LA JOLLA, Calif. – Senior left-handed pitcher Robyn Wampler of UC San Diego softball has been named to the Israeli Women's National Team. The Israel Softball Association (ISA) announced its coaches and roster -- a mix of veterans and newcomers -- on Thursday, May 6.
 
Wampler and Team Israel will compete at the European Softball Championship from June 27 to July 3, 2021. The event will consist of pool play followed by tournament play, all contests taking place at various venues within the northeast region of Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia. 20 nations from all over Europe, plus Israel, will vie for a ticket to the 2022 World Games hosted by the U.S. in Birmingham, Alabama.
 
"I am looking forward to experiencing new countries and learning more about the Jewish culture at its roots," Wampler expressed. "It's really cool that I get to do it with a group of girls that I share multiple connections with."
 
Wampler won't be the only UC San Diego alum in attendance. UC Riverside Head Coach and former four-year Triton catcher and assistant coach Nikki Palmer '07 earned the title of co-head coach of Team Israel alongside Corey Vyner.  
 
"It means a lot to me to be able to represent UC Riverside as well as my alma mater as part of Team Israel," Palmer stated. "Our team has a unique opportunity to turn some heads this summer as we have put together a stellar roster that will surely draw some attention to the sport in Israel."
 
"It is an honor to bring Robyn along for this journey as a fellow Triton to represent a country we both have heritage in."
 
In 2019, Team Israel finished ninth at the European Championship but is looking to finish on top this time around.
 
"Ultimately, the biggest reward as part of this experience, is for me to play just a small part in growing the game of softball in Israel," Palmer continued. "The country already has some young talent, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to further advance the sport."
 
Wampler and Palmer squared off against each other when UC Riverside visited La Jolla for a three-game Big West Conference matchup at the beginning of May. In the series, the Tritons took two out of three from the Highlanders.
 
"I'm so excited to play for Coach Palmer," Wampler mentioned. "She is very upbeat and fun, but also carries the mindset that we are here to work hard and win. She has high expectations for the team and is going to help us perform to the best of our abilities while representing Team Israel proudly."
 
Head Coach of the Tritons Patti Gerckens, in her 29th season, is especially proud to see two of her soon-to-be former players continuing their dreams at the international level.
 
"I am really excited that Robyn has this amazing opportunity to continue playing softball internationally," Gerckens shared. "I am honored to have coached both Nikki and Robyn for their four years at UC San Diego. I think this opportunity highlights the athleticism of the players that come through UC San Diego and their commitment to the game."
 
Wampler, who graduated last winter with a degree in international business, will leave for Tel Aviv, Israel on June 1, prior to UC San Diego's commencement on June 12-13. For a little over two weeks, the team will train hard before heading to Italy on June 24.
 
During Wampler's time abroad, she will have the ability to explore other parts of the world in between practicing and playing.
 
With the Tritons, Wampler has etched her name into every individual pitching category in the program's record book. As of now, she will graduate ranked first in saves and second in wins and strikeouts, as well as top-five in a handful of others. In 2019, her sophomore campaign, the lefty led UC San Diego to a West Region title and its first trip to the National Championship since 2012. The same year she tossed her first career no-hitter. It is without a doubt the two-time NFCA All-West Region honoree, 2018 CCAA Freshman of the Year, and two-time UC San Diego Athlete of the Year has left a lasting impact on the program and the institution. 
 
The Berkeley native believes her time with the Tritons has prepared her for what's to come.
 
"Coach G always talks about being grateful for the opportunities that we are given, especially from the game of softball," said Wampler. "I believe I have upheld that mentality at UC San Diego and want to take it with me this summer into Israel and Italy.
 
"When it comes to pitching, I gained a lot of experience early on in my career. I threw a majority of the innings my freshman through junior seasons. The depth of our pitching staff in 2021 has helped, but I definitely learned how to be a workhorse in those early years. Whatever situation I am put in this summer, I think I have been set up to succeed and will hopefully win a European Softball Championship.
 
"Overall, it is going to be amazing to represent something bigger than the game of softball itself. I'm really grateful and can't wait," Wampler concluded.

2021 Israeli Women's National Softball Team – Roster
Rebecca Blitz, Indiana University '18
Vanessa Foreman, University of Louisiana at Lafayette '22
Olivia Gott, University of Virginia '19
Alexis "AJ" Kaiser, Syracuse '22
Darby Rosen, University of North Carolina '17
Tamara "T" Statman, University of Arizona '19 
Noa Yakir, Cal Poly University '19
Nava Susi, University of Pittsburgh '19
Robyn Wampler, UC San Diego '21
Arizona Ritchie, University of Virginia '22
Ava Justman, University of Wisconsin '24
Ruby Salzman, West Texas A&M '22
Sydney Goldmna, Brandeis University '22
Aliyah Huerta Leipner, Boston University '22
Ariel Argy, Israel
Adi Baren, Israel
Alisa Stuchevski, Israel

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions III and II and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America accolades, while 38 have received prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
 
Return To Sport… Safely
In order for UC San Diego scholar-athletes to be permitted to return to training and competition safely and within federal, state, local and university guidelines, the athletic department implemented a number of measures designed to complement and enhance the university's highly-successful Return To Learn program.  Notable actions include being physically distanced when practical, including during out-of-season training sessions; wearing masks, except when undergoing physically strenuous exercise; and maintaining proper hygiene.  Athletes, coaches and staff are testing at a higher frequency than the campus population, teams adhere to CDC, NCAA and Big West Conference guidelines and department officials participate in regular meetings with conference and university-affiliated physicians and the UC San Diego emergency operations staff.