A2 program, also won a bronze medal as a member of the USA Red team at the 2008 USA Adult Open Championships in Atlanta.
"This year's tournament was so much fun, even better than last year," Ammerman said. "The team chemistry was great, and the level of competition was so high. You definitely had to compete everyday for a spot.
"I learned a lot and came away a better player both physically and mentally. I was able to add to my repertoire by watching the other players and also by getting different feedback on my performances. It opened my eyes to other ways of doing things, and I came away a more complete player."
USA A2 Blue, coach by Kansas State head coach Suzie Fritz, finished in third place after falling to USA A2 Red in the playoffs. USA A2 Red went on to take silver after losing to the University of Washington, playing under its club name of Huskies VBC, in the gold medal match played Tuesday.
The USA Volleyball High Performance pipeline A2 Teams have been competing in the Open Division since 2003. The USA A2 program has won the Open Division championship in 2004 and 2008. The A2 players, all of whom have remaining collegiate eligibility for 2009, were selected as part of the U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryouts held Feb. 20-22 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. A record total of 160 athletes competed in the Open Tryout.
"Just the extra experience was great," Ammerman said. "It helped me get better in many different areas of the game, such as preparing and getting game ready, being able to compete in a different atmosphere and learning how to adjust to different situations. It helped build on what I already knew and solidified my overall game."
The experience also made Ammerman more eager for the Aggies' upcoming season, which begins August 28.
"I'm already so ready and excited to play again," she said. "I know what this A&M team is capable of, and I am ready to show people what we can do. I wish the season was starting tomorrow."
This past season, Ammerman garnered All-Big 12 honorable mention and was presented A&M's Most Valuable Player and Best Offensive Player awards after leading the Aggies and ranking seventh in the Big 12 Conference and in both kills (3.49) and points (3.90) per set in league matches only. She was the catalyst in A&M's season-ending six-match winning streak, hitting .326 while averaging 4.55 kills and 5.07 points per set during the stretch, and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 24 after leading the Big 12 with 5.50 points and 5.00 kills while hitting at a .356 clip in crucial victories against Oklahoma and Colorado.
The Aggies finished 16-14, including 11-9 in the Big 12, tying NCAA regional finalist Iowa State for fourth place in the conference standings. A&M also received votes and was listed tied for 33rd in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.
Additional information on the U.S. Women's National A2 Team program and the USA Volleyball Adult Open Championships can be found at http://www.usavolleyball.org.