173 foreign players competing on American beach volleyball collegiate scene

Italians Margherita Bianchin (right) and Federica Frasca are concluding their American collegiate careers this season at Florida International in Miami

Lausanne, Switzerland, March 1, 2020 – With the American collegiate beach volleyball season starting this past weekend, there are currently 173 foreign players from 42 countries listed on school rosters for the 2020 campaign.

Heading the list of foreign players competing at colleges, universities and community/junior college are competitors from Canada (29 players), Brazil (26), Puerto Rico (17), Germany (9), Italy (9), Norway (9), Australia (8), England (5), New Zealand (5), Serbia (5) and the Czech Republic (4).

Other countries with collegiate players at schools in the United States are France (3), the Netherlands (3), Sweden (3), the Dominican Republic (2), Egypt (2), Estonia (2), Latvia (2), Lithuania (2), Mexico (2), Paraguay (2), Singapore (2), Spain (2) and Ukraine (2).

Nations with one player each at American colleges and universities are Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Macau, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland and Venezuela.

Headlining the top returning foreign teams on the American collegiate scene are Italians Margherita Bianchin (Traviso) and Federica Frasca (Rome), who are playing together for their fourth season at Florida International where the pair has compiled a 72-19 match mark.

Both Italians have competed on the FIVB World Tour where Frasca placed fourth last July with Arianna Barboni on home sand in Alba Adriatica.  Bianchin placed ninth in the Alba Adriatica event with Reka Orsi Toth (Rome), who is a sophomore playing this season at Loyola Marymount in California.

Orsi Toth, who’s older sister Viktoria ranks as one of the top players on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour with Marta Menegatti, currently forms Loyola Marymount’s top team with junior Selina Marolf of Bern, Switzerland. Orsi Toth had a 27-9 record for the Lady Lions last season as a freshman. In two-plus collegiate seasons at LMU, Marolf has posted a 27-21 match mark. 

Another top-ranked team on the American collegiate scene are Brazilians Ana Costa (Sergipe) and Kyce Martins (Rio de Janeiro) at seventh-ranked Stetson. Costa and Martins started the season last week at the Seminole Beach Bash in Florida where they defeated pairs from nationally-ranked Florida State, Cal Poly, and TCU along with Houston Baptist and Louisiana-Monroe.

Latvian Tina Graudina (Jurmala), the top collegiate player in the United States last season and still listed on the Southern California roster, is taking a season off as she has qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with Anastasija Kravcenoka. The Latvians qualified for the Summer Games by winning an Olympic qualifier last September in China.

In two seasons at Southern California, Graudina posted a 64-4 match mark with Abril Bustamante for the nationally-ranked school. For the 2020 season, the USC Lady of Troy are coached by Dain Blanton, the Sydney 2000 Olympic champion with Eric Fonoimoana.

Here is the list of foreign players by country and the school where they are on the beach volleyball roster.

•Argentina – Ariana Macies, Santa Fe, Missouri Baptist.

•Australia – Caitlin Bettenay, Queensland, San Jose State; Grace Convey, Brisbane, UCLA; Laura Embry, Warburton, Webber; Rebecca Ingram, Riverslea, Stetson; Georgia Johnson, Brisbane, Georgia State; Trish Koutsoukos, Sydney, San Francisco; Sarah Strong, Brisbane, Portland; Yasmin Tan, Melbourne, New Mexico.

•Austria – Viktoria Fink, Vienna, Coastal Carolina.

•Belgium – Hanne De Schrijver, Serskamp, Pacific.

•Brazil – Isabela Adamczyk, Curitaba, CS Bakersfield; Barbara Almeida, Uberlandia, Salt Lake CC; Julia Azevedo, Rio de Janeiro, CS Los Angeles; Caroline Benke, Parana, CS Bakersfield; Rafa Bonifacio, Sao Paulo, CS Bakersfield; Nicole Bott, Curitaba, Missouri Baptist; Daphinie Correa, Tatui-sp, Florida Memorial; Ana Carolina de Almeida Costa, Sergipe, Stetson; Giovanna Costa, Santa Catarina, St. Petersburg College; Letecia Fernandes, Santa Catarina, St. Petersburg College; Amanda Ferriera, Sao Paulo, Long Beach City; Paula Hoffman, Rio de Janeiro, Eckerd; Julia Parada Lima, Rio de Janeiro, St. Petersburg College; Kyce Martins, Rio de Janeiro, Stetson; Thayna Mendes, Sao Paulo, Florida Memorial; Celina Monteiro, Rio de Janeiro, Park; Luiza Oliveira, Rio de Janeiro, Webber; Paula de Oliveira, Barueir, Park; Andressa Praise, Santa Catarina, St. Petersburg College; Daniela Romero Prior, Sao Paulo, St. Petersburg College; Fernanda Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Eckerd; Luana Rezende, Rio de Janeiro, Eckerd; Roberta Ribeiro, Rio de Janeiro, St. Petersburg College; Marina Sanches, Santo Andre, Missouri Baptist; Lorrayne Silva, Belo Horizonte, Park; Fernanda Vido, Belo Horizonte, San Jose State.

•Canada – Jenna Banz, Cambridge, Ontario, Florida Gulf Coast; Quinci Birker, Kelowna, British Columbia, Stetson; Ally Carr, Shedden, Ontario, New Orleans; Arden Copping, White Rock, British Columbia, UAB; Darby Dunn, South Surrey, British Columbia, Loyola Marymount; Jessica Ennis, Toronto, Ontario, UAB; Kendal Faynor, White Rock, British Columbia, College of the Desert; Iris Fletcher, London, Ontario, Stephen F. Austin; Kayla Gallant, Cambridge, Ontario, UCLA; Amanda Gooding, Regina, Saskatchewan, Benedictine; Mikayla Law-Heese, Aurora, Ontario, UAB; Ashley Klassen, Tsawwasse, British Columbia, Florida International; Anna Maidment, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Hawai’i; Molly McBain, Toronto, Ontario, Florida State; Tia Miric, Thornhill, Ontario, Cal Poly; Lea Monkhouse, Mississauga, Ontario, UCLA; Joely Olive, Crossfield, Alberta, Webber; Debbie Powers, Ottawa, Ontario, San Diego City; Annie Pringle, Victoria, British Columbia, UAB; Elizabeth Richmond, Ontario, Florida Gulf Coast; Vanessa Roscoe, Burlington, Ontario, Cal Poly; Dana Roskic, Toronto, Ontario, North Florida; Jasmine Safar, Burlington, Ontario, Arizona; Jadyn Van Santen, Vancouver, British Columbia, Saint Mary’s; Carleigh Semeniuk, Whitby, Ontario, North Florida; Karlee Soderberg, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CS Sacramento; Jaime Thomas, Hamilton, Ontario, UNC Wilmington; Abbey Thorup, Saint Mary’s, Ontario, UAB; Becky Tresham, Bradford, Ontario, Georgia State.

•Chile – Melanie Paul, Santiago, Pepperdine.

•Croatia – Bozena Culo, Bjelovar, Loyola Marymount.

•Czech Republic – Natalie Honzovicova, Prague, Grand Canyon; Hana Makonova, Sokolov, CS Bakersfield; Lucie Pokorna, Kladno, New Orleans; Sarlota Svobodova, Popuvky, Coastal Carolina

•Dominican Republic – Azmabeth Infante, Santo Domingo, Florida Memorial; Pamela Jaime, Santo Domingo, Missouri State.

•Egypt – Nada Meawad, Cairo, Park; Noura Meawad, Cairo, Park.

•England – Ellie Austin, Croyde, Florida Atlantic; Caitlin Bethell, Hitchin, Lincoln Memorial; Anaya Evans, Cryode, Grand Canyon; Lauren Huggins, Ilfracombe, Houston Baptist; Hannah Symonds, Dorset, North Alabama.

•Estonia – Liisel Nelis, Kuressaare, Stetson; Jade Sadeiko, Sarevere, Oregon

•Finland – Salla Rautiainen, Espoo, Webber

•France – Emma Coudon, Lyon, Texas A&M Corpus Christi; Elsa Descamps, Mulhouse, Houston Baptist; Yasmin Kuck, Montpellier, Stetson

•Germany – Sophia Brandstetter, Muehldorf, Florida International; Lea Bueker, Kreidach, Santa Barbara; Ina Gosen, Goelenkamp, UCLA; Anna Jungjohann, Neu Wulmstorf, Eckerd; Lena Kindermann, Landhagen, Jacksonville State; Paula Klemperer, Hildesheim, North Alabama; Natalie Kordt, Borchum, North Alabama; Tabea Schwarz, Munich, San Jose State; Hannah Ziemer, Hamburg, Stetson.

•Greece – Elena Baka, Thesalloniki, Saint Mary’s

•Guatemala – Paola Alvarado, Florida International

•Hong Kong – Rachel Tam, Missouri State

•Hungary – Kinga Windisch, Budapest, Utah

•Israel – Michal Barranik, Hadera, Missouri State

•Italy – Giulia Alessandri, Milan, El Camino; Margherita Bianchin, Traviso, Florida International; Federica Frasca, Rome, Florida International; Margherita Marconi, Jesi, Park; Olivia Personeni, Milan, Loyola Marymount; Alice Pratesi, Rome, Long Beach State; Reka Orsi Toth, Rome, Loyola Marymount; Nina Vattovaz, Trieste, Saint Leo; Anna Dalla Vecchia, Vicenza, San Francisco.

•Japan – Mayu Yawata, Kyoto, Palomar.

•Latvia – Tina Graudina, Jurmala, USC; Petra Neciporuka, Kuldiga, Latvia, St. Petersburg College.

•Lithuania – Gintare Mackeviciute, Jonava, UT Martin; Ieva Vasiliauskaite, Vilnius, St. Petersburg College

•Macau – Lok Wa “Tanya” Au, Colegio de Santa Rosa de Lima, El Camino.

•Mexico – Janderi Ceja, Mexico City, Mt. San Antonio; Kathya Garcia, Chihuahua, Mexico, San Francisco

•Netherlands – Lydie Van Deursen, Venlo, Westcliff; Lisanne van Houwelingen, Breda, Missouri Baptist; Myrthe Maring, Groningen, Florida International.

•New Zealand – Maya Dickson, New Plymouth, North Alabama; Anilise Fitzi, Walton, Saint Leo; Antonia Harrison, Auckland, North Florida; Ariane Pola, Auckland, Salt Lake CC; Alice Zeimann, Christchurch, Florida State.

•Norway – Kirstine Garder, Halden, Florida Gulf Coast; Sunniva Helland-Hansen, Oyeste, Stetson; Kristine Hjembo, Aalesund, Westcliff; Oda Stray Homme, Kristiansand, Stetson; Martine Kragholm, Kristiansand, Coastal Carolina; Katinka Krahn, Oslo, Stetson; Nora Buvarp Lavik, Tonsberg, Westcliff; Elise Saga, Aamli, Georgia State; Helene Thelle, Tolvsrod, Florida International.

•Paraguay – Giuliana Corrales, Asuncion, Texas A&M Corpus Christi; Laura Ovelar, San Lorenzo, St. Petersburg College

•Poland – Agata Sklepik, Poznan, Eckerd

•Puerto Rico – Sammyra Albarran, San German, Florida Memorial; Genesis Benitez, Caguas, North Alabama; Lina Bernier, San Juan, Florida International; Jesennia Bonilla, Ceiba, Florida Memorial; Solimar Cestero, Toa Baja, North Florida; Biancaliz Cruz, Caguas, Florida Memorial; Joise Maldonado, Vega Alta, North Alabama; Alejandra Negron, Bayamon, CS Los Angeles; Marianne Negron, Loiza, Florida Memorial; Francheska Rivera, San Juan, Florida Memorial; Keisha Santana Roldan, Juncos, Florida Memorial; Angelie Rosario, Bayamon, North Florida; Alanis Santana, Bayamon, Florida Memorial; Karla Santos, Manati, CS Los Angeles; Adriana Soto, Guaynabo, Florida Memorial; Jeshmarie Suarez, Bayamon, CS Los Angeles; Eva Torruella, San Juan, Tulane.

•Serbia – Irena Drobnjak, Belgrade, Coastal Carolina; Ivana Maric, Kraljevo, Florida Memorial; Tijana Sisic, Novi Sad, Park; Isidora Stojovic, Belgrade, Missouri Baptist; Milica Vukobrat, Novi Sad, Serbia, CS Bakersfield.

•Singapore – Lucy Carpenter, Pacific; Kilani Daane, Tulane

•Slovak Republic – Emma Erteltova, Zilina, Florida International

•Slovenia – Nina Petranovic, Polzela, Florida International

•Spain – Daniela Alvarez, Asturias, TCU; Raquel Munoz, Logrono, Spain, William Carey

•Sweden – Fanny Ahman, Umea, Texas A&M Corpus Christi; Rebecka Dahlgren, Gothenburg, Stetson; Hanna Hellvig, Stockholm, Hawai’i.

•Switzerland – Selina Marolf, Bern, Switzerland, Loyola Marymount.

•Ukraine – Kateryna Dashevska, Rivne, St. Petersburg College; Svetlana Varkentina, Ukraine, Webber

LATEST NEWS

Source: Volley - fivb.org