Colorado Springs, Colo. -- Illinois volleyball alumna Michelle Bartsch Hackley '12 has been named to the 25-player U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team preliminary roster from which players will be selected to compete inthe 2015 FIVB World Grand Prix. The international competition includes nine matches in three different countries from July 3-18, followed by the Finals which will be held July 22-26 in Omaha, Nebraska.

The World Grand Prix is the premier annual international women's volleyball tournament with the top 12 teams in the world competing in nine preliminary matches to qualify for the six-team, round-robin Finals, to be held in nearby Omaha, Nebraska. This year marks the first time that the U.S. has hosted the Finals in the 23-year history of the event. As the host team, Team USA will receive an automatic bid to the Final round.

The U.S. Women's National Team will take a group of 12 players to each round of the Grand Prix, all of whom must be among the pool of 25 players on the training roster. U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Karch Kiraly and his staff have the ability to select a different subset of players for each weekend of competition. The 25-player pool features seven Olympic silver medalists and 15 players with FIVB World Championship experience, while Bartsch is one of three players who will make their debuts with the National Team this summer. The training roster has eight outside hitters (including Bartsch), seven middle blockers, three setters and three liberos.

Team USA opens the World Grand Prix in Ankara, Turkey, with a match against No. 5 Italy on July 3, followed by No. 11 Turkey and No. 13 Belgium on July 4-5. The Americans travel to Kalingard, Russia, for the second weekend with matches against No. 7 Russia, No. 11 Turkey and No. 8 Serbia on July 10-12. The U.S. concludes the preliminary round in Hong Kong with matches against No. 4 Japan, No. 12 Thailand and No. 3 China on July 16-18. The top-five teams from the preliminaries will then advance to the Finals in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 22-26. As the host team, USA gets an automatic bid to the 2015 Finals, rounding out the six-team Championship field.

Team USA has won the FIVB World Grand Prix five times in the previous 22 editions. The U.S. won in three straight years from 2010-12, with Brazil winning the international championship the past two summers. Overall, Brazil has won a record 10 World Grand Prix titles. The 2015 FIVB World Grand Prix serves as the final event prior to the 2015 FIVB World Cup (Aug. 22-Sept. 6), which is the first 2016 Olympic Games qualification tournament.

A member of the U.S. Junior National Team in 2008 and the U.S. National "A2" Team in 2009 and 2011, Bartsch is a three-time All-American outside hitter who helped lead the Fighting Illini to the national title match during her senior season in 2011. A Volleyball Magazine All-America First Team selection in 2011, Bartsch was a four-time AVCA All-Region honoree and is the most recent Illini to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2008).

Following a season as a student assistant coach for the Fighting Illini in 2012, Bartsch has gone on to a successful career in professional volleyball. The Maryville, Illinois, native began her pro career in Puerto Rico with Toa Baja Llaneras in 2012, then moved to Germany to play for Rote Raben near Munich. Last spring, she signed with Dresdner Sportclub 1898, also in Germany, where she helped lead her team to its second-straight Bundesliga Championship earlier this month. Following the big win, Dresdner re-signed the Illini alum for next season.

2015 U.S. Women's National Team Preliminary Roster for FIVB World Grand Prix
# - Name (Position, Ht., Hometown, College)
1 -- Alisha Glass (S, 6-0, Leland, Mich., Penn State)
2 -- Kayla Banwarth (L, 5-10, Dubuque, Iowa, University of Nebraska)
3 -- Courtney Thompson (S, 5-8, Kent, Wash., University of Washington)
4 -- Lauren Paolini (MB, 6-4, Ann Arbor, Mich., University of Texas)
5 -- Tama Miyashiro (L, 5-7, Kaneohe, Hawaii, University of Washington)
6 -- Nicole Davis (L, 5-4, Stockton, Calif., University of Southern California)
7 -- Cassidy Lichtman (OH, 6-1, Poway, Calif., Stanford University)
8 -- Lauren Gibbemeyer (MB, 6-2, St. Paul, Minn., University of Minnesota)
9 -- Kristin Hildebrand (OH, 6-1, Orem, Utah, Stanford University)
10 -- Jordan Larson-Burbach (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., University of Nebraska)
11 -- Megan Hodge Easy (OH, 6-3, Durham, N.C., Penn State University)
12 -- Kelly Murphy (OPP, 6-2, Wilmington, Ill., University of Florida)
13 -- Christa Dietzen (MB, 6-2, Hopewell Township, Pa., Penn State University)
14 -- Nicole Fawcett (OPP, 6-4, Zanesfield, Ohio, Penn State University)
15 -- Kim Hill (OH, 6-4, Portland, Ore., Pepperdine University)
16 -- Foluke Akinradewo (MB, 6-3, Plantation, Fla., Stanford University)
17 -- Alix Klineman (OPP, 6-5, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Stanford University)
18 -- Molly Kreklow (S, 6-0, Delano, Minn., University of Missouri)
19 -- Michelle Bartsch (OH, 6-3, Maryville, Ill., University of Illinois)
20 -- Cursty Jackson (MB, 6-2, Los Angeles, Calif., University of Arizona)
21 -- Tori Dixon (MB, 6-3, Burnsville, Minn., University of Minnesota)
22 -- Rachael Adams (MB, 6-2, Cincinnati, Ohio, University of Texas)
23 -- Kelsey Robinson (OH, 6-2, Bartlett, Ill., University of Nebraska)
24 -- Krista Vansant (OH, 6-2, Redlands, Calif., University of Washington)
25 -- Karsta Lowe (OPP, 6-4, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., UCLA)

Head Coach: Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coaches: Jamie Morrison and Tom Black
Technical Coordinator: Joe Trinsey
Team Manager: Rob Browning
Athletic Trainer: Jill Wosmek
Team Doctors: Dr. William Briner, Jr., and Lori Boyajian-O'Neill

2015 FIVB World Grand Prix Preliminary Round Schedule for Team USA (listed times are local)
Pool C -- Ankara, Turkey
July 3: USA vs. Italy, 4 p.m.
July 4: USA vs. Turkey, 7 p.m.
July 5: USA vs. Belgium, 4 p.m.

Pool F -- Kalingrad, Russia
July 10: USA vs. Russia, 7:10 p.m.
July 11: USA vs. Turkey, 4:40 p.m.
July 12: USA vs. Serbia, 4:40 p.m.

Pool -- Hong Kong
July 16: USA vs. Japan, 6:30 p.m.
July 17: USA vs. Thailand, 6:30 p.m.
July 18: USA vs. China, 7:30 p.m.

FIVB World Grand Prix Finals
July 22-26 at Omaha, Nebraska