June 8, 2005

West Texas A&M University volleyball player Megan Spivey has been selected to play in the USA Athletes International Tour Of Australia. The team will participate in the Northern University Games as part of the Down Under Challenge during their two-week tour of Australia.

Spivey, a Keller, Texas native who will be a junior on the Lady Buff Volleyball squad this fall, leaves the country on June 26 and returns on July 9. Between then Spivey will play with other college players representing the USA in roughly six matches against Australian teams, made up of club or top college players.

"It's a tremendous honor to represent my country and get a different perspective on the sport of volleyball and on a different way of life," Spivey said. "I'm really excited about the opportunity and hope to raise my level of competition and become a better player."

USA Athletes International, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to giving amateur athletes and coaches the opportunity to participate in International Olympic style sporting events throughout the world, while also allowing them to broaden their educational and cultural knowledge of the world through the experience.

The organization has been competing in international competition since 1992. Originally the organization was called the Midwest All-Stars, and baseball was the only sport offered. The success of the baseball program eventually prompted requests for teams in other sports to participate. Since then, they've added several sports for both men and women, their name changed to USA Athletes International, in 1998 the organization incorporated and received it's 501 (c) (3) nonprofit status, and they now compete in 14 different countries throughout the world.

Last season, Spivey, a middle blocker, received second-team All-LSC South accolades after leading WTAMU with 111 blocks (0.89 bpg), ranking seventh in the conference statistics. She also added 337 kills (2.70 kpg), ranking second on the team, on a .203 attack percentage.

Spivey is one of six starters and one of three All-LSC selections returning from last season's line-up, as the Lady Buffs try to rebound from last year's 19-16 ledger overall, and 3-7 in the LSC South. It was the first time since 1994 that the Lady Buffs did not reach the 20-win plateau. It was also the first time ever in school history that WTAMU did not qualify for the LSC Tournament and the first time since 1993 that the Lady Buffs were not competing in the NCAA-II Tournament.

For more information on USA Athletes International, check out their web site at www.usaai.org/.

-WT-