U.S. Women Sweep Puerto Rico at 2025 U21 World Championship
The U.S. Girls U19 National Team began the playoff round with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-16) win over Puerto Rico on Friday in Surabaya, Indonesia.
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 15, 2025) – The U.S. Girls U19 National Team defeated Croatia for the second time at the FIVB Women’s U21 World Championship, this time 3-1 (26-28, 25-22, 25-15, 25-15) on Saturday in Surabaya, Indonesia.
The U.S. (6-2) will play in the ninth-place match against the winner of the match between Czechia and Thailand on Sunday, Aug. 17 at a time to be announced.
The U.S. led in kills (45-35), blocks (15-11) and nearly doubled Croatia in aces (15-8). Croatia made one fewer error (27-26).
Opposite Henley Anderson led all scorers with 16 points on 12 kills and four blocks. Outside hitter Halle Thompson totaled 13 points on eight kills, two blocks and three aces. She led the team with five successful receptions and added seven digs.
Outside JJ Robinson finished with 11 points on five kills, three blocks and three aces. Middle blocker Brooke Harwood shared match-high honors with Anderson with four blocks, and her four kills and two aces gave her 10 total points.
Setter Genevieve Harris recorded 32 assists and three aces to go with a kill and a block. Middle Elena Hoecke finished with nine points on six kills, a block and a pair of aces, and outside Taylor Stanley added eight kills. Libero Gabi Rodriguez paced the squad with nine digs.
Croatia used an early 4-0 run in the first set to take a 9-7 lead and prompt the U.S. to take a timeout. After the set was tied four times, the U.S. used back-to-back blocks to take a 14-12 lead. After a timeout, Croatia put together another four-point run to retake the lead by two points.
Croatia extended the lead to six points, 21-15, scoring five consecutive points before a hitting error ended the streak. A Hoecke ace and Taylor kill cut the margin to three points, 21-18. After a Croatia point, another Taylor kill and a hitting error brought the U.S. to within two, 22-20.
An Anderson block cut the lead to one, but the U.S. was unable to score on an overpass on the next serve. Kills by Anderson and Harwood evened the set at 23. An Anderson tip gave the U.S. set point, but Croatia responded with a kill and then went ahead on an ace. Anderson scored off the block to make it 25-25. A block gave Croatia its second set point, but a hitting error squared the set again.
A nice play by the setter on a pass close to the net led to a Croatia kill and a hitting error ended the set. The teams were nearly identical statistically in the set with 11 kills and nine opponent errors, but Croatia recorded one more ace and block each. Anderson led the U.S. with six points on five kills and a block.
A back row attack by Thompson gave the U.S. a 9-6 advantage in the second set. The lead reached five, 12-7, on a Harwood block and Harris ace. Croatia came out of a timeout and went on a 5-1 run to cut the lead back to one point and used an ace to even the set at 15 apiece.
A Hoecke ace gave the U.S. a two-point lead again at 18-16 before Croatia scored three points in a row with another ace forcing a U.S. timeout. A Robinson kill tied the set at 19-19 before a lengthy delay on a Croatia challenge on the next play that eventually favored the U.S. Harris delivered an ace on the next serve to restore the two-point U.S. advantage.
Croatia regained the lead, 22-21, by scoring the next three points, but the U.S. scored the final four points. Robinson and Thompson scored the final two points on kills to close out the back-and-forth set. Harwood (two blocks with a kill and an ace) and Hoecke (three kills and an ace) each scored four points.
The U.S. continued its momentum into the third set with a Thompson kill making it 4-1 and forcing Croatia into a quick timeout. Thompson served an ace to extend the lead to four points, 7-3, confirmed after a challenge. Another Thompson ace made it 12-8 and led to the final Croatia timeout of the set.
A Harwood ace and a hitting error pushed the lead to six points, 15-9. Thompson served another ace for an 18-11 U.S. lead. Croatia was unable to get closer than six points after that. Harwood ended the set with a kill. Anderson scored five points on four kills and a block, while Thompson contributed two kills and her two aces.
Two more Thompson aces keyed an 7-2 U.S. run to start the fourth set. Another Harwood ace and a hitting error extended the lead to seven points, 10-3. Croatia used its final timeout trailing 12-4. Setter Blair Thiebaud served an ace and a Hoecke ace pushed the lead to double digits. Croatia was never able to draw closer than eight points the remainder of the match. Robinson scored six points on three blocks, two aces and a kill. Stanley ended the match with her fourth kill of the set.
2025 Girls U19 National Team for U21 World Championship
Name (Pos., Height, Birth Year, Hometown, School, USAV Region)
3 Jayden “JJ” Robinson (OPP, 6-3, 2008, Missouri City, Texas, Ridge Point HS, Lone Star)
6 Keoni Williams (MB, 6-4, 2007, Fort Worth, Texas, Eagle Mountain HS, North Texas)
7 Brooke Harwood (MB, 6-4, 2008, Mesa, Ariz., Casteel HS, Arizona)
8 Ayanna Watson (OH/OPP, 6-3, 2007, Henderson, Nev., Bishop Gorman HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
11 Gabi Rodriguez (L, 5-6, 2008, Celeste, Texas, McKinney North HS, North Texas)
12 Genevieve Harris (S, 5-11, 2007, Raleigh, N.C., Cardinal Gibbons HS, Carolina)
13 Halle Thompson (OH, 6-0, 2008, Spring, Texas, Grand Oaks HS, Lone Star)
14 Taylor Stanley (OPP, 6-3, 2007, Overland Park, Kan., Blue Valley Southwest HS, Heart of America)
16 Elena Hoecke (MB, 6-3, 2007, Lino Lakes, Minn., Centennial HS, North Country)
17 Audrey Flanagan (OH, 6-3, 2008, Redondo Beach, Calif., Mira Costa HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
19 Henley Anderson (OH/OPP, 6-3, 2007, Dripping Springs, Texas, Dripping Springs HS, Lone Star)
22 Blair Thiebaud (S, 6-0, 2007, College Station, Texas, College Station HS, Lone Star)
Alternates
1 Emma Cugino (L, 5-9, 2008, Galena, Ohio, Olentangy Orange HS, Ohio Valley)
2 Nadiya Johnson (OPP, 6-2, 2008, Ashburn, Va., Riverside HS, Chesapeake)
4 Kendall Omoruyi (MB, 6-4, 2008, Gilbert, Ariz., Casteel HS, Arizona)
5 Danielle Whitmire (S, 6-1, 2007, Celina, Texas, Walnut Grove HS, North Texas)
9 Isabel Incinelli (OPP/OH, 6-5, 2008, Winter Park, Fla., Winter Park HS, Florida)
15 Lynney Tarnow (MB, 6-5, 2007, Downers Grove, Ill., Benet Academy, Great Lakes)
18 Tessa Larkin (OH, 6-1, 2008, Anthem, Ariz., Xavier College Preparatory HS, Arizona)
Coaches
Head Coach: Tama Miyashiro (LOVB)
Assistant Coach: Stacy Sykora (LOVB)
Assistant Coach: Steven Duhoux (Ohio State men’s volleyball)
Performance Analyst Training: Elgin Liu (UCSD men’s volleyball)
Performance Analyst Competition: Peter Wong (Halton Region Volleyball Club)
ATC: Misao Tanioka (LOVB)
Team Lead: Alex Purvey (NTDP)
Schedule
All times PT
Pool Play
Aug. 7: USA def. Korea, 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 19-25, 25-20)
Aug. 8: USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-11)
Aug. 9: USA def. Mexico, 3-0 (25-19, 25-11, 25-18)
Aug. 10: USA def. Croatia, 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-15)
Aug. 11: China def. USA, 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 28-26)
Aug. 13: Round of 16: Bulgaria def. USA, 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-15)
Aug. 15: Playoff Round: USA def. Puerto Rico, 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-16)
Aug. 16: Playoff Round: USA def. Croatia, 3-1 (26-28, 25-22, 25-15, 25-15)
Aug. 17: Ninth-Place Match: USA vs. Czechia/Thailand, TBA
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