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SAN FRANCISCO - The Pac-12 Conference announced on Tuesday its 12-member volleyball All-Star team that will travel to China this summer from June 18-July 1. The team will be led by UCLA head coach Michael Sealy and will also feature 2016 junior Reily Buechler.
The tour is another milestone for Pac-12 Global, an initiative to promote goodwill and transformative life experiences through student-athlete exchanges and sport, and to showcase the Conference and its member institutions in China. Student-athlete tours have been organized in the sports of men's and women's basketball, as well as women's volleyball. Coaching clinics have also been organized with Pac-12 coaches sharing their knowledge of sport with Chinese groups both abroad in China and at member campuses, as well as hosting exhibition games with some of China's top teams in women's volleyball and women's soccer. This past November, the Conference hosted the Pac-12 China Game in Shanghai, becoming the first ever league - college or professional - to host a regular season basketball game in China.
The 12-member All-Star volleyball team includes a player from 11 of the Pac-12 institutions and will play six matches while in China from June 19-July 1 against Chinese club and national teams. In addition to the matches, the student-athletes will enjoy cultural and sightseeing visits to Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing. Previous all-star teams have made visits to the Great Wall, Forbidden City and other attractions.
"I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to coach the Pac-12 All-Star team," Sealy said. "I am looking forward to spending time with a great group of athletes and coaches and accepting the challenge of coming together in a very short period of time to play against very talented opponents in a place that celebrates and supports volleyball. It is going to be an amazing life experience."
This is the third time the Pac-12 has sent an All-Star team to China, as Kelly Reeves (2013) and Karsta Lowe (2014) have played on recent squads.
Below is the schedule for the Pac-12 All-Star team with opponents being announced at a later date.
June 18 - Team meets in Los Angeles for practice
June 19 - Team departs Los Angeles for Shanghai
June 21-22 - Practice and sight-seeing in Shanghai
June 23-25 - Team will be in Nanjing; Games vs. Opponents (TBD)
June 26-July 1 - Team will be in Beijing; Sight-seeing and games vs. opponents (TBD)
July 1 - Return to the U.S.