COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 17, 2026) – The U.S. Girls’s Nationwide Workforce superior to the gold medal match of the 2026 Pan American Cup with a 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 28-26, 26-24) victory over Puerto Rico Thursday in León, Guanajuato, Mexico.

The U.S. (5-1) will play the winner of tonight’s Mexico-Dominican Republic match. Mexico is the one staff to defeat the U.S. within the event, whereas the U.S. has not met the Dominican Republic this week.

The U.S. had the benefit in kills (65-49), blocks (11-17) and aces (1-0).

Onye Ofoegbu and Temi Thomas-Ailara every had stellar nights, with Ofoegbu scoring 19 factors on 13 kills and a match-high six blocks. Thomas-Ailara had 16 kills and two factors for 18 factors. Callie Schwarzenbach and Jess Mruzik additionally reached double figures, with Schwarzenbach scoring 15 (12 kills, three blocks) and Mruzik gathering 10 kills.

Eva Hudson had 5 kills, and Hoffman and Baird every had 4. Setter Rachel Fairbanks had the lone U.S. ace, and Sami Francis had a kill. Libero Elena Oglivie had a match-high 22 digs, and Fairbanks had 15.

The primary set was tight till 13-13 when the U.S. received 4 straight factors off of two Puerto Rico errors and two blocks from Thomas-Ailara and Ofoegbu. Up 18-14, the U.S. took benefit of three extra Puerto Rico errors and an Ofoegbu kill to extend the result in eight, 22-14. Puerto Rico moved inside 5 at 22-17, however one other Ofoegbu kill and a Schwarzenbach block gave the U.S. set level. Schwarzenbach completed along with her second kill of the set.

The U.S. was accountable for set two early, constructing an early 13-7 lead. Puerto Rico ultimately closed the hole to 1 with consecutive blocks, 16-15, forcing a U.S. timeout. Hoffman got here out of the timeout with a kill to make it 17-15, however one other Puerto Rico level tightened the lead. Francis was referred to as for a carry and it was 17-17, and some factors later, Puerto Rico grabbed a 19-18 lead.

Down 20-18, the U.S. took one other timeout. The break labored, because the U.S. rapidly scored two to tie the sport. At 21-21, Puerto Rico scored three straight for set level. The U.S. saved two set factors till Puerto Rico tied the match with a kill.

Set three was a barnburner, with 15 ties and neither staff getting a lot of an edge all through. The U.S. broke by at 26-26 with consecutive kills from Thomas-Ailara and Hudson for the 28-26 win.

Puerto Rico held the lead for a lot of set 4, together with a four-point benefit at 16-12. The U.S. scored three, twice on Baird kills, to chop the hole to 16-15. Puerto Rico held a 19-18 benefit when an ideal rally ended with a Puerto Rico block to up the result in two. However Thomas-Ailara notched a kill and Ofoegbu blocked a Puerto Rico assault to even the set at 20.

Simply as in set three, the 2 groups traded factors and the U.S. took a 23-22 lead on one other Thomas-Ailara kill. Puerto Rico tied it, however Thomas-Ailara unleashed a rocket for match level, however a kill of the block tied it once more. A Baird kill made it 25-24, and Mruzik tipped the ball over for the win.

2026 Girls’s Pan American Cup Roster

No., Identify (Pos., Peak, Hometown, Faculty)
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, Ailing., 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 def. Guatemala, 3-0 (25-9, 25-8, 25-14)
Sept.16: Quarterfinals: USA def. Canada, 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-12)
Sept. 17: Semifinals: USA def. Puerto Rico, 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 28-26, 26-24)
Sept. 18: Finals: USA vs. Mexico/Dominican Republoc, 7 p.m. PT