COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – When people first see Carlyle Nusbaum on the volleyball court they usually walk away in awe and wonder of her abilities.
The sophomore was one of three Lipscomb players invited to the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts held the first weekend of March at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was named today to the roster of the Collegiate National Team (CNT) scheduled to play July 5-16 in Europe.
“Carly is an explosive package,” Lipscomb volleyball coach Brandon Rosenthal said. “A lot of it is her power and jumping ability. She plays aggressively. They saw her ability to play consistently at a high level.”
Nusbaum, an outside hitter from Overland Park, Kansas, is one of three named to the team at her position.
This is the second year a Lipscomb player has earned a spot on one of the College National Teams. Last year setter Kayla Ostrom was named to the team that played in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“What a cool honor for Carly,” Rosenthal said. “I said last year with Kayla's involvement with the CNT that I thought it would only open that door further for future LUV players.
“Here we are one year later and Carly has taken it one step further. I am so happy and excited for Carly and this amazing opportunity. First, she gets to represent the U.S.A., and secondly she gets to compete against international competition.”
Nusbaum is already one of the most honored Lipscomb players in just two years of competition. She is known for her hard work and her humble approach to the game.
“Carly has put a tremendous amount of time and effort in her work growing as a more complete player,” Rosenthal said. “A great deal of her work has been spent working on leadership skills.
“Carly has approached this semester with an eagerness to get better on and off the court. I am so proud of Carly for all the hard work she continues to put into her growth.”
Rosenthal was an evaluator during the tryouts and Lipscomb assistant head coach Billy Ebel was a court coach. They both hinted to Nusbaum she should be ready to hear good news about being part of one of the national teams, but they were cautious in their optimism.
“Yes, I was actually surprised to hear the news,” Nusbaum said. “Billy and Brandon told me not to get my hopes up, but they told me it was possible I could make a team. I am shocked honestly.
“The competition was pretty rough out there. There were so many girls with experience who had already played in Europe and Thailand and they were who I was competing against.”
At 5-foot-9 Nusbaum plays a position where most players are in the 6-3 to 6-4 range. But she also has a 31.75 vertical leap from a standing position.
“I had played against so many of these players since I was younger,” Nusbaum said. “And they have all been taller than me since I was 12. It was kind of familiar.
“I am definitely undersized for my position. There was definitely a size difference, but it wasn’t out of the ordinary for me.”
Nusbaum knows she has to put in an extra effort in order to continue to get noticed.
“I am not afraid to go out and do it all because that is what I have to do if I want to make a team,” Nusbaum said. “Some people look for the character players have and whether they are willing to work harder than most people.”
Nusbaum wasn’t intimidated by the players she was competing with.
“I never really doubted I would fit in,” Nusbaum said. “It was about having the right attitude. Billy told me I had to be confident in myself…that I was as good as these girls and I had to show it.”
Nusbaum has never been to Europe. A month before the national team trip she will make her first venture outside of the United States when the Lipscomb volleyball team makes a mission trip to Malawi, Africa.
The CNT team will compete in the 13th annual European Global Challenge July 11-14 in Pula, Croatia. They are expected to spend time training in Maribor, Slovenia and Venice, Italy.
“It will be fun to see Carly compete and how she will be able to bring back those experiences to the 2017 LUV season,” Rosenthal said. “I am also happy for this program and the steps that we continue to take.”
