Former Falls star Simone Lee played a key role in helping Team USA win Pan-American Cup gold

Simone Lee’s résumé now includes a gold medal.

In her first U.S. National Team event, the former Menomonee Falls star was a key player in the team’s run to the championship at the Pan-American Cup, which concluded Saturday in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter who played at Penn State started four of the six matches and was the team’s leading scorer in the first three.

In the final, she helped Team USA rally from a two-set deficit to beat the Dominican Republic, 24-26, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-8, for the gold medal. Lee finished that match with seven points, getting six kills in 21 attacks and one block.

Lee was part of a relatively new crew for the national team. Seven players, including Lee, had their first international experience. No one on the team had more than two years of international experience.

Former Wisconsin Badger Lauren Carlini was named the MVP of the tournament as well as its best setter.

Lee started in all three pool-play matches as well as the final. These were her stat lines from pool play when she led the team in scoring each match.

* Trinidad and Tobago, July 8 (win): 10 kills, two digs and one block.

* Cuba, July 9 (loss): 15 kills, two blocks, six digs and one ace.

* Puerto Rico, July 10 (win): 13 kills, one dig.

Lee was a two-time, first-team All-American at Penn State and the Big Ten's player of  the year this past season. 

She wrapped up her college career in December after helping the Nittany Lions reach the NCAA regional semifinal. She then graduated and signed with Italian pro team Imoco Volley Conegliano for the second half of the season. This season she’ll play in Turkey with Beylikduzu Voleybol Ihtisas.