The 2014 Women’s Fires ale will again use Maribor’s DRAS Center in Slovenia as a base. This place is amazing, with luxurious rooms, a wonderful restaurant and bar, and a volleyball gym in the building; all right on a ski mountain with gorgeous views.

This tour is more of camp, but everyone will love it. The goal of this trip is simply to find jobs for players directly from the tour, and the timing is arranged to coincide with the when the bulk of the season’s signings take place.

Players attending this tour should be ready for the rigors of a 7-9 month European season starting immediately from the tour and running to sometime in the Spring of 2014. All players need to understand that current market conditions make it harder than ever to place liberos, so any current libero (or DS) should come prepared to play outside hitter or setter if at all possible. Jobs in general are harder to find in the current economy, and salaries are also lower than in past years. As always, players on the Firesale should want to live in Europe for the year as much (or more) as they want to play volleyball. Remember, this is about finding a life experience more than becoming a “professional athlete” for most players on this tour.

2014 Placement Results

42 players arrived in Maribor, Slovenia looking for professional teams in Europe. After a very successful 9 day training camp in Maribor, Slovenia, 20 players signed contracts to play the 2014-15 season and one player was offered a contract but decided to return home to the USA. It should also be noted that players either signed or were offered contracts in 10 different countries in Europe. So once again, we consider the August Firesale tour a success as 47% of the players coming on the tour were offered contracts to stay in Europe for the season. Below is a list of placements and contracts offered, and the entire tour roster.

Signed Contracts:
  1. Loren Thomas Gera, Germany
  2. Zoe Adom Gera, Germany
  3. Jenn Keddy Rovaneimi, Finland
  4. Sarah Clement Békéscsaba, Hungary
  5. Kelli Donat Geneva, Switzerland
  6. Sara Sage Klagenfurt, Austria
  7. Natalie Buck Offenburg, Germany
  8. Sacha Byous Alcobendas, Spain
  9. Kristina Lavrisha Alcobendas, Spain
  10. Andrea McQuaid Innsbruck, Austria
  11. Kayla Berringer Innsbruck, Austria
  12. Alyssa Dibbern Straubing, Germany
  13. Darcy Dorton Linz, Austria
  14. Macy Ubben Murcia, Spain
  15. Angelica Crump Bratislava, Slovakia
  16. Elysse Richardson Olomouc, Czech Republic
  17. Emily Alexis Ioupli, Greece
  18. Shelby Kinitzel Haro, Spain
  19. Amanda Nickel Saint Cyr sur Loire, France
  20. Kaitlynn Skinner Haro, Spain

Tryouts:

  1. Catherine Carmichael Bratislava, Slovakia
  2. Desiree Waller Gera, Germany
  3. Althea Derrough Friktal, Switzerland

Player Roster:

Alyce Peters 4,2 178cm 21.jún.88 Nicholls State ’06
Samantha Hertaus L/S/4 171 cm 31.dec.89 University of Minnesota Duluth ’12
Hillary Isleifson 4,2 180cm 25.jan.91 MSU-N ’12
Alexa Micek L, 4, 2, S, 172 cm 28.okt.91 North Carolina State University ’12
Kelli Donat 4,2 185 cm 03.aug.90 University of Arkansas ’12
Alicia Shaffer 4, L 180 cm 02.ápr.90 University of Texas at Arlington ’12
Jamie Grauvogel 4,3 185 cm 27.okt.88 College of Mount St. Joseph
Kaylie Prince L, 4, 2 171 cm 01.febr.92 Knox College
Jourdan Lemons Setter 178cm 03.júl.91 Morgan State ’13
Sara Sage 3, 4 188cm 15.máj.90 UCLA ’12
Loren Thomas 3 190.5cm 21.máj.91 Liberty University ’13
Shelby Kintzel 3, 2 191 cm 01.aug.91 University of Northern Iowa ’13
Elysse Richardson S, L 160cm 06.okt.91 University of Colorado Boulder ’14
Kathleen O’Connor 4, 2, L 182cm 16.ápr.92 Cornell College ’14
Desire Waller 4, 2, L 180cm 07.okt.92 South Carolina State ’14
Alyse Lewis 3 180cm 25.dec.91 South Carolina State ’14
Amanda Nickel 2 182 cm 26.febr.92 Brown University ’14
Natalie Buck 4, 2 182 cm 18.dec.91 Georgian College ’14
Sacha Byous 3, 2 185 cm 15.márc.92 Marshall University ’13
Althea Derrough 4, 2 183 cm 31.márc.92 Brown University ’14
Denise Atualevao L/S 165 cm 28.máj.92 Graceland University ’14
Megan Sharpe 3, 4 180cm 1991 Truman St. ’12
Ysabel Zulueta 4 172 cm 21.nov.89 California State EastBay ’13
Jennifer Keddy 3, 4, 2 193 cm 28.okt.91 Cal Poly SLO ’14
Kaprina Goodwin 2, 4 183cm 1989 Gonzaga University, ’08
Charlie French 4, L, 2 173 cm 07.nov.91 Florida Institute of Technology ’14
Andrea McQuaid S, 2 178cm 22.okt.91 Alabama ’14
Emily Alexis 4 178cm 1992 Colorado ’14
Catherine Carmichael 4, 2 187cm 1991 Kansas ’14
Kaitlyn Skinner 3 188 cm 28.máj.92 Bowling Green State University ’14
Kristina Lavrisha 4,L 179 cm 02.márc.92 Gonzaga University ’14
Alyssa Dibbern 2,4 185 cm 23.okt.90 Baylor University ’12
Darcy Dorton 4 188 cm 1990 College of Charleston ’14
Tori Mellinger L, 4 178cm 1991 Emmlicheim, Germany
Macy Ubben 2,4 188cm 1992 Northern Iowa ’13
Kayla Berringer 4,2 183cm 21.aug.92 University of North Carolina
Zoe Adom 4,2 183cm 03.febr.91 Baylor University ’13
Angelica Crump 4, 2 187cm 13.jún.05 Central Florida ’14

Check out this video to see what it was like!