Lloyd set for comeback in American League

After over 18 months away from the courts, American setter Carli Lloyd is set to make her comeback at this year’s edition of the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball League in the United States.

The 32-year-old setter, who took a break in her career in September 2020, was confirmed as one of the new faces of the second edition of the tournament, which will take place from March 16-April 16 at the Fair Park Coliseum in Dallas, Texas.

A Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist and a two-time Volleyball Nations League winner, Lloyd previously played professionally in Italy, Azerbaijan, Brazil and Turkey. She received the Best Setter award at the 2016 FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship.

One of her teammates in the American Olympic campaign six years ago, fellow setter Alisha Glass will come out of retirement to appear in the league this year as well. Aged 33, she last played in Rio, when she was selected for the Olympic Dream Team as the Games’ best setter.

A 2014 world champion, Glass played in Brazil, Puerto Rico, Poland, Italy and Turkey. After her retirement, the setter started a coaching career and was at last year’s FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship, in Durango, Mexico, where the Americans won bronze, as an assistant.

Other players with a background of representing the United States national team have been confirmed in the league, most notably opposite Karsta Lowe, another bronze medallist from the Rio Olympics, and middle blockers Molly McCage, who was in the roster for the 2018 VNL, and Ali Bastianelli, who represented the country in last year’s Pan American Cup.

A handful of international stars will also take part in the tournament, including two-time Olympic champion Brazilian opposite Sheilla Castro, Dominican Olympian Bethania De La Cruz, legendary Thai setter Nootsara Tomkom and veteran Puerto Rican outside hitter Aurea Cruz.

Tokyo Olympics MVP Jordan Larson was the winner of the inaugural edition of the Athletes Unlimited League in 2021. She won’t take part in this year’s tournament after recently signing with Lega Pallavolo vivo Serie A1 Femminile leaders Vero Volley Monza.