Micha Hancock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Micha Hancock |
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Hancock in 2016
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Micha Danielle Hancock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 10, 1992 McAlester, Oklahoma, U.S. |
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| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 76 kg (168 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spike | 305 cm (120 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Block | 297 cm (117 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College(s) | Penn State | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Volleyball information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Setter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | LOVB Houston | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Micha Danielle Hancock (born November 10, 1992) is an American indoor volleyball player. She is a setter for the United States women's national volleyball team. A setter is like the quarterback of a volleyball team. They decide where the ball goes to help their teammates score points.
Micha played for the Penn State women's volleyball team. She helped them win two national championships in a row in 2013 and 2014. She also won a gold medal with the U.S. national team at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Contents
Micha Hancock's Volleyball Journey
High School Success
Micha played volleyball at Edmond Memorial High School in Oklahoma. She led her team to win the Oklahoma 6A State Championship three times. These wins were in 2007, 2009, and 2010. She was also named the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year twice. This award goes to the best high school athlete in a state.
College Career at Penn State
Micha played college volleyball at Penn State University. In her first year in 2011, she was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She also set a new record for Penn State with 91 aces in one season. An "ace" is when a player serves the ball and the other team cannot return it.
As a sophomore in 2012, she was named a first-team All-American. She also became the Big Ten Setter of the Year. Micha set an NCAA Tournament record with 22 aces during the tournament. She even had 10 aces in one match, which was a Penn State record.
In her last two years, she helped Penn State win back-to-back NCAA titles. In 2013, she was named a First-Team All-American again. She also won the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award. She became Penn State's all-time leader in career aces with 254.
In 2014, Micha was named the AVCA National Player of the Year. This was her third straight First-Team All-America honor. She was ranked first in the country for aces per set. She had at least one ace in almost every match that year. Micha finished her college career as Penn State's all-time leader in service aces. She also ranked high in assists, which are passes that set up a teammate for a spike.
International Achievements
Micha has had a great career playing for the U.S. national team.
Pan-American Cup Records
In the 2016 Pan-American Cup, Micha was named the Best Server. She set a new record for aces in a single match. First, she had 11 aces against Costa Rica. Then, she broke her own record with 12 aces against Cuba. She was also named the Most Valuable Player in the 2017 Pan-American Cup.
Winning Gold at the Olympics
In May 2021, Micha was chosen for the U.S. team for the FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League. This was an important tournament before the 2020 Summer Olympics. The U.S. team won the gold medal for the third year in a row. They beat Brazil in the final match.
On June 7, 2021, Micha was selected for the 12-player Olympic team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She was mainly a backup setter and a serving substitute. However, she stepped in when the starting setter, Jordyn Poulter, got hurt. Micha helped lead the team to victory. In the quarterfinals, she started and helped the U.S. team win again. Team USA went on to win the gold medal, beating Brazil in three sets.
Teams Micha Hancock Has Played For
Micha has played for many different professional volleyball clubs around the world.
Penn State University (2011–2014)
Imoco Volley Conegliano (2015)
Indias de Mayagüez (2015)
Dąbrowa Górnicza (2015–2016)- Impel Wrocław (2016–2017)
- US Pro Victoria Monza (2017–2019)
- Igor Gorgonzola Novara (2019–2021)
- Megabox Volley Vallefoglia (2022–2023)
- VBC Casalmaggiore (2023–2024)
- LOVB Houston (2024-present)
Awards and Honors
Micha Hancock has received many awards for her amazing volleyball skills:
- 2015 Nominee for Honda Sports Award (volleyball)
- 2016 Pan-American Cup "Best Server"
- 2017 Pan-American Cup "Best Server"
- 2017 Pan-American Cup "Best Setter"
- 2017 Pan-American Cup "Most Valuable Player"
- 2019 Pan-American Cup "Most Valuable Player"
See also
List of Pennsylvania State University Olympians
