COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The world’s second-ranked USA women’s national volleyball team departs for Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, July 5, for the second-biggest tournament of the year: the World Grand Prix. 

This year’s Grand Prix, the premier annual women’s competition that features many of the best teams in the world, will serve as the final pre-Olympic competition for Team USA before beginning play in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, on Aug. 14. 

The 12-team Grand Prix will feature 10 of this year’s 12 Olympic teams, and for the United States, it will be a wonderful opportunity to gear up for Athens against quality competition. 

In fact, six of Team USA’s nine scheduled pool-play matches will be against teams heading to Greece next month, including four matches against teams in its Olympic pool (Cuba, China, Germany and Russia). 

The 12-team field is broken into three pools that will change slightly on each weekend of pool play.  On the first weekend (July 9-11) the United States will be a member of “Pool A” along with Korea, Cuba and Thailand and play its matches in Bangkok, Thailand. 

On the second weekend of pool play (July 16-18), the USA will play Italy, China and Thailand in Hong Kong, China, as a member of “Pool E.”  On the third weekend of pool play (July 22-24), the USA will play Russia, Thailand and Germany in Rostock, Germany, as a member of “Pool G.” 

The top five ranked teams after pool play will advance to the championship round along with the host team, Italy, from July 27-Aug. 1. 

Team USA’s roster was announced on Thursday, July 1: setters Robyn Ah Mow-Santos and Lindsey Berg; middle blockers Danielle Scott, Heather Bown and Wiz Bachman; outside hitters Keba Phipps, Logan Tom, Tara Cross-Battle and Ogonna Nnamani; opposites Tayyiba Haneef and Nancy Metcalf; and libero Stacy Sykora.