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Bronze medallist Sullivan back in Eagles fold for Singapore and Perth
By Joe Harvey
Olympic bronze medalist Sammy Sullivan has been named in the USA Women’s Eagles Sevens squad that will travel to HSBC SVNS Series legs in Singapore and Perth.
The 27-year-old was an integral part of the Eagles’ success at the 2024 Olympic Games, and joins a team eager to improve upon their fifth and fourth place finishes in Dubai and Cape Town.
Coming back into the team from leave with the military, Sullivan is the third most experienced player in the squad after captain Kristi Kirshe and Spiff Sedrick.
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There is no place for Sarah Levy who is returning from an injury sustained in Cape Town, which has allowed Tessa Hann to join the side. Vasiti Turagavou has been named as a travelling reserve.
Emilie Bydwell, USA Women’s Eagles Sevens head coach, said: “We’ve had a highly competitive and intense training block since reassembling after Christmas. As we transitioned from preseason into in-season training, the focus has been on driving a deeper collective understanding of our game model while continuing to improve tactical adaptability and awareness.
“A major emphasis has been transferring ownership of decision-making to the players, allowing them to better understand how to maximise their individual and collective strengths and win pressure in the moment.
“As part of our ongoing evolution, we’ve also added new layers to our attack that we believe will create more chaos and uncertainty for defences, and help us convert momentum quicker and more consistently.
“We’re really excited to see how the players apply the new layers of our attack in a competition environment. As our principles become clearer, we want them to seize moments to be themselves and play to their strengths, while continuing to work toward a shared vision for how we want the game to be played.
“We’ll continue to encourage the players to experiment and take risks, knowing that when they are decisive in their decisions, there is value in every outcome. Each decision gives us an opportunity to learn and grow as we continue to build across these first six tournaments.”
USA Women’s Eagles Sevens squad for Singapore and Perth
1 Ariana Ramsey
2 Erica Coulibaly
3 Tahna Wifley
5 Vasiti Turagavou*
8 Spiff Sedrick
12 Kristi Kirshe (C)
15 Rachel Strasdas
19 Kaylen Thomas
22 Sammy Sullivan
24 Su Adegoke
26 Ashley Cowdrey
28 Sariah Ibarra
30 Tessa Hann
99 Autumn Czaplicki
