CALIFORNIA (June 11) – Following her impressive sophomore season, California University of Pennsylvania shortstop Jillian Russell (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic) was recently selected to play for the Canadian Senior National Team.

The Canadian National Team is recognized as one of the worldwide leaders in the sport of softball, as it finished fourth at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Russell joins former standouts Meaggan Wilton and Megan Timpf as the only Vulcans to earn a spot on the prestigious National Team.

“Jillian has worked so hard for this honor, to be able to play for her country,” said Cal U veteran head coach Rick Bertagnolli, who also coached Wilton and Timpf. “I'm so honored to be a small part of this accomplishment.”

One of the youngest players on the National Team, Russell was selected the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Athlete of the Year in 2010 after hitting .313 (55-for-176) with 11 homers and 38 RBI. The 5-8 sophomore ranked fourth in the 15-team league in homers and was among the conference leaders in total bases (107) and assists (97). The slick-fielding shortstop also totaled 13 doubles, three triples and 38 runs scored in her second season as a starter.

Russell is also one of a few players on the team still competing at the college level. The Canadian National Team also features Washington senior pitcher Danielle Lawrie, who was named the USA Softball Player of the Year in 2009, and Georgia Tech senior All-American second baseman Jen Yee.

The Canadian National Team is scheduled to open its summer play at the International Softball Federation (ISF) World Championship in Caracas, Venezuela from June 24-July 2. Russell and Team Canada are then scheduled to compete at the KFC World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City, Okla., from July 22-26.

The head coach of the National Team is Mark Smith, who is a veteran player and coach on a national level in Canada. The coaching staff also features Melissa Basilio, who is the assistant head softball coach at NCAA Division I Winthrop.

Players are selected to the Canadian National Team by the coaching staff. To be eligible to be selected, an athlete must be a member in good standing of Softball Canada, a Canadian Citizen, or a person eligible for Canadian Citizenship who is actively pursuing Citizenship.