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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 22, 2025) – The U.S. Boys U17 National Team will play for bronze after falling to Cuba 3-1 (25-22, 27-25, 12-25, 25-20) in the semifinals Saturday at the 2025 NORCECA U17 Continental Championship in Nicaragua.
The U.S. (3-1) will play the loser of the other semifinal between Puerto Rico and Mexico on Sunday at 12 p.m. PT. The U.S. has not played Puerto Rico but defeated Mexico, 3-0, to start the tournament. Watch all matches live.
The U.S. led Cuba in kills (46-41), blocks (13-8) and aces (10-6), but Cuba scored 34 points off of U.S. errors.
Frankie Vincent led the U.S. with 16 points on six kills and a match-high six blocks and four aces. Jackson Real scored 15 on 12 kills, two blocks and an ace, and Logan Flores scored 12 (eight kills, two blocks, two aces).
Noah Mbaitoloum scored 11 points (10 kills, one ace) in just under two games of work; he went down with an injury late in the second set. Nikodem Opiola had seven kills, Sid Saikanth had two kills, one block and an ace; Gabe Desiderio had a kill and an ace, and setter Carter Tchaikovsky had two blocks.
Collin Tullis was phenomenal in the backcourt with 15 digs, and Flores had 13. Tullis was also credited with 16 excellent receptions.
Just like in the first meeting between the two teams, Cuba took an early lead with a set one win. The first set was close throughout, but Cuba broke open a 13-13 tie with three straight to take a 16-13 lead. Down 17-14, the U.S. used blocks by Tchaikovsky and Vincent to close within one. A few points later, Vincent tied it with a kill at 19-19, and it was 20-20 and 21-21 with two kills from Mbaitoloum. Two straight by Cuba gave them the edge they needed at 23-21, and they closed it out with a kill, 25-22. Mbaitoloum had eight points in the set.
Set two was another dogfight, but the U.S. held a 20-16 lead after kills from Real and Flores. Cuba closed the gap to two at 21-19 and 22-20. A Cuba attack error gave the U.S. a 23-20 lead, but during the play, Mbaitoloum had to leave the game with an injury. Cuba took advantage to tie it at 23-23. The U.S. had set points at 24-23 and 25-24 but couldn’t convert, and Cuba scored the last three points for a 27-25 win and 2-0 set lead.
The U.S. roared back in set three, opening up a 12-5 lead early on. Behind eight points from Real, the Americans kept the pressure on for a 25-12 win.
Cuba and the U.S. battled closely again in set four. Tied at 11, Cuba used four straight U.S. errors for a 15-11 lead. Cuba would not let the U.S. get back into the match and led by six at 22-16. The U.S. kept working, scoring four of the next five to close the gap to three at 23-20. But, it wasn’t to be as Cuba scored the next two to advance to the gold medal match.
No. (Name, Position, Hometown, High School, USAV Region)
2 Logan Flores (OH, Cypress, Calif., Cypress HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
3 Collin Tullis (L, Slidell, La., Seton Home Study Program, Southern)
4 Sid Saikanth (OH, Leander, Texas, Rouse HS, Lone Star)
5 Dane Schaefer (S/OPP, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Mira Costa HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
7 Sean John (MB, Mount Prospect, Ill., John Hersey HS, Great Lakes)
8 Tommy Clifford (OH, Glen Ellyn, Ill., Glenbard West HS, Great Lakes)
9 Gabe Desiderio (OH, Los Altos Hills, Calif., Saint Francis HS, Northern California)
10 Nikodem Opiola (MB, Arlington Heights, Ill., Rolling Meadows HS, Great Lakes)
12C Carter Tchaikovsky (S, Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
13 Frankie Vincent (MB, Schaumburg, Ill., Schaumburg High School, Great Lakes)
15 Noah Mbaitoloum (OH, Rockville, Md., Winston Churchill HS, Chesapeake)
16 Jackson Real (OPP, San Clemente, Calif., San Clemente HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
Alternates
1 Nate Paige (L, Wheaton, Ill., Wheaton Warrenville South HS, Great Lakes)
6 Tyler Berent (S, Mountain View, Calif., Mountain View HS, Northern California)
11 Kekoa Wade (OPP, Kailua, Hawaii, University Laboratory School, Aloha)
14 Jackson Vanderpool (MB, Queen Creek, Arizona, Higley HS, Arizona Region)
17 Kellen Saurer (S, Elgin, Ill., Wheaton Academy, Great Lakes)
Coaches
Head Coach: Brandon Taliaferro (USA Volleyball)
Assistant Coach: Steven Duhoux (Ohio State)
Assistant Coach: Tom Stillwell (NTDP)
Athletic Trainer: Cherryl Bueno (Coast to Coast AthletiCare)
Performance Analyst Noel Carpio (NTDP)
Team Doctor: Dainis Berzins, D.O. (Cedars-Sinai – Los Angeles)
Team Lead: Donovan Martinez (NTDP)
All times PT
Nov 18: USA def. Mexico 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-13)
Nov. 19: USA def. Cuba 3-1 (23-25, 25-14, 25-23, 25-19)
Nov. 20: USA def. Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-18)
Nov. 22: Cuba def. USA, 3-1 (25-22, 27-25, 12-25, 25-20)
Nov. 23: Bronze Medal Match: USA vs. Mexico/Puerto Rico, 12 p.m.
The U.S. Boys U17 National Team earned its third consecutive victory and third-ever victory as a program, defeating Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-18) at the 2025 NORCECA U17 Continental Championship in Nicaragua.
The U.S. Boys U17 National Team secured its second-ever victory as a program, defeating Cuba 3-1 (23-25, 25-14, 25-23, 25-19) at the 2025 NORCECA U17 Continental Championship in Nicaragua.
In its first-ever match, the U.S. Boys U17 National Team earned a victory over Mexico 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-13) at the 2025 NORCECA U17 Continental Championship in Nicaragua.
USA Volleyball announces the 12 athletes who will compete for the first-ever Boys U17 National Team at the 2025 NORCECA U17 Continental Championship, set for Nov. 18-23 in Nicaragua.
Seventeen athletes have been selected for the 2025 U.S. Boys U17 National Team that will train for the 2025 NORCECA Boys U17 Continental Championship, set for November 18-23 in Managua, Nicaragua.
