May 19, 2016 Oakdale, NY – The Island Volleyball Academy is pleased to announce that Mackenzie Cole, 16, a sophomore from Connetquot High School, and a Libero on the Girls 18 Red team, has been selected as one of the 24 players invited to the USA Volleyball’s Girls Youth National Training Team this July in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team is the highest level a girl can achieve for the Youth age group in USA Volleyball’s talent pipeline program. The 24 players who attend this camp will be split in to two teams of 12 and will compete in USA Volleyball’s High Performance Championship tournament, which features high performance teams from USA Volleyball regions around the country. After the High Performance Championships, the 24 players will be narrowed down to a team of 12, who will travel to Puerto Rico to compete in The North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) Women’s U18 Continental Championship.

Mackenzie Cole is one of only two players from the entire east coast to be invited to this special team. Cole will be coached by Erin Virtue, the Women’s Volleyball Associate Head Coach at Northwestern University, Stacy Sykora from USA Volleyball, and Jared Hazel formerly of Colorado State University. “On behalf of the entire coaching staff, we are thrilled to announce this exceptional group as the 2016 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Training Team,” Virtue said. “These 24 athletes are among the best in the nation in their age group and will compete to represent USA at the NORCECA Championship. Our staff is honored to implement and teach the core values, philosophies and strategies of our U.S. Women's National Team to these young athletes.”

Academy Volleyball wishes Mackenzie continued success as she continues her development among the best competition the country. For the full details of the Girls Youth National Training Team, please click here to read USA Volleyball’s official release.