May 10, 2010
COLUMBIA, S.C. – University of South Carolina rising junior Kayla Grimsley is among 24 players selected for the second-to-last domestic training camp for the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team. The two-week training camp is being held May 8-23 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., and the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
Grimsley recently completed two training camps with the national team before being called back again by coach Jillian Ellis, who is preparing to name her final roster for the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup that will be held July 13-Aug. 1 in Germany. Grimsley is the sole representative from the Southeastern Conference called back to this two-week camp.
The team will play four international matches during the camp, spending May 8-15 at The Home Depot Center where they will face the New Zealand U-20 Women’s National Team twice (May 13 at 7 p.m. ET and May 15 at 3 p.m. ET) before traveling down to San Diego from May 16-23 for another week of training, during which they will play the Mexican U-20 Women’s National Team twice at the Olympic Training Center (May 20 and 22, both at 7 p.m. ET).
“We want to finalize the roster spots as the selection process is essentially over,” said Ellis of the two-week camp. “Now, it’s about getting the right players in the right positions and building our team play. One of positive things with this team is that we have great versatility and one of my goals is to work toward picking a starting lineup by the end of this camp.”
Grimsley had one of the top all-around performances in Gamecock history as a sophomore in the 2009 season. A first-team All-SEC selection, she became just the fifth player at South Carolina to hit double-digit goals in a season and finished with 13 goals and seven assists for 33 points. She finished first in the SEC in goals, second in points and fifth in assists, while coming just one point short of setting the South Carolina single-season record. Grimsley started the season with a record nine-match scoring streak and led the team to its first SEC Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Round of 16.
Training Camp Roster
May 8-23, 2010
Carson, Calif. & Chula Vista, Calif.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Adrianna Franch (Oklahoma State; Salina, Kan.), Bryane Heaberlin (Clearwater Chargers; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Bianca Henninger (Santa Clara; Los Gatos, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (8): Sade Ayinde (Maryland; North Bellmore, N.Y.), Vicki DiMartino (Boston College; Massapequa, N.Y.), Crystal Dunn (Albertson SC; Rockville Centre, N.Y.), Danille Hubka (Maryland; Strongsville, Ohio), Kendall Johnson (Portland; Portland, Ore.), Lindsi Lisonbee (BYU; Park City, Utah), Toni Pressley (Florida State; Melbourne, Fla.), Rachel Quon (Stanford; Lake Forrest, Ill.)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Amber Brooks (North Carolina; New Hope, Pa.), Zakiya Bywaters (UCLA; Las Vegas, Nev.), Kayla Grimsley (South Carolina; Lakeland, Fla.), Kristie Mewis (Boston College; Hanson, Mass.), Samantha Mewis (Scorpion SC; Hanson, Mass.), Christine Nairn (Penn State; Bowie, Md.), Teresa Noyola (Stanford; Palo Alto, Calif.), Jenna Richmond (McLean SC; Centreville, Va.), Casey Short (Florida State; Naperville, Ill.)
FORWARDS (4): Maya Hayes (Aristocats; West Orange, N.J.), Sydney Leroux (UCLA; Pheonix, Ariz.), Tiffany McCarty (Florida State; Laurel, Md.), Courtney Verloo (Stanford; Tualatin, Ore.)
