COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – BYU women's volleyball head coach Heather Olmstead has been selected to serve as an assistant coach of the U.S. Women’s Collegiate National Gold Team roster.
The CNT-Gold squad is made up of 28 current collegiate players who will train July 5-12 in Anaheim at the American Sports Centers and compete side-by-side with the U.S. Women’s National Team as it makes final preparations for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Olmstead will join CNT-Gold head coach Chris McGown, a former BYU men's volleyball head coach and player, three-time Olympian Tayyiba Haneef-Park and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Kayla Banwarth on the team's coaching staff.
"It’s a special opportunity to be part of the U.S. Collegiate National Gold Team," Olmstead said. "I’m excited to learn from Chris, Tayyiba and Kayla and do what I can to help the players grow. I’m also really looking forward to spending time training alongside and learning from Coach Karch Kiraly, his staff, and members of the U.S. Olympic Team as they prepare for Tokyo. Go USA!"
The 2018 AVCA National Coach of the Year, Olmstead is entering her sixth year as head coach of the Cougars with a 144-18 (.889) career record, currently the highest winning percentage of any women's volleyball coach in NCAA Division I history. Under her leadership, BYU has reached the NCAA Tournament every year, including a Final Four appearance in 2018, and won four West Coast Conference championships.
Olmstead has worked extensively with USA Volleyball as well, serving as the head coach of the 2019 U.S. Collegiate National Team - Japan in addition to being an assistant coach on the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the 2015 Pan American Games.
To read USA Volleyball's CNT-Gold announcement, including members of the team's roster, click here.