While their teammates coped with the Evanston weather and took midterms, Northwestern volleyball players Erika Lange and Drew Robertson were traveling to Croatia.
The two underclassmen took off Tuesday to participate in Spring Cup 2002 as members of the USA National Select team.
“It’s an honor,” NU head coach Keylor Chan said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for them to represent Northwestern. It’s a credit to the team and the individuals. It’s an opportunity for them to become members of the larger volleyball community.”
The trip marks the first time an NU player has played for a U.S. team in more than 15 years.
The 17-player Select team is a preparatory squad for the U.S. national team, which has both ‘A’ and ‘B’ units.
The Select team is chosen from the pool of players that try out for the U.S. national team in San Diego. Those chosen for the Select squad are players the national team hopes will eventually join its squad, Chan said.
“The Olympic teams use these things as evaluations,” Chan said. “(Lange and Robertson) could be on their way.”
The selection of honorable-mention All-Big Ten middle-blocker Lange was not unexpected, Chan said. But the setter Robertson, the youngest player selected, was a different matter.
“We were a little surprised to see Drew go, just because she’s so young,” Chan said of the freshman. “It was good to see her taken. We knew the kind of player she was when we recruited her, and the Select team saw that too.”
Spring Cup 2002, played from Saturday through May 19 in Porec, Croatia, has a field of 14 teams. The NU duo should face opponents of at least seven nationalities.
The U.S. team will treat the tournament as a developmental opportunity instead of sending the national team. Some of the other countries, however, will send their national teams.
“They’re going to play against phenomenal players,” Chan said. “They’ll improve as players. They’re going to see a whole other perspective on how volleyball is played. That’s always going to make you better.”
The journey will benefit not only Lange and Roberston, but the entire NU volleyball program, Chan said.
Having Select squad members playing for the Cats will improve Chan’s recruiting pitch in the future.
And aside from drawing in new talent, the pair’s trip will should an impact over the next few years.
“It’s great for the individuals to grow and mature as people,” Chan said. “And it’s great for our team because they’re going to bring back some wonderful experiences.’
