COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 15, 2026) – The U.S. Girls’s Nationwide Crew will play within the quarterfinals on Sept. 16 after sweeping Guatemala (25-9, 25-8, 25-14) right now on the 2026 NORCECA Pan American Cup in León, Guanajuato, Mexico.
The U.S. (3-1) completed second in Group B and can play the third-place finisher of Group A (both Canada or Nicaragua) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PT.
The U.S. led in kills (38-13), blocks (8-1) and aces (9-0). Twelve of the 14 gamers scored, led by Sami Francis with 10 (seven kills, two blocks and one ace).
Eva Hudson scored 9 with two kills and two aces; and Temi Thomas-Ailara and Caitie Baird every notched six (Thomas-Ailara with 5 kills and an ace, and Baird with 4 kills and a block). Jess Mruzik and Claire Hoffman every scored 5, and Natalie Foster, Rachel Fairbanks and Callie Scharzenbach scored three. Toyosi Onabanjo and Ella Powell had two, and Onye Ofoegbu had one kill. Each liberos, Lauren Briseño and Elena Oglivie, had 5 digs.
Guatemala didn’t threaten the U.S. throughout the match. Up by 4 at 10-6 within the first, the U.S. gained 15 of the subsequent 18 factors for the first-set win. Hudson had 5 factors (4 kills and an ace) within the set.
Francis led the staff in set two with six factors because the U.S. reeled off 9 straight to take an early 11-2 lead. The staff continued to dominate all through the set, extending the lead till Francis ended it with a kill.
The U.S. broke open the third set at 8-6 with a three-point run, however Guatemala stayed inside 4 till 15-11. Then, the U.S. scored six straight for a 21-11 lead. The 2 groups traded factors till 23-14 when a Guatemala service error and Francis kill ended the match. Thomas-Ailara had six factors.
2026 Girls’s Pan American Cup Roster
No., Title (Pos., Top, Hometown, School)
3 Toyosi Onabanjo (MB, 6-1, Houston, Texas, Kansas)
5 Lauren Briseño (L, 5-7, San Antonio, Texas, Baylor)
7 Ella Powell (S, 6-0, Fayetteville, Ark., Washington)
9 Jess Mruzik (OH, 6-1, Livonia, Mich., Michigan/Penn State)
11 Natalie Foster (MB, 6-4, Mattawan, Mich., Wichita State/SMU)
12 Temi Thomas-Ailara (OPP, 6-2, Glenwood, Sick., Northwestern/Wisconsin)
13 Onye Ofoegbu (MB, 6-3, Cerritos, Calif., UC Irvine/Oregon)
19 Elena Oglivie (L, 5-10, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford)
20 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt)
21 Claire Hoffman (OH, 6-2, Nice Hill, Oreg., Washington)
25 Callie Scharzenbach (OH, 6-5, Kearney, Mo., Nebraska/Lengthy Seashore State)
30 Eva Hudson (OH, 6-1, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Purdue/Kentucky)
77 Sami Francis (OPP, 6-6, San Diego, Calif., Stanford)
99 Caitie Baird (OH, 6-3, Indianapolis, Ind., Stanford)
Schedule
All instances PT
Sept. 11: USA def. Cuba, 3-0 (25-16, 25-15 , 25-20)
Sept. 12: Mexico def. USA, 3-1 (25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 25-20)
Sept. 13: USA def. Costa Rica, 3-0 (25-9, 25-8, 25-16)
Sept. 15: USA vs. Guatemala, 1 p.m.
Sept.16: Quarterfinals and Classification
Sept. 17: Semifinals
Sept. 18: Finals
