June 18, 2007

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.-- Carson-Newman volleyball signee Carly Mozgai will compete in two junior national tournaments in Florida and Minnesota, respectively. The Greensboro, North Carolina native will play in the AAU Junior National Tournament in Orlando, Florida and the 2007 USA Junior Olympic Girls Volleyball Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

"As a coach, you want your players to get as many playing opportunities during the summer that they can," C-N head coach Shannon Mincey said."I am thrilled that Carly's club team has done so well. Carly will come in with a lot of fresh playing experience.I hope they are very successful during the AAU and USA JO tournament."

Mozgai will make her second appearance at the AAU tournament with the Piedmont Triad club team. Mozgai and her teammates finished fifth in the 2006 AAU tournament. Triad head coach Blaine Tendler believes Carly will be a major factor in the team's success.

"Carly is driven to be excellent," Tendler said. "Anything less is just not acceptable to her and her teammates. She's a great athlete that always leaves it all on the court."

The AAU tournament began June 16 and ends on June 20. After concluding play in Orlando, the Piedmont Triad will travel to Minneapolis in the Junior Olympic Championships from June 29 through July 8. The team qualified for this national tournament after winning the Big South Tournament in Atlanta and will compete against 47 of the nation's best club teams. Mozgai will make her fourth consecutive appearance in the Junior Olympics this year.

"I'm really looking forward to competing against the best teams in the country," Mozgai said. "It's always exciting to see the talent that other states have to offer. I'm really looking forward to representing not only my club, but North Carolina volleyball as a whole."

Mozgai will also look forward to playing with her new teammates at Carson-Newman this fall.

"I'm so excited to be playing with what seems like a great group of girls," she said. "Playing volleyball at the next level is something I have been looking forward to since I was little. I have the chance to be a part of an awesome team."