Q & A with Kelsey Robinson, USA outside hitter - Articles

Kelsey Robinson, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter from Bartlett, Ill., was recently named to the USA Olympic team. Robinson has trained with the USA national team since 2014, was an AVCA All-American, Big Ten player of the year at Nebraska, and was named second-best outside spiker in the 2015 FIVB World Grand Prix. We caught up with Robinson shortly after the Olympic announcement. VBM: Congratulations on being named to the Olympic team. How did that feel? "I woke up this morning, and saw that everything had been released, and it really didn't feel real. Then I saw a text from Courtney Thompson and just started crying." "I don't think anyone really realizes how deep the competition is in our gym. How many girls cycle in over a four-year period. To be a part of it is super humbling." VBM: What lessons did the team glean from the Grand Prix (losing to Brazil in the final)? "It's about finding our edge, and finding who we are as a team. It's obviously not the result we wanted, but I think our team responds to failure really well. In 2014, after a loss in Grand Prix, we ended up winning the World Championships. This gives us things to work on. We have training blocks coming up to really get better in those areas and get after it." "We have to own our speed, and own who we are as a team. I don't think it's anything that other teams are doing to us, we need to be great on our...

from Articles - Volleyball Magazine http://ift.tt/29VAhlD