MADISON, Wis. – Tiffany Clark, a sophomore on the University of Wisconsin volleyball team, has been named to the 12-player U.S. Women's Junior National Team which will compete in the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's U20 World Championship.  The World Championship event will be staged July 14-23 in Boca del Rio and Cordoba, Mexico. The U.S. qualified for the World Championship by winning gold at the 2017 Women's U20 Pan American Cup in San Jose, Costa Rica.
 
Clark, a 5-11 libero, transferred to Wisconsin after spending her freshman season at the University of Michigan. She played in 35 matches for the Wolverines, averaging 1.82 digs per set. The Naperville, Illinois, native is making her third appearance in a USA Volleyball uniform. She won a gold medal at the 2017 U20 Pan Am Cup and a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships in Lima, Peru, as a member of the U.S. Youth National Team.
 
The roster was chosen from a 16-player training group that was evaluated July 2-11 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. U.S. Women's Junior National Team Head Coach Laurie Corbelli said the training period has been great for the athletes to develop into a team.
 
"This team is an extremely competitive group in terms of individual athletes," Corbelli said. "They are physical and play very high. Our passing has improved a ton. It is reassuring to know it is as good as it is, because once we get a good first contact, our hitters have a hay day. Offensively, this is a very strong group."
 
The FIVB Women's U20 World Championship is a 16-team event with four pools of four teams playing a round-robin format in the first round. The top two teams in each pool advance to the gold bracket, while the bottom two teams in each pool will battle for positions 9-16.
 
Team USA, which is part of Pool C in Boca del Rio, opens the competition against Brazil on July 14, followed by NORCECA rival Cuba on July 15, Serbia on July 16. Brazil qualified for the World Championship by winning the 2016 South American Women's U20 Championship. Both Cuba and Serbia claimed their tickets to the World Championship as one of the top six teams in the Women's U20 world ranking not to have already qualified.
 
Pool A includes host Mexico, Bulgaria, Egypt and Russia. Pool B included China, Dominican Republic, Peru and Poland. Pool D has Argentina, Italy, Japan and Turkey.
 
U.S. Women's Junior National Team

# - Name (Position, 2017 Club/College, Height, Hometown, Region)
1 – Brionne Butler (M, University of Texas, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Lone Star)
2 – Tiffany Clark (L, University of Wisconsin, 5-11, Naperville, Illinois, Great Lakes)
3 – Thayer Hall (OH, Upward Stars, 6-3, Moore, South Carolina, Palmetto)
4 – Paige Hammons (OH, University of Florida, 6-2, Louisville, Kentucky, Pioneer)
5 – Regan Pittman (M, University of Minnesota, 6-5, Spring Hill, Kansas, Heart of America)
6 – Holly Carlton (OPP, University of North Carolina, 6-7, Sterling, Virginia, Chesapeake)
8 – Ronika Stone (OPP, University of Oregon, 6-2, San Jose, California, Northern California)
11 – Norene Iosia (S, University of Hawaii, 5-11, Torrance, California, Southern California)
12 – MacKenzi Welsh (S, University of Michigan, 6-1, Bolingbrook, Illinois, Great Lakes)
14 – Gabby Curry (L, University of Kentucky, 5-9, Buford, Georgia, Southern)
15 – Rachael Kramer (M, University of Florida, 6-8, Phoenix, Arizona, Arizona)
17 – Leah Edmond (OH, University of Kentucky, 6-2, Lexington, Kentucky, Pioneer)
 
Head Coach: Laurie Corbelli (head coach at Texas A&M University)
Assistant Coach: Blake Rawlins (head trainer at Top Select Volleyball Academy)
Assistant Coach: Jay Van Vark (assistant coach at Grand Canyon University)
Team Leader: Tom Pingel (USA Volleyball High Performance)
Athletic Trainer: Ronni Beatty-Kollasch (University of Minnesota)
 
2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's U20 World Championship
 
Pool C at Boca del Rio, Mexico
July 14: USA vs. Brazil, 10 p.m. ET
July 15: USA vs. Cuba, 9 p.m. ET
July 16: USA vs. Serbia, 7 p.m. ET