Lake Joins Team USA for Olympic Qualifier

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – BYU senior libero Mary Lake has been selected to the 14-player U.S. National Team roster that will work to secure a 2020 Olympic Games berth in a qualification tournament held Aug. 2-4 in Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana.

The U.S. will face Kazakhstan, Bulgaria and Argentina in a round-robin format with the winner earning a berth to the Olympic Games slated to take place in Tokyo next year.

Lake, an AVCA All-American and three-year starter at BYU, recently helped Team USA win the FIVB Volleyball Nations League title, defeating Brazil in the gold-medal match on July 7 in Nanjing, China.

For the Olympic qualifying tournament, U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Karch Kiraly and his staff have selected four outside hitters, four middles, two opposites, two setters and two liberos for the four-team round-robin Pool C.

• Outsides (4): Michelle Bartsch-Hackley, Kim Hill, Jordan Larson, Kelsey Robinson
• Opposites (2): Annie Drews, Jordan Thompson
• Middles (4): Tori Dixon, Chiaka Ogbogu, Dana Rettke, Haleigh Washington
• Setters (2): Lauren Carlini, Jordyn Poulter
• Liberos (2): Megan Courtney, Mary Lake

Team USA will face Kazakhstan on Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. CT, followed by Bulgaria on Aug. 3 at 5 p.m. CT and Argentina on Aug. 4 at 1 p.m. CT.

• Aug. 2: USA vs. Kazakhstan, 6 p.m. (live on NBC Sports Network)
• Aug. 3: USA vs. Bulgaria, 5 p.m. (live on Olympic Channel)
• Aug. 4: USA vs. Argentina, 1 p.m. (live on NBC)

The Tokyo Women’s Volleyball Qualification Tournament includes six pools of four team being staged in a round-robin format Aug. 2-4. The top 24 ranked teams, minus 2020 Olympic Games host Japan, are placed into the six pools using the serpentine system with pool winners claiming berths into the 2020 Olympics along with host Japan. The final five spots into the 2020 Olympics will be determined in early January through the five confederation zonal championships.

The matches are being held at the CenturyLink Center in Bossier City, Louisiana. Tickets can be purchased online at go.usav.org/wqualtix.