U.S. WOMEN'S CNT-WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES CENTRAL
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The fourth and final Illini volleyball player to compete overseas this summer, redshirt-freshman Diana Brown helped lead the U.S. Women's Collegiate National Team (WCNT-WUG) to a 4-2 record and a ninth-place finish after winning the tournament's consolation bracket at the 2019 World University Games, held in Napoli, Italy from July 5-13.
"I am so appreciative that I had the opportunity to play volleyball for Team USA in Italy because of the international experience I gained," said Brown. "The trip was so fun! We had a great group of people who loved to compete on the court and be together off the court. I will cherish my time I had in Italy!"
The WCNT-WUG started the tournament in Group D with Italy, Japan and Switzerland, with Italy earning the Silver medal and Japan earning the Bronze. As such, Group D finished with the highest average placement among the four groups.
Q & A with Diana Brown
What did it mean to represent Team USA?
It was surreal to wear the Red, White and Blue. I love playing for something greater than myself, and what better to play for than the USA? Putting that jersey on means playing for yourself, your teammates, your coaches and for your country. What an amazing opportunity I had!! I am so grateful!!
Favorite moments on the court?
Becoming friends and teammates with players that have been my opponents on the collegiate level and then figuring out how to play with them. Beating Switzerland for the second time and leaving a statement on how the USA plays volleyball by leading 17-1 at one point in our second match.
Favorite moments off the court?
My favorite moments off the court were visiting Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast and eating gelato every time we saw a dessert café!
How was the experience of an international tournament?
An International tournament is definitely different than college volleyball. These athletes have been training for a while for these games and know how to exploit weaknesses within the very first points of the match. Some rules are different as well, so the strategies are a little different. I appreciate the knowledge of the game I gained from just playing against these athletes.
What interaction did you have with the other teams/athletes competing?
It was hard to interact with other countries because of the language barrier, but at the end of the tournament, we traded shirts and jerseys. we mainly got to hang out with the Canadians and our men's volleyball team. It was fun to learn about how they live their daily lives and what their practices and games were like.
Any interesting stories or surprises?
The first day we practiced, our bus got lost so we had to get off and walk to the gym. The gym was in the middle of a town with no lights. I would say that was interesting at the very least!
Lessons learned on the trip?
I learned to appreciate the things I have and never take anything for granted. We are very privileged in the United States! I also learned that international volleyball is different than college volleyball by many different aspects of the game.
How did this experience help you improve your game?
We – Team USA - had such a quick turnaround between meeting our teammates and playing on a team with them. Most of the other countries play with each other for weeks or months before the games, but we met four days before playing with each other. I most improved on learning how to set different players in such a short amount of time.
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