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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 15, 2026) – USA Volleyball announces the 26 athletes for this year’s Boys U17 National Team who will train for the NORCECA Pan American Cup in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Aug. 4-9, 2026.
The athletes will participate in a training block July 25-Aug. 1 at the National Team Training Center in Anaheim, Calif. From this group, 14 athletes will be chosen to represent the United States on the final competition roster in Guatemala.
Former U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team assistant coach Mike Wall will lead the team. He’s joined by Steven Duhoux (Ohio State) and Tom Stillwell (NTDP).
“I’m excited for the opportunity to work with this talented group of athletes as we represent the United States at the NORCECA Boys U17 Pan American Cup,” Wall said. “This tournament is an important step in their development, and we’re committed to building systems and habits that are directly aligned with how our senior national team plays. Creating that continuity throughout our pipeline is a key part of preparing these athletes for future success, and I’m looking forward to seeing this team compete.”
Sixteen of the 26 were part of the inaugural U.S. Boys U17 National Team last year. Twelve of them (Logan Flores, Collin Tullis, Sid Saikanth, Dane Schaefer, Sean John, Tommy Clifford, Gabe Desiderio, Nikodem Opiola, Carter Tchaikovsky, Frankie Vincent, Noah Mbaitoloum and Jackson Real) led the team to the bronze medal at the 2025 NORCECA Continental Championship. Mbaitoloum was named Best Opposite and Vincent was named First Best Blocker at the event.
2026 Boys U17 National Team
No. (Name, Position, Height, Hometown, High School, USAV Region)
1 Nate Paige (L, 5-10, Wheaton, Ill., Wheaton Warrenville South HS, Great Lakes)
2 Logan Flores (L, 6-1, Cypress, Calif., Cypress HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
3 Collin Tullis (L, 6-2, Slidell, La., Seton Catholic Homeschooling, Southern)
4 Sid Saikanth (OH, 6-3, Leander, Texas, Rouse HS, Lone Star)
5 Dane Schaefer (S, 6-3, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Mira Costa HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
6 Paxon Boynton (L, 5-6, Mesa, Ariz., Mountain View, HS, Arizona Region)
7 Sean John (MB, 6-3, Mount Prospect, Ill., John Hersey HS, Great Lakes)
8 Tommy Clifford (OH, 6-5, Glen Ellyn, Ill., Glenbard West HS, Great Lakes)
9 Gabe Desiderio (OH, 6-6, Los Altos Hills, Calif., Saint Francis HS, Northern California)
10 Nikodem Opiola (MB, 6-5, Arlington Heights, Ill., Rolling Meadows HS, Great Lakes)
11 Kekoa Wade (OPP, 6-5, Kailua, Hawaii, University Laboratory School, Aloha)
12 Carter Tchaikovsky (S, 6-6, Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
13 Frankie Vincent (MB, 6-6, Schaumburg, Ill., Schaumburg High School, Great Lakes)
14 Jackson Vanderpool (MB, 6-6, Queen Creek, Arizona, Higley HS, Arizona Region)
15 Noah Mbaitoloum (OH, 6-7, Rockville, Md., Winston Churchill HS, Chesapeake)
16 Jackson Real (OPP, 6-9, Irvine, Calif., San Clemente HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
17 Kellen Saurer (S, 6-8, Elgin, Ill., Wheaton Academy, Great Lakes)
18 Nolan Barrett (MB, 6-7, Encinitas, Calif., La Costa Canyon HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
19 Miles Crotty (MB, 6-3, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Mira Costa HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
20 Louis “Lula” Kordus III (OH, 6-5, Los Altos, Calif., Homestead HS, Northern California)
21 Gavin McWaters (OPP, 6-8, Loveland, Ohio, Loveland HS, Ohio Valley)
22 Grant Schmidt (OPP, 6-7, San Diego, Calif., Clairemont HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
23 Luis Tarja (OH, 6-7, Temecula, Calif., Temecula Valley HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
24 Jonah Tuaniga (S, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Millikan HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
25 Dean Wagner (OH, 6-1, Irvine, Calif., Mater Dei HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
26 Ryder Wilper (OH, 6-6, Golden, Colo., Ralston Valley HS, Rocky Mountain)
Coaches
Head Coach: Mike Wall (USA Volleyball)
Assistant Coach: Steven Duhoux (Ohio State)
Assistant Coach: Tom Stillwell (NTDP)
Athletic Trainer: Beth Drayer (BD Movement)
Performance Analyst: Alex Hurlburt (The Volleyball Institute)
Team Lead: Brandon Oswald (NTDP)
Training Coach: Sean Byron (Daemen
Mental Performance Coach: Mitzi Kincaid (Performance GRIT)