Olmstead named assistant coach of Team USA for Pan American Cup

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – BYU women's volleyball head coach Heather Olmstead has been selected as an assistant coach to help lead Team USA at the 2016 XV Pan-American Cup, which will be played in the Dominican Republic from June 30 to July 11, as announced by USA Volleyball. 

"I am honored for the opportunity national team head coach Karch Kiraly has given me to represent Team USA in the Pan American Cup," Olmstead said. "There is a great group of young women selected to train and compete against some of the best teams in the world. I look forward to working with a great staff and learning new tactics that I can implement at Brigham Young University."

Team USA will be coached again this year by Pitt head coach Dan Fisher. Olmstead, who performed in a similar capacity last year for the 2015 Pan Am Games, will be an assistant coach along with the University of Arkansas associate head coach Jon Newman-Gonchar. Arkansas State University assistant head coach Tristan Johnson will serve as the team's scout.

In addition to the U.S., a total of 12 nations are expected to compete at the tournament, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and the host the Dominican Republic. 

The U.S. Women's National Team has invited 19 athletes who are either still in school or who recently completed eligibility of their respective colleges to compete for a roster spot on the team. The final roster will be announced in late June.

Last year, Olmstead helped Team USA eam its first gold medal since 1967 at the Pan Am Games by defeating Brazil in three sets in the title match. 

Olmstead was named the BYU women's volleyball head coach in 2015 after serving for four seasons as an assistant coach to her brother Shawn Olmstead. In her first season as the Cougar head coach, she was named the West Coast Conference Coach of the Year after leading the squad to an outright WCC title and a fourth-consecutive trip to the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament.