“It’s such an honor to be nominated to carry our flag into Opening Ceremonies,” Scott said. “It never even crossed my mind that I would be elected to be flag-bearer, but it really means a lot, especially since I was nominated by the other athletes. It’s pretty incredible. I’m really looking forward to it.”

A middle blocker on the U.S. National Volleyball Team, Scott-Arruda is competing in her fourth Pan American Games. She began her international career with a fifth-place finish at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba, helped Team USA to a silver medal a the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar Del Plata, Argentina, and followed with a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. She did not compete in the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, but will captain the U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2007 Pan American Games.

Scott-Arruda, who married Eduardo Arruda of Brazil on July 15, 2006, is no stranger to playing volleyball in Brazil. She competed in the Brazilian Superliga this past off-season with Cimed Macae. Scott-Arruda has played professionally in Brazil for a total of four years; she spent the 1997-98 off-season playing for Team Nestle, and the 1998-2000 off-seasons playing for BCN in Osasco, Brazil. This year, she will play for Finasa, also in Osasco.

“It’s so exciting to be playing in Brazil, the fan base is really good so it’s a lot of fun to play here,” she said. “Brazil is such a passionate country and when you put sports into it, it’s an incredible atmosphere to play in. I’m excited to be playing here with my U.S. teammates and I know we’re going to have a great time.”

Scott-Arruda and her teammates open competition on July 14 against Costa Rica.

Also nominated to serve as U.S. flag-bearer for the 2007 Pan American Games were Seth Kelsey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Fencing) and Jamie Crombie (Cincinnati, Ohio/Squash).

U.S. PAN AMERICAN GAMES FLAG BEARERS:
1951: Miguel de Capriles, Fencing
1955: unknown
1959: unknown
1963: unknown
1967: Don Schollander, Swimming
1971: Linda Metheny, Gymnastics
1975: Lones Wigger, Shooting
1979: Ann Meyers, Basketball
1983: Denise Curry, Basketball
1987: Jim Abbott, Baseball
1991: Jim Schreiner, Canoe/Kayak
1995: Peter Westbrook, Fencing
1999: Karen Smyers, Triathlon
2003: Carl Eichenlaub, Sailing
2007: Danielle Scott-Arruda, Volleyball

Scott-Arruda will be available to the media today, July 12, at 1:00 PM in the USOC Media Office at the Main Press Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For more information, call the USOC Pan American Games Media Office at 2007-9098.