Nnamani: Nigerian Who Will Wear American Colours at Athens
Athens 2004 Special
Her full name is Ogonna Nneka Nnamani. She will be taking part in the Olympics, howeveer, not in the green-white-green of her native Nigeria but in the stars and stripes of the United States of America - another star athlete lost to a foreign country.
Nnamani has posted a credential that is not only intimidating but one that will scurry a ship-load of respect moreso, that she is one of the four new comers into the Team USA volleyball side that is aspiring to win the gold medal in an event that is much of tact.
The Team USA under the guidance of fourth-year head coach Toshi Yoshida, the United States is ranked second in the world going into the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens
The USA women, led by four-time Olympian Cross-Battle and three-time Olympian Scott, are long on experience: a total of seven past Olympians make up the 12-player roster.
Cross-Battle becomes the first athlete in USA Volleyball history (male or female, beach or indoor) to be named to four Olympic teams. She earned a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and was also a member of the 1996 and 2000 Olympic teams. Scott, considered one of the best middle blockers in the world, was also a member of the 1996 and 2000 Olympic teams.
Phipps, who returned to the national team in 2002 following a 12-year absence, was a starter on the 1988 Olympic team. The other four past Olympians-Ah Mow-Santos, Bown, Sykora and Tom-played on the 2000 Olympic Team that finished fourth in Sydney, Australia.
Four members of the team are making the team for the first time which include Bachman, Berg, Metcalf and the Nigerian, Nnamani.
For the women's Olympic indoor volleyball competition, which starts next week Saturday, the 12 qualified teams are split into two pools. Pool A is made up of Brazil, Greece, Italy, Japan, Kenya and Korea, while Pool B consists of China, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Russia and the USA.
The USA women will be challenged right off the bat: the team will play top-ranked China to begin play on August 14. The women will then play Germany (Aug. 16), the Dominican Republic (Aug. 18), 2000 silver medallist Russia (Aug. 20) and three-time defending gold medallist Cuba (Aug. 22) to wrap-up pool play.
She is one of the Cardinal's starting outside hitters in 2003. She had an outstanding junior campaign garnering numerous awards. A dynamic athlete with incredible vertical spikes, she has a quick armswing, a good defensive player. She was featured in 'Faces In The Crowd' in the authoritative magazine: Sports Illustrated.
National Team Outing
A member of the 12-man team to Athens, she named to the USA National Team's A2 Program in 2001. Played on U.S. Youth, Junior and National teams that has competed internationally. Selected to travel to Switzerland for pre-Olympic Training with the 2000 USA Olympic Women's Volleyball Team. Attended USA Olympic Women's Volleyball Team Training Camp in Colorado Springs, Colo. Member of 2000 USA Junior National Volleyball Team that competed at Zonal Qualifier in Havana, Cuba.
As a Junior in 2003
AVCA First-team All-American. Volleyball Magazine First-team All-American. Averaged 5.45 kills, 2.31 digs and .063 blocks per game. Posted 14 double-doubles (kills-digs) during the year. Starting outside hitter. Set a career high in kills with 30 against Florida A&M; (30th August 2003). Honda Award nominee. NCAA Pacific All-Region selection. CoSIDA Third-team Academic All-American. First-team All-Pac-10 selection. Second-team Pac-10 All-Academic honoree. CoSIDA First-team District VIII All-Academic selection. Pac-10 Player of the Week (10th November 2003). Has tallied double figures in kills in 65 of her last 69 matches. Notched double figures in kills for all 32 matches in 2003. Averaged 6.06 points per game with a .309 hitting percentage. Set a single-season kills record on The Farm with 627. On pace to break Stanford�s career record in kills. Averaged 6.40 kills and 2.20 digs in postseason play. Her 1,627 career kills ranks 22nd in the Pac-10 record book. Ranked in the top 10 in the league in kills and points per game. Tallied 27 kills while hitting .415 in NCAA Second Round win over Pacific (5th December, 2003). Had 23 kills and a season-high 16 digs in victory over UCLA (16th October 2003). Tournament MVP at University Park Holiday Inn Classic. All-Tournament sele-ction at the Stanford Invita-tional and Hawaii Invita-tional.
Nnamani, is a Biology/Chemistry major. Her original dream was to be a medical doctor. She is the daughter of Chika Kenneth and Uzo Nnamani. Has one sister, Njideka (18), who also plays at Stanford, and two brothers: Nnaemeka (16) and Ikechi (13). Born 29th July, 1983. Her hobbies include listening to music and spending time with family and friends.
Chika Kenneth Nnamani, Ogonna's father, is the Assistant Vice President, Students Affairs, of the Illinois State University in the USA. He had all his children in America but a staunch believer in his native country and upbringing which takes him to Nigeria at least twice a year.
A conservative Igbo man, attends community meetings where he freely mixes with the youths assisting them in ways he knows best. He has refused to become an American citizen. He hails from Enugu State.
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