SMU sends 4 to USA Volleyball National Team open program

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

4 Mustangs chosen for USA Volleyball National Team open program

DALLAS (SMU) – Four SMU volleyball players will represent the program at the 2025 USA Volleyball Women's National Team Open Program Feb. 21-23 in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center.

The Mustangs are sending Natalia Newsome, Jordyn Schilling, Favor Anyanwu, and Jadyn Livings from the 2025 roster to train and compete with some of the nation's top collegiate and professional volleyball players.

Natalia Newsome, a second-year middle blocker, played a key role in the Mustangs' middle rotation in her first year on the Hilltop. She led all Mustangs with 40 or more kills in hitting percentage, swinging at a .415 percent clip in her freshman campaign. Newsome played in 35 sets and 20 matches in her first season on the Hilltop, logging 44 kills and 21 blocks.

Jordyn Schilling, a Libero, made the trip in the offseason to Dallas from High Point, where she was the Big South Libero of the Year. Schilling appeared in all 30 matches for the Panthers, tallying 543 digs, which was 30th in the country, along with 142 assists. In her two seasons at High Point, Schilling collected 894 digs, averaging 4.73 digs per set.

Favor Anyanwu, a middle blocker, played her first collegiate volleyball season at USC before returning to her home state to play for SMU. As a true freshman, the Rowlett, Texas, native appeared in 24 matches for the Trojans, tallying 133 kills while hitting .295 and collecting 85 blocks on the year.

Jadyn Livings, an opposite/outside hitter, also returned home after a season out west at USC, where she totaled 219 kills and 123 digs as a freshman. Livings notched 13 matches with double-digit kills in her first collegiate season.

The WNT Open Program is a development opportunity used for potential selection to both the U.S. Women's National Team and age-group national teams of USA Volleyball's National Team Development Program (NTDP). In 2025, members of the U.S. Women's National Team will compete in the following events: Volleyball Nations League, Pan American Cup, and NORCECA Final Six.

The 2025 age-group national teams to be organized by the NTDP include Women's U21 (athletes born in 2005 and younger) and Girls U19 (athletes born in 2007 and younger) competing at their respective Pan American Cups and FIVB World Championships. New in 2025, the NTDP will organize a Women's U23 National Team (athletes born in 2003 and younger) that will train and compete at an international event in lieu of the Women's Collegiate National Team, which was a domestic-only training program.