Emma Grome, the junior setter for the University of Kentucky Volleyball team, has been selected for the 2023 Collegiate National Team. The team comprises 20 of the best collegiate women’s volleyball players in the country, alongside seven staff members. During June 18-24, the Collegiate Team will train in Anaheim, Calif., with the U.S. Women’s National Team to prepare for the final preliminary round of Volleyball Nations League.
Grome, who is from Loveland, Ohio, was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and a Second Team All-American in 2022. She led all power-five setters in assists per set, earning eight SEC Player of the Week honors. Grome was also All-SEC during her college career. The team’s head coach will be Michelle Chatman Smith, a longtime National Team Development Program coach. The assistant coaches are Olympic medalists Tayyiba Haneef-Park and Danielle Scott, alongside BYU Head Coach Heather Olmstead.
The list of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Collegiate National Team includes Anita Anwusi, Lauren Briseño, Kate Georgiades, Emma Grome, Sophie Fischer, and many others. The players come from different hometowns and colleges across the country, with varying positions, heights and birth years. All of them have shown their excellence in collegiate volleyball and will train together in California for the upcoming Volleyball Nations League.
The University of Kentucky Volleyball team has a long history of producing professional volleyball players. Apart from Emma Grome, Madison Lilley, who was previously a setter for the University of Kentucky, has been selected as the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) National Player of the Year. In Kentucky, volleyball is not only a college sport but also a popular high school game. Over the years, Kentuckians have been supporting and promoting the sport’s development, which eventually led to producing various successful players.
