Men's U19 Takes Silver at 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 17, 2026) – The U.S. Men’s U19 National Team earned a silver medal at the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship, dropping an exciting final to host Canada, 3-2 (25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 17-15) on Sunday at Simon Fraser University Athletic University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.

Not surprisingly in a match in which four sets were decided by two points, the teams were nearly even statistically. The U.S. held a 67-64 advantage in kills; each team produced nine kills and Canada served four of the six aces in the match.

Opposite Bryce Thistlethwaite (26 points on 20 kills, four blocks and two aces) and outside hitter Daniel Hornyak (24 points on 22 kills and two blocks) combined for 50 points for the U.S. Hornyak led all players with 13 successful receptions.

Outside Trayce Crusfield reached double digits with 13 points on 12 kills and one block. Libero Wade Coppedge and setter Chase Wallin shared match-high honors with 14 digs.

An ace gave Canada the first three-point lead of the opening set, 10-7. A kill pushed the lead to four points, 16-12, causing the U.S. to take its first timeout. The U.S. used a 9-5 stretch to tie the set at 21. Chrusfield recorded two kills and a block in the stretch. Canada used an ace that dribbled off the tape to regain its two-point lead, 23-21. An Amani kill brought the U.S. back within a point but Canada earned the next point. The U.S. held off one set point before Canada handed the U.S. its first set loss of the tournament. Chrusfield finished with five points on four kills and a block, and three players contributed three kills.

Canada kept its momentum going by scoring the first three points of the second set. A pancake by Wallin led to a kill by Hornyak to cut the lead to one as part of a 7-0 run that included an O’Brien block and gave the U.S. its first three-point lead of the match,10-7. Back-to-back Thistlethwaite aces put the U.S. up 13-7.

Canada used a three-point run to cut the margin back to three points, 15-12, before Hornyak delivered back-to-back kills, the second on an overpass. A block brought Canada back within two points, 20-18, and forcing a U.S. timeout. Consecutive kills by Hornyak, the first set up by a great pass by Coppedge put the U.S. ahead 23-19 and led Canada to take its final timeout of the set.

Canada scored the next two points but a one-handed set from Wallin for a Thistlethwaite kill and a Canada error gave the U.S. the second set, evening the match. Hornyak finished the set with six kills, Thistlethwaite scored six points on four kills and his two aces, and middle blocker Kevin O’Brien came off the bench with four key points on three kills and a block.

Four kills and a block from Thistlethwaite staked the U.S. to a quick 6-2 lead in the third set. A Chrusfield kill and Thistlethwaite block raised the margin to six points, 10-4. Thistlethwaite’s seventh kill of the set gave the U.S. a 13-6 lead. Thistlethwaite’s 20th point of the match made it 17-9 and forced Canada to take its final timeout of the set. A block capped a 7-2 run that brought Canada within three points and led to a U.S. timeout.

Two Canada service errors, including one that nearly landed in the upper deck, helped the U.S. go back ahead by four points, 21-17. A Hornyak kill made it 22-18 but Canada scored the next three points, keyed by an ace and a block, to cut the margin back to one point. Chrusfield scored the next point, hanging in the air before dropping the ball midcourt. After a Canada point, Hornyak produced a kill to give the U.S. set point. Canada held off one set point before Thistlethwaite put a first ball over to end the set with his 10th kill and 12th point of the third set. Hornyak added four points on three kills and a block.

There were eight ties in the fourth set before Canada took an 11-9 lead. A great O’Brien dig and Hornyak kill forced another tie at 11 apiece. Crusfield hit the floor passing a strong serve and got back up to deliver a kill to even the set at 16-16. Neither team led by more than a point again until a Canada block made it 20-18 and led to a U.S. timeout.

The U.S. scored the next two points on a Hornyak kill and Bennebroek block to even the set at 20 apiece. After two more ties, Canada scored consecutive points to take a 24-22 lead and force the U.S. to take its final timeout. The U.S. staved off one set point on a great dig by Coppedge and block by Thistlethwaite before Canada won the set on a setter dump to even the match at two sets apiece. Hornyak scored seven points on six kills and a block.

Despite back-and-forth play, the U.S. never led in the final set. The teams traded the first six points before each team scored two in a row for the first time with Canada taking a 5-3 lead and the U.S. quickly tying it. A block gave Canada an 8-6 lead. A Chrusfield kill off the block, and a Canada error made it 8-8. Canada took the biggest lead of the set by scoring the following three points on a service error, kill off the block, and kill on an overpass.

The U.S. used a kill and a net violation to close the gap back to a point, but Canada came out of a timeout with a kill. A service error and hitting error off a misplayed serve squared the set again at 12. The U.S. held off three set points before Canada ended the match, putting a ball down off a free ball.

2026 Men’s U19 National Team Roster for NORCECA Continental Championship

Name (Height, Position, Hometown, High School, USAV Region)
1 Wade Coppedge (6-1, L, Raleigh, N.C., Grace Christian School, Carolina)
2 Trayce Chrusfield III (6-2, OH, Oak Park, Ill., Oak Park River Forest HS, Great Lakes)
3 Collin Tullis (6-1, L, Slidell, La., Seton Home Study, Southern)
5 Franklin Shiekh (6-4, OH, Upland, Calif., St John Bosco HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
8 Chase Wallin (6-6, S Laguna Niguel, Calif., Santa Margarita Catholic HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
7 Nils Bennebroek (6-6, MB, Foster City, Calif., Hillsdale HS, Northern California)
11 Jackson Feik (6-7, MB, Denver, Colo., Regis Jesuit HS, Rocky Mountain)
12 Carter Tchaikovsky (6-5, S, Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
13 Cameron Kosolcharoen (6-7, OH, San Clemente, Calif., San Clemente HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
14 Jason Amani (6-8, MB, Grand Prairie, Texas, Dubiski Career HS, Lone Star)
16 Daniel Hornyak (6-8, OH, San Diego, Calif., Poway HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
17 Bryce Thistlethwaite (6-8, OPP, Wheeling, Ill., Wheeling HS, Great Lakes)
19 Matthew Kravtsov (6-8, OH, Barrington, Ill., Barrington Community HS, Great Lakes)
20 Kevin O’Brien (6-11, MB, San Diego, Calif., Francis Parker School, Southern California Southern Nevada)

Alternates
4 Noah Pabarcus (6-3, S, San Diego, Calif., Saint Augustine HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
6 Timeo Domergue (6-5, OH, Boca Raton, Fla., Spanish River HS, Florida)
9 Noah Duffield (6-7, OH, Burbank, Calif., John Burroughs HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
10 Niko Opiola (6-5, MB, Arlington Heights, Ill., Rolling Meadows HS, Great Lakes)
15 Noah Mbaitoloum (6-7, OPP, Rockville, Md., Winston Churchill HS, Chesapeake)
18 Luke Bosanac (6-9, OPP, San Jose, Calif., Bellarmine College Prep, Northern California)
21 Antony Niu (6-11, MB, Fremont, Calif., Archbishop Mitty HS, Northern California)

Coaches
Head Coach: Andy Read (Men’s National Team)
Assistant Coach: Spencer Wickens (University of Minnesota)
Assistant Coach: Leandro Vissotto Neves (Brazil MNT, University of Miami)
Performance Analyst: Matthew Adams (University of Michigan)
Team Doctor: Dr. Chris Cornell (Coduhi Clinic)
Team Lead: Donovan Martinez (National Team Development Program)

U.S. Schedule
May 12: USA def. Panama, 3-0 (25-19, 25-9, 25-11)
May 13: USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-0 (25-17, 25-7, 25-8)
May 14: USA def. Puerto Rico, 3-0 (25-13, 25-20, 25-15)
May 15: Quarterfinals (USA received a bye)
May 16: Semifinals, USA def. Mexico, 3-0 (25-17, 27-25, 25-23)
May 17: Gold Medal Match, Canada def. USA, 3-2 (25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 17-15)