McKenna Granato planned out a summer devoted to training for the upcoming University of Hawaii women’s volleyball season.

The rising Rainbow Wahine junior will gladly squeeze a dual-purpose trip to Minnesota into her schedule in late June.

Granato was among 31 players selected for the U.S. Collegiate National Team-Minneapolis and views the eight-day trip next month as an opportunity to compete with some of the best in the country in the national program while continuing to develop her game for the fall.

“At first I wasn’t sure because I really wanted to focus on training for the season,” Granato said. “But once I realized I would be playing with such high-level girls I was really excited to go just because I knew it would make me a better player and a better teammate.”

Granato, a 6-foot outside hitter from Kailua, was among nearly 250 players — including four from UH — invited to the U.S. Women’s National Team’s open tryouts in Colorado in March. Selection to the collegiate national team is considered a second tryout for the national team.

Granato received word of her selection two weeks ago and the initial roster was announced on Monday. Another five players will be named after the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team plays in the U20 Pan American Cup.

“I’ve just been going with the flow lately and just Dave (Shoji) giving me the opportunity to go up there was super cool, and now that I got this I realize that it is a possibility,” Granato said. “So I am really excited and definitely new goals coming up.”

The team will train June 22-26 at the University of Minnesota, where UH ended its season last December in the NCAA tournament.

The players will be divided among three 12-member teams to play in a round-robin format June 26-30 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships.

Granato hammered 293 kills (2.9 per set) in her sophomore season at UH to rank second on the team behind senior Nikki Taylor. A call-back from the national program provides a boost in her training and outlook going forward.

“It’s always been harder for me to be confident because I am on the smaller side,” Granato said. “So I think this has definitely helped me with confidence and knowing that I can do it even if I am smaller.”

Reyn “Tita” Akiu, a Kamehameha graduate and Texas Tech junior, was among four liberos selected to the collegiate national team. Granato, a Punahou product, said they played club volleyball together with Team Piko in the eighth grade and their freshman year of high school and were across the net throughout their ILH careers.

“It’s going to be cool just to play with her again,” Granato said. “She’s very talented so that’ll be fun.”