Armstrong, USA Prepared to Defend Gold at World Championships
7/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
ROME, Italy -- Former University of Michigan water polo goalkeeper Betsey Armstrong (2002-05) will once again tend the cage for the United States at the 2009 FINA World Championships, which run July 19-Aug. 2, in Rome, Italy. The four-time All-American guided the U.S. squad to a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics last summer.
Armstrong and the United States will be defending their crown after claiming gold at the 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. Armstrong shined in the cage, earning the tournament's Most Outstanding Goalkeeper award. The American team is coming off a gold medal run at the 2009 FINA World League Super Final in Kirishi, Russia. Since making the national team in 2007, Armstrong has had a strong hold on the top job in the cage.
Before representing her country on the global stage, Armstrong put together a CWPA Hall of Fame career in the Wolverine net. She earned national praise each season in Ann Arbor, garnering All-America recognition four times and was a finalist for the Cutino Award as the nation's top player during the 2004 season. She was named divisional Most Valuable Player twice (2003-04) and earned four CWPA All-Division first team honors (2002-05).
The United States will participate in pool play beginning with Italy a 9 p.m. CEST on Sunday (July 20). Tournament play begins the following Saturday (July 26) with NBC Universal broadcasting the final three rounds on Universal HD and online at www.universalsports.com.
2009 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
| Date | Game | Time |
| July 20 | United State vs. Italy | 9 p.m. CEST |
| July 22 | United States vs. Macedonia | 5 p.m. CEST |
| July 24 | United States vs. Romania | 12:10 p.m. CEST |
| July 26 | Preliminaries | |
| July 28 | Quarterfinals | |
| July 30 | Semifinals | |
| Aug. 1 | Finals |
Contact: Ryan Sosin (734) 763-4423
