CHULA VISTA, Calif. – USA Women's 7s Coach Ric Suggitt has named his squad for the NACRA 7s this coming weekend in Cary, NC.

The Championship, which features teams from throughout North America and the Caribbean, will also serve as a qualifier tournament for a place at the 2016 Olympic Games. The USA is a heavy favorite, especially when you consider that Canada won't be there, as the Canadians have already qualified by finishing in the top four of the Women's World Series. The USA missed out on an automatic qualification by points difference, losing out to England (representing Great Britain).

Suggitt returns only half of the team that finished 4th in Amsterdam, as he looks to expose some other players to more international 7s. Captain Kelly Griffin is back, as is Lauren Doyle, who made the Amsterdam Dream Team. Also returning are Lev Kelter, Kate Zackary, Hannah Lopez, and Kristen Thomas.

Suggitt has added in Dana Meschisi, Melissa Fowler, Richelle Stephens, Lorrie Clifford, Carmen Farmer.

Meschisi is an All American from Florida State, who has played in two World Series tournaments and plays both prop and halfback. Fowler was converted to rugby at the Olympic Training Center after playing basketball at Western Oregon. She has played for the USA 7s team before. Clifford has much the same story, as the Alaska native also played hoops at WOU.

The two complete debutants are Farmer and Stephens. Stephens was a standout for the perennial national championship Fallbrook HS program in Southern California, playing for the USA at the Youth Olympics last summer, and is only 18. Stephens, meanwhile, has been capped eight times in 15s as a lock. The 6-1, 180-pound 7s prop is a product of the Virginia Tech rugby program.

The USA will face off with Barbados, Cayman Islands, and Jamaica in their pool at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary starting the morning of June 13. The full schedule is here. The games will be webcast live on http://usarugbytv.com.

“[Carmen’s] been a great student of playing sevens,” Suggitt told Chad Wise at USARugby.org. “Since she’s been here, the length of her pass has really increased. She’s an intelligent athlete. What we need now is to get her game experience. We get simulated game experience at the Training Center but it’s not going to be anything like getting on the field and actually having to play where there’s something of real value.”

While Suggitt has made several changes - partly to rest a few injured players and partly to test some others, he promises no phoning-in at WakeMed.

“There’s no way in the world that we’re going to send a team there and underestimate who we’re playing against,” Suggitt said. “That’s not happening. Rest assured, we’re not taking it lightly. We have good enthusiasm and good leadership inside the group.”

USA Women's 7s Team for NACRA 7s 
1. Joanne Fa'avesi
2. Kelly Griffin
3. Kate Zackary
4. Alev Kelter
5. Dana Meschisi
6. Lauren Doyle
7. Kristen Thomas
8. Richelle Stephens
9. Melissa Fowler
10. Hannah Lopez
11. Lorrie Clifford
12. Carmen Farmer