Santa Barbara High alum and Stanford freshman Will Rottman has been named to the USA Men’s Junior National Volleyball Training Team.
The 20-player roster also includes UCSB recruit Rees Barnett of Redondo Beach.
USA Volleyball plans to assemble the team to train in August in Colorado Springs before competing at the NORCECA U21 Pan American Cup, also scheduled for Colorado Springs.
The plans are subject to change due to the regional and national responses to COVID-19, said USAV.
The 6-foot-6 Rottman started at outside hitter in 15 of 17 matches for Stanford, which had a record of 6-11 when the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In his debut season, he blasted 155 kills on a .253 average. His 2.67 kills per set was second best on the team. He posted double figures in kills in seven matches, with a season-high of 13 against UC Irvine.
Rottman ranks among the best players to come out of Santa Barbara High. A four-year varsity starter and three-year team captain, he led the Dons to three straight Channel League championships. In his senior year, they won a Karch Kiraly Tournament of Champions title and advanced to the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals.
He earned All-CIF Division 1 honors as a senior, was a two-time Channel League MVP and a three-time Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Boys’ Volleyball Player of the Year.
Barnett is the son of two-time U.S. Olympic team outside hitter Kevin Barnett. Also on the roster is Bryce Dvorak, the nephew of 1984 Olympics gold-medal setter Dusty Dvorak.
Kevin Burch of Ohio State is the head coach, assisted by Pat Shawaryn of Princeton and Matt Werle of Grand Canyon.
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.