University High School graduate Ogonna Nnamani of Normal helped the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games with a third-place finish at the recent FIVB World Cup in Japan.

Nnamani started 15 of 18 sets and averaged 2.44 points per set. She averaged 2.11 kills per set while hitting .282. She tallied a personal-best 12 points against Poland on Nov. 4.

"We all feel so relieved," Nnamani said. "To qualify is certainly not an easy task. We no longer have that crazy homework assignment hanging over our heads."

The U.S., ranked eighth in the world, was the fifth highest ranked squad in the World Cup. Its tournament results lifted that ranking to No. 4.

"It was a total team effort," Nnamani said. "Everyone was on the same page. The whole team was willing to work hard and do whatever it took to be successful at the hardest tournament of the quadrennial."

The U.S. won its first eight matches including a five-setter over eventual runner-up Brazil in which the U.S. lost the first two sets. The U.S. clinched its Olympic berth in the penultimate day of the 15-day, 11-match tournament win a win over Japan. The U.S., which finished 9-2, missed a chance to tie for first on the final day because of a 3-0 loss to tournament champion Italy.

Nnamani finished the season having played 53 sets for the national team in three tournaments. She averaged 3.08 points, 2.55 kills and 0.34 blocks per set while hitting .274. She will now take a break from training.

"I am fortunate to have made a lot of steps in the right direction this year," she said. "I hope to continue to improve, get stronger and continue to collect more experiences that will help me when it counts."