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The University of Utah Athletics
Launiere Returns From Coaching CNT - World University Games
7/25/2019 4:32 PM | Volleyball
Fourth Summer Launiere has Coached Abroad with USA Volleyball
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – As Utah volleyball inches closer to their 2019 season, they are finishing up a summer that saw three players go abroad and play in Japan as well as head coach Beth Launiere being an assistant for the USA Collegiate National Team – World University Games in Torino, Italy.
Dani Drews, Kenzie Koerber and Saige Ka'aha'aina-Torres made the USA Collegiate National Team – Japan earlier in the summer and had a great experience playing in Japan. It's an experience that Launiere loves to encourage her student-athletes to have because playing internationally helps in so many ways.
"It's all about learning how to handle challenges and learning how to respond to being uncomfortable," Launiere said. "In the NCAA collegiate environment, we want them to play at the highest level so we're often creating an environment that's conducive for their performance. These kind of environments create challenges whether it's travel, playing in hot gyms, playing time, adjusting to a different setter and different ball. You're challenged daily and it's hard. The players chosen for these teams are very good players and they get humbled really fast because things aren't just flowing for them. It puts them in position they have to respond and they always respond. That's the learning process that's so valuable out of these experiences."
Launiere is no stranger of USA Volleyball, having coached teams in four different summers. This summer she was an assistant for the CNT – World University Games. The team traveled to Italy and had a really tough draw being in the same group as Italy and Japan. Italy played in the gold medal match and Japan ended up winning the bronze medal.
The US kept fighting despite the tough draw and ended up winning the consolation bracket and going 4-2 overall in the tournament.
"It was disappointing we got a really tough draw, but at the same time we still got to play them (Italy and Japan) and that's a good thing," Launiere said. "You always want to play the best competition. We learned a lot in those two matches and by the time we got to the consolation bracket we were playing some good volleyball and got better and better. It's a tough tournament for us because a lot of those teams play together all summer to prepare for it and we only get a few days practice. It's all about playing high level volleyball and we got that."
The Utes will take these experiences this summer and use them for the upcoming fall where Utah will play 14 home matches beginning with Saint Mary's, Kentucky and Cal Poly beginning on Friday, August 30. All three of those teams made the NCAA Tournament last season.
Fans can purchase season tickets HERE for the upcoming season.
Dani Drews, Kenzie Koerber and Saige Ka'aha'aina-Torres made the USA Collegiate National Team – Japan earlier in the summer and had a great experience playing in Japan. It's an experience that Launiere loves to encourage her student-athletes to have because playing internationally helps in so many ways.
"It's all about learning how to handle challenges and learning how to respond to being uncomfortable," Launiere said. "In the NCAA collegiate environment, we want them to play at the highest level so we're often creating an environment that's conducive for their performance. These kind of environments create challenges whether it's travel, playing in hot gyms, playing time, adjusting to a different setter and different ball. You're challenged daily and it's hard. The players chosen for these teams are very good players and they get humbled really fast because things aren't just flowing for them. It puts them in position they have to respond and they always respond. That's the learning process that's so valuable out of these experiences."
Launiere is no stranger of USA Volleyball, having coached teams in four different summers. This summer she was an assistant for the CNT – World University Games. The team traveled to Italy and had a really tough draw being in the same group as Italy and Japan. Italy played in the gold medal match and Japan ended up winning the bronze medal.
The US kept fighting despite the tough draw and ended up winning the consolation bracket and going 4-2 overall in the tournament.
"It was disappointing we got a really tough draw, but at the same time we still got to play them (Italy and Japan) and that's a good thing," Launiere said. "You always want to play the best competition. We learned a lot in those two matches and by the time we got to the consolation bracket we were playing some good volleyball and got better and better. It's a tough tournament for us because a lot of those teams play together all summer to prepare for it and we only get a few days practice. It's all about playing high level volleyball and we got that."
The Utes will take these experiences this summer and use them for the upcoming fall where Utah will play 14 home matches beginning with Saint Mary's, Kentucky and Cal Poly beginning on Friday, August 30. All three of those teams made the NCAA Tournament last season.
Fans can purchase season tickets HERE for the upcoming season.
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