Rippee, Pamphile head to USA Volleyball tryouts

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will be represented by sophomore Rachel Rippee and freshman Elizabeth Pamphile at this weekend’s U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryout in Colorado Springs.

Assistant coach Jon Newman-Gonchar will also be in attendance continuing his role as a member of the USA Volleyball National Team coaching staff.

Overall, a total of 229 athletes from 90 colleges and universities around the country will be vying for selection to the National Team and Collegiate National Team programs.

The tryout process begins Friday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and will be streamed and available for free. Click HERE to watch. Rippee and Pamphile are part of the Red training wave that begins Friday at 4 p.m.

Rippee is one of 43 setters attending the tryout while Pamphile will be one of 49 middle blockers.

Rippee was an AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention performer and was twice named SEC Setter of the Week during the 2017 season.

She was second in the SEC and 21st in the NCAA with 11.23 assists per set. The Springfield, Missouri, native dished out 1,303 assists to become just the fourth setter in program history to reach 1,300 assists in a single season and the first to do so since 2003. Rippee also averaged 2.16 digs per set and finished the season with 12 double-doubles.

In her first season in Cardinal and White, Pamphile started in all 30 matches and posted at least seven kills in 22 matches including eight outings with 10 or more kills.

In six of those eight performances, she coupled the double-digit production with a .400 or higher hitting percentage. Defensively, Pamphile amassed 95.0 total blocks and had at least four total blocks in 10 matches.

USA Volleyball will use #USAtryout as the hashtag for photos, notes, quotes and stories posted to its social media platforms under its @usavolleyball handle.