Blitz Selected for Israeli Olympic Qualifying Team
12/13/2018 2:27:00 PM | Softball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana Softball alum Rebecca Blitz has been selected by the Israeli Softball Association to compete on the Israel Olympic Qualifying Team, the organization announced on Thursday.
The 2018 Indiana graduate and native of Birmingham, Ala. will compete with the team in the 2019 European Championships in hopes of qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
"I'm honored to be selected to play for the Israeli National Team," said Blitz. "It's exciting to be able to go out on the field and compete again, this time being able to represent Israel and my heritage. It makes even more special as we attempt to do something Israel hasn't done in over 50 years, which is qualify for the Olympic Games."
Last summer, Blitz traveled to Israel to compete for the United States delegation in the 2017 World Maccabiah Games.
The former centerfielder and three-time All-Big Ten pick finished her Hoosier career near the top of nearly every offensive category in the program's record book, including second all-time in hits (236) and stolen bases (89). In addition, her 133 runs were the fourth-most in IU history while her career .339 batting average was sixth.
In order to play for Israel, the players are required to have at least one Jewish parent or grandparent and must travel to Israel to receive dual citizenship. Other players who have competed in college include:
Rebecca Blitz, Indiana
Vanessa Foreman, Arizona
Olivia Gott, Virginia
Alexis "AJ" Kaiser, Syracuse
Jamie Morgan, Ole Miss
Lily Novak, Northwestern
Sabrina Rabin, Northwestern
Darby Rosen, North Carolina
Tamara "T" Statman, Arizona
Sarah Tannenbaum, Drexel
Leah White, Stanford
Noa Yakir, Cal Poly
The team will be coached by Stacy Iveson, who currently serves as the Director of Operations for the University of Arizona.
The 2018 Indiana graduate and native of Birmingham, Ala. will compete with the team in the 2019 European Championships in hopes of qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
"I'm honored to be selected to play for the Israeli National Team," said Blitz. "It's exciting to be able to go out on the field and compete again, this time being able to represent Israel and my heritage. It makes even more special as we attempt to do something Israel hasn't done in over 50 years, which is qualify for the Olympic Games."
Last summer, Blitz traveled to Israel to compete for the United States delegation in the 2017 World Maccabiah Games.
The former centerfielder and three-time All-Big Ten pick finished her Hoosier career near the top of nearly every offensive category in the program's record book, including second all-time in hits (236) and stolen bases (89). In addition, her 133 runs were the fourth-most in IU history while her career .339 batting average was sixth.
In order to play for Israel, the players are required to have at least one Jewish parent or grandparent and must travel to Israel to receive dual citizenship. Other players who have competed in college include:
Rebecca Blitz, Indiana
Vanessa Foreman, Arizona
Olivia Gott, Virginia
Alexis "AJ" Kaiser, Syracuse
Jamie Morgan, Ole Miss
Lily Novak, Northwestern
Sabrina Rabin, Northwestern
Darby Rosen, North Carolina
Tamara "T" Statman, Arizona
Sarah Tannenbaum, Drexel
Leah White, Stanford
Noa Yakir, Cal Poly
The team will be coached by Stacy Iveson, who currently serves as the Director of Operations for the University of Arizona.
Players Mentioned
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