The invitation arrived in early December, forwarded through Coach Volkov's development program with an urgency that had Ivy reading the email three times before the reality of it fully settled.
USA Fencing Junior National Team — Provisional Selection: Junior World Championships, Budapest, Hungary, March
"They're selecting you for the actual junior national team," Coach Orlova said, reading over Ivy's shoulder with an expression caught somewhere between pride and genuine astonishment. "Provisional selection, pending your performance at the January qualifier, but Coach Volkov's recommendation clearly carries significant weight. This is extraordinary, Ivy. Most fencers spend years working toward international selection. You're being considered in your first full season of serious competitio
