Brown, Dusek Selected for US Collegiate National Team
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – For the second consecutive offseason, Kentucky volleyball stars Kaz Brown and Ashley Dusek will don the Red, White and Blue. Brown and Dusek were two of 12 players chosen to represent the United States Women’s Collegiate National Team in the Thailand Tour from May 19-30, USA Volleyball announced on Monday.
“This opportunity for Ashley and Kaz is fantastic,” UK head coach Craig Skinner said. “They will be competing alongside the best collegiate players in the USA. There will be a ton of pride within them as they represent our country battling against international teams.”
The match schedule will include contests against the Thailand National Team, the Thailand U23 Team and Bangkok Glass, the top team in the Thai professional league. The CNT-Thailand team will also play against two other teams yet to be confirmed. The team training and competition matches will be at the FIVB Development Center in Bangkok, one of only four such centers in Asia.
Athletes were selected through the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts held March 3-5 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. The tryout featured 244 players from 81 colleges and 10 high schools.
Brown won her second American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region award and All-Southeastern Conference nod after a phenomenal season. The Waterloo, Iowa, native was third in the SEC and 16th in the country in blocks per set at 1.42. Her 151 blocks were the second most from any UK player during the 25-point rally-scoring era, trailing only her 180 mark set in 2015.
UK’s middle blocker participated on the US Collegiate National Team that traveled to China a season ago that completed a successful two-week tour.
Dusek repeated as the SEC Libero of the Year and once again earned All-America honors. She averaged 4.78 digs per set, good for second in the SEC. Dusek became the fifth player under Skinner to total 1,000 or more career digs when she achieved the feat this season.
The East Bernard, Texas, native participated in the Collegiate National Team-Indianapolis training program last summer and led her team to the finals of the tournament.
Other players under Skinner who have participated in the US Volleyball program include Morgan Bergren, Whitney Billings, Ashley Frazier, Stephanie Klefot, Alexandra Morgan, Jackie Napper and Sarah Rumely.
