Tara Vittese Added to USWNT Roster
March 2, 2018
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia field hockey senior midfielder Tara Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.) has been added to the roster of the United States’ Senior Women’s National Team, as announced Friday (March 2) by U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Janneke Schopman.
Vittese, along with Laura Hurff and Margaux Paolino, were added to the roster after a week-long trial with the U.S. Women’s National Team. All three athletes spent last week on the West Coast and were evaluated during multiple trainings including test matches against Canada. Hurff and Vittese will join the team in May following college graduation and Paolino, still a college sophomore, will join the team when time permits.
“I am very excited to add Laura, Margaux and Tara to the roster,” commented Schopman. “All three of them are very talented players that I have come to know well coaching the U-21 team. In the games against Canada, they showed they all can add something extra to our team and that’s why I have selected them. Their willingness to become better players will strengthen our team and I’m looking forward to seeing them progress the next couple of months.”
The third sister to etch her name on the USWNT, Vittese will add depth to the midfield after a stellar career at Virginia where she will graduate from in May. She was the first Virginia player to be a four-time First Team NFHCA All-American, first to repeat as ACC Offensive Player of the Year, first to be named Longstreth/NFHCA South Region Player of the year three times and first player to ever win the honor of VaSID State Player of the Year four times. She was also the only player to ever win the Longstreth/NFHCA National Player of the Year award three times and was a four-time First Team All-ACC selection.
Vittese’s advantaged skills helped her made her way quickly through the ranks of the Junior U.S. Women’s National Teams, often times playing up an age division. She started on the U-21 USWNT in 2011 before advantaging to the U-19 USWNT for a three-year stint before being named to the U-21 USMNT from 2014-16. Despite being the youngest player on Team USA at the 2013 Junior World Cup in Monchengladbach, Germany, she was the top scorer for the U-21 USWNT as they went on to finish 7th. She was also part of the U-21 USWNT that competed at the 2016 women’s Junior Pan American Games that finished second.
“Tara is a great player that can make things happen on the ball, but she’s also a team player who can make her team better by doing the work, that combination convinced me she’s ready for this step,” commented Schopman.
“I am honored and grateful to have been selected for the U.S. Women’s National Team,” said Vittese “The journey up until this point has been one full of excitement, challenges and development. I am looking forward to growing both as an individual and as a player, alongside some of the best players in the country, and my sisters!”