COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Former LSU volleyball standout Regan Hood was one of 12 players selected to the U.S. National Team that will compete at the XVI Pan American Games held in Guadalajara, Mexico. The competition, televised by ESPN Deportes and carried online via ESPN3.com, starts Saturday and will take place at the Pan American Volleyball Stadium.
Hood, a 2003 All-SEC Second-Team pick and multiple All-Louisiana selection, racked up 1,172 career kills during her four-year career and currently ranks 13th all-time in program history. She powered home over 300 kills in each of her last three seasons with the Tigers and also finished her career with 499 digs to go along with 333 total blocks.
“We are so happy for and proud of Regan,” head coach Fran Flory said. “This is an exciting step in her volleyball career. She has been very successful on the professional level and worked extremely hard toward wearing the USA uniform. It’s a great tribute to not only her hard work but perseverance that she will now reach that goal in the Pan American Games.”
“I am really excited for the opportunity to play for USA in these Pan American Games,” Hood said. “We’re looking forward to playing hard together and representing our country well.”
The women’s volleyball competition at the Pan American games will take place Oct. 15-20. The U.S. opens Pool B on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. against Puerto Rico and Peru, respectively. Team USA concludes group play on Monday versus host Mexico at 7 p.m.
The top team in both Pool A and Pool B receives an automatic berth into the semifinals on Wednesday, while the second- and third-place teams compete in crossover quarterfinal matches on Tuesday. The medal round and final classification matches are scheduled for one week from today.
The Pan American Games is held every four years in the year preceding the Olympics Games. The event started in 1955 at Mexico City, nine years before the first-ever Olympic Games.
The U.S. Women’s National Team has medaled in 11 of the previous 14 Pan American Games with volleyball competition, including one gold medal (1967), six silver medals (1955, 1959, 1963, 1971, 1983, 1995) and four bronze medals (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007).
U.S. Women’s National Team Roster for Pan American Games
# – Name (Position, Ht, Hometown, College)
2 – Kayla Banwart (Libero, 5-10, Dubuque, Iowa, Nebraska)
3 – Keao Burdine (OH, 6-1, Pico Rivera, Calif., Southern California)
4 – Angie Forsett (OH, 5-8, Lake Worth, Fla., California-Berkeley)
6 – Tamari Miyashiro (L, 5-7, Kaneohe, Hawaii, Washington)
8 – Cynthia Barboza (OH, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Stanford)
10 – Lauren Gibbemeyer (MB, 6-2, St. Paul, Minn., Minnesota)
11 – Regan Hood (OPP, 6-2, Carrollton, Texas, LSU)
12 – Alix Klineman (OH, 6-4, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Stanford)
13 – Cassidy Lichtman (OPP, 6-1, Poway, Calif., Stanford)
14 – Carli Lloyd (S, 5-11, Bonsall, Calif., California-Berkeley)
15 – Courtney Thompson (S, 5-8, Kent, Wash., Washington)
19 – Jessica Jones (MB, Naperville, Ill., Minnesota)
Head Coach: Andy Banachowski, Assistant Coach: Mike Hebert, Assistant Coach: Jay Hosack
2011 Pan American Games, Guadalajara, Mexico
Pool A
Oct. 15: Cuba vs. Canada, 3 p.m.
Oct. 15: Brazil vs. Dominican Republic, 8 p.m.
Oct. 16: Cuba vs. Dominican Republic, 3 p.m.
Oct. 16: Brazil vs. Canada, 8 p.m.
Oct. 17: Dominican Republic vs. Canada, 2 p.m.
Oct. 17: Brazil vs. Cuba, 5 p.m.
Pool B
Oct. 15: USA vs. Puerto Rico, 1 p.m.
Oct. 15: Mexico vs. Peru, 6 p.m.
Oct. 16: USA vs. Peru, 1 p.m.
Oct. 16: Puerto Rico vs. Mexico, 6 p.m.
Oct. 17: Peru vs. Puerto Rico, noon
Oct. 17: USA vs. Mexico, 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals (Times subject to change)
Oct. 18: 2A vs. 3B, 6 p.m. (Match 13)
Oct. 18: 2B vs. 3A, 8 p.m. (Match 14)
Classification 5-8 (Times subject to change)
Oct. 19: 4A vs. Loser Match 13 or Match 14, 1 p.m. (Match 15)
Oct. 19: 4B vs. Loser Match 13 or Match 14, 6 p.m. (Match 17)
Semifinals (Times subject to change)
Oct. 19: 1B vs. Winner Match 13 or Match 14, 3 p.m. (Match 16)
Oct. 19: 1A vs. Winner Match 13 or Match 14, 8 p.m. (Match 18)
Classification 7-8
Oct. 20: Loser Match 15 vs. Loser Match 17, 1 p.m.
Classification 5-6
Oct. 20: Winner Match 15 vs. Winner Match 17, 3 p.m.
Bronze-Medal Match
Oct. 20: Loser Match 16 vs. Loser Match 18, 6 p.m.
Gold-Medal Match
Oct. 20: Winner Match 16 vs. Winner Match 18, 8 p.m.