Sykora, USA to Compete at Women's Pan American Cup
Jun 26, 2009 | Volleyball
June 26, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Three-time Olympian and former Texas A&M volleyball standout Stacy Sykora will compete for the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team at the Pan American Cup, June 26 to July 4 in Miami.
Sykora, regarded as one of the best liberos in the world, is one of five players on USA's 14-member Pan American Cup roster who won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Others returning from the silver medal team are four-time Olympian Danielle Scott-Arruda, three-time Olympian Heather Bown, two-time Olympian Tayyiba Haneef-Park and Nicole Davis.
Sykora (Burleson, Texas), A&M's first varsity athlete to compete in three Olympics, was an outside hitter for the Aggies from 1995-98. She earned All-America honors in her final two seasons and joined the national team in January 1999, one month after completing a stellar four-year collegiate career.
Sykora played in her first Olympics at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. She was Team USA's designated libero, a defensive specialist position that was making its Olympic debut. She made her second Olympic team in 2004 and was named "Best Digger" at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Sykora and the U.S. Women's National Team begin five days of pool play today against Costa Rica. Other teams USA will face in pool play are Guatemala on June 27, Mexico on June 28, Peru on June 29 and Puerto Rico on June 30 versus. All U.S. pool matches are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET.
Olympic gold-medal winner Brazil highlights Pool B, which also includes Argentina, Canada, Dominican Republic and Trinidad & Tobago.
The Women's Pan American Cup is a qualifying tournament into the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix and the 2009 Women's Final Four. The top three NORCECA teams and top team from South America receive berths into next year's FIVB World Grand Prix.
Following the Pan American Cup, USA will host the FIVB Women's World Championship Qualifier, July 6-8 at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
For more information on Team USA and the Pan American Cup, go to USAVolleyball.org.
