National Team | Courtney Thompson is a two-time Olympian

Courtney Thompson is now a two-time Olympian as Karch Kiraly takes three setters on his roster

USA women are headed to Rio with a squad that includes four two-time Olympians

Courtney Thompson is returning to Rio.

Thompson, the most accomplished woman athlete in the history of Washington athletics, was one of 12 women who made coach Karch Kiraly’s final cut for the 2016 Olympic Games next month.

Here are the twelve women who will represent the USA in Rio:

• OUTSIDE HITTERS: Jordan Larson (Nebraska), Kim Hill (Pepperdine), Kelsey Robinson (Tennessee/Nebraska)
• MIDDLE BLOCKERS: Foluke Akinradewo (Stanford), Rachael Adams (Texas), Christa Dietzen (Penn State)
• OPPOSITES: Karsta Lowe (UCLA), Kelly Murphy (Florida)
• SETTERS: Alicia Glass (Penn State) Courtney Thompson (Washington), Carli Lloyd (California)
• LIBEROS: Kayla Banwarth (Nebraska)

Courtney Thompson

Four players on the Rio roster were also on the 2012 silver medal team in London: Thompson, Larson, Akinradewo and Dietzen. Washington’s Tama Miyashiro, a libero, was also on the London roster, but was limited this Olympic quad by injuries.

Former Washington All-American Krista Vansant, an outside hitter, is one of eight players named as USA Olympic alternates.

Every player on the Olympic roster also plays professionally for top clubs overseas. During the past quad, Thompson has been a setter in Łódź, Poland, Zurich, Switzerland and for the top club in Rio de Janeiro.

Thompson was on the roster when USA won its first-ever World Championship in 2014. USA women have never won Olympic gold, earning silver in 1984, 2008 and 2012.

USA’s first match of 2016 Olympics is August 6 against Puerto Rico. Other teams in USA’s pool are Netherlands (August 8), Serbia (August 10), Italy (August 12) and China (August 14). Brazil and Russia are among the teams in the other half of the preliminary pool.