The Stanford women’s volleyball team may have to wait until late August to begin its 2007 campaign, but outside hitter Cynthia Barboza isn’t biding her time until another national championship bid — instead, she’s gone international.

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Rising junior Cynthia Barboza took her talent international at the Pan-American Games this week. After playing 110 of 111 games this past season, she’s spent the summer with the U.S. national team. #gallery http://daily.stanford.edu/image/full/7749
Stanford Daily File Photo

Rising junior Cynthia Barboza took her talent international at the Pan-American Games this week. After playing 110 of 111 games this past season, she’s spent the summer with the U.S. national team.

Coming off a stellar sophomore season in which she returned from a torn ACL to lead the Cardinal in both kills and aces, Barboza is taking her show on the road. One would think that after playing 110 of 111 games this season and becoming an All-Pac-10 team member and a first-team All-American, the rising junior would take a break and catch her breath for next season.

But think again. The closest thing to a break for Barboza was a beach trip with teammate Bryn Kehoe in late April. But the duo wasn’t looking to catch a few rays in San Diego. Instead, the pair represented Stanford in the Powerade Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championships. They defeated Cal Poly easily in the semifinals, 21-16, 21-12, before losing an intense match to Nebraska in the finals 21-19, 21-23, 16-18 to take second.

Returning to the Farm, Barboza finished up the spring season and her final exams. And with the academic year over, Barboza packed her bags again and headed down to Mexico.

Finally getting to take that vacation? Nope. Barboza was joining the U.S. Women’s National Team at the Sixth Annual Pan-American Cup in Colima.

Things started slowly for Team USA when it dropped its first game to Argentina, 17-25. Barboza got the team rolling soon after, though, delivering three kills during a key, 7-3 run. After a 25-20 victory in the second game, Barboza again led the offense in the third for a 25-23 USA win. The Americans took the fourth game easily, 25-16, and Barboza finished the match with 15 points and 13 kills.

Immediately challenged by the best in the world, Barboza had to adapt her play to the international atmosphere.

“International volleyball is on a different level than college volleyball in the U.S.,” Barboza said. “Every day you are pushing yourself to a new level, pushing yourself to do things you’ve never done before in some of the toughest competitive situations you have ever seen.”

But Barboza and the rest of team USA seemed up to the challenge, as they defeated Costa Rica (25-14, 25-15, 25-13), Trinidad and Tobago (25-8, 25-9, 25-5) and Mexico (25-18, 25-12, 25-11) to finish pool play undefeated. Barboza did not play against Trinidad, but powered the Americans when she was on the court: 10 points, five kills, four aces and five digs against Costa Rica, followed up by 13 points, nine kills and three aces against Mexico; she also recorded a block in each of those matches.

Things got tough for Team USA in the semifinals, however, as Brazil handily defeated the Americans 25-15, 25-15, 25-18. The U.S. then dropped the third-place match to the Dominican Republic, although it was a much more tightly contested affair at 25-19, 26-28, 25-18, 28-26. Barboza was again excellent for the U.S., notching 10 points on nine kills against the Dominicans.

While cut short from a top finish, Barboza knows that playing with the national team is something special and she is cherishing every moment of it.

“Playing with the national team has always been a great honor,” she said. “Every day you get the chance to play with and against the best players in the world and that experience is invaluable.”

Barboza has yet another chance to get that experience this summer as she continues with the national team. The American women are currently in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the Pan-American Games. There, Barboza continued to impress with 26 kills over the first three matches. Team USA faced Brazil yesterday to start the medal round, but fell short, 25-13, 25-20, 25-20.

While Barboza’s hopes to take home a medal are limited to bronze now (Team USA challenges for it today in Brazil), she knows that her dip into the international scene this summer has made her a better player in preparation for NCAA competition.

“Every day out here with the [national] team, I learn a lot from the veteran players around me,” Barboza said. “I am just trying to soak up the whole experience and use it to my advantage when I get back to [Stanford].”

Barboza will continue to train and compete with the national team this summer. Eventually the team’s roster will be trimmed down for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.