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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 16, 2026) – The U.S. Girls U17 National Team won the gold medal at the 2026 FIVB Girls U17 World Championship, completing its clean sweep of every set with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-11, 25-23) victory over Türkiye at Santiago, Chile on Sunday. The U.S. finished 9-0 in matches, winning all 27 sets and earning two wins over the silver medalists.
The U.S. recorded 21 more kills than Türkiye, finishing with a 45-24 advantage. The U.S. also led in blocks (11-8) and service aces (9-4).
Opposite Kari Knotts posted match-highs of 17 kills, four service aces and 23 total points. She added two blocks and five digs. Outside hitter Maya Ogbogu finished with 17 points on 14 kills, a block and two aces with five excellent receptions.
Setter Ellie Enger scored with seven points on two kills, two blocks and three aces. She ran the offense that finished with a .371 hitting efficiency percentage. Libero Brynli Burgess led all players with nine digs and shared match-high honors with seven excellent receptions.
Outside Julia Masselink scored six points on five kills and a block, while middle blockers Maija Mortensen (three kills and a match-best three blocks) and Madlen Gloessner (four kills and two blocks) also scored six points.
Knotts was named the MVP, while Maya Ogbogu received Best Outside Hitter. Maija Mortensen was Best Middle and Brynli Burgess was Best Libero.
Türkiye used a pair of blocks on its way to a 5-2 lead to start the match with both U.S. points coming from Knotts. Back-to-back Knotts aces tied the set at 6-6 and there were three more ties before the U.S. took its first lead. Consecutive blocks by Knotts and Mortensen put the U.S. ahead 12-10 before Türkiye regained the lead by scoring the next three points. A Masselink block put the U.S. back ahead, 15-14, and after dropping the next point, the U.S. ran off four points in a row for a 19-15 lead. The margin was still three points, 22-19, on a setter dump from Enger off a dig from Burgess. Türkiye used a four-point run to take a 23-22 lead.
The U.S. earned set point on a Mortensen kill and Knotts block with Türkiye unsuccessfully challenging the first point for a line fault and the second for a net touch. Masselink ended the set with a kill on an excellent defensive rally by both teams, most notably a Burgess dig that got the ball to Enger, who fed Masselink for the winning point. Knotts scored nine points on five kills, two blocks and two aces, scoring once attempting to bump set from nearly out of bounds but it landed on the Türkiye side for a kill.
The U.S. started the second set on a 5-2 run behind a Gloessner kill and Ogbogu score on a back row attack, both on free balls, and a Masselink kill off the block. After a Türkiye point, a service error and a Gloessner kill on a slide after Knotts’ serve forced an overpass that she dug. Ogbogu scored three points in a row to put the U.S. ahead 11-5. She found the back corner on an out-of-system kill, scored on an overpass off a Gloessner serve and registered a kill that sent Türkiye to a timeout. On the next play, Knotts pancaked a tip that Mortensen kept alive off the net for Burgess to send over the net and the next swing by Türkiye was blocked by Mortensen.
An Enger ace made the score 13-6 and the lead grew to nine, 17-8, on a Knotts kill. Enger played a serve off the net and Burgess fed Masselink for a kill followed by a Knotts ace for a double-digit advantage, 19-9. Gloessner produced a kill and a block to double up the score, 22-11, despite another unsuccessful Türkiye challenge. The U.S. took a 2-0 match lead by scoring the next three points, ending the set on a pancake dig from Burgess that led to a Knotts kill. Ogbogu led the way with seven points on five kills, a block and a set.
Knotts scored on consecutive plays to give the U.S. a 6-4 lead in the third set, the first trying to put over a free ball that clipped the net and dropped on the Türkiye side and the second on a back row attack that featured another unsuccessful Türkiye video challenge. An Ogbogu kill put the U.S. ahead 9-6 and began a 4-1 run for a 12-7 lead when she served an ace. Türkiye responded with a 6-1 run, including its first successful challenge with a block tying the set at 13 apiece. An ace that clipped the net tape gave Türkiye a 15-14 lead and another ace upped the lead to two points, 18-16.
The U.S. ran off five consecutive points for a 21-18 lead. After a service error, Mortensen got her hands on an attempted setter dump, leading to an Ogbogu kill. Enger served an ace and another strong serve forced an overpass that Knotts put down. Ogbogu scored again, this time off a set from Burgess, for the three-point margin. A Knotts kill followed by Mortensen scoring on an overpass put the U.S. ahead 23-19. Knotts scored down the line for match point at 24-21. After two Türkiye points, the U.S. called timeout and set the stage for the championship-clinching point on a great pass from Masselink, set from Enger and kill off the block by Knotts. The duo of Knotts (nine kills) and Ogbogu (six kills and an ace) combined for 16 points in the set.
No., Name (Position, Height, Hometown, School, USAV Region)
3 Lexi Coleman (PIN, 6-0, Northville, Mich., South Lyon East HS, Lakeshore)
5 Kaelyn Easton (S, 5-11, Saline, Mich., Mercy HS, Lakeshore)
6 Ellie Enger (S, 6-1, Forest City, Fla., Orangewood Christian HS, Florida)
7 Madlen Gloessner (MB, 6-5, Denver, Colo., Lakewood HS, Rocky Mountain)
8 Kari Knotts (PIN, 6-3, Marietta, Ga., The Lovett School, Southern)
9 Grace Hengler (L, 5-6, Frisco, Texas, Coram Deo Academy, North Texas)
11 Taylor Johnson (PIN, 6-0, Plano, Texas, Hebron HS, North Texas)
13 Julia Masselink (PIN, 6-2, Sioux Falls, S.D., Harrisburg HS, North Country)
15 Madison Middleton (MB, 6-1, Roswell, Ga., St. Francis HS, Southern)
16 Maya Ogbogu (PIN, 6-0, Parker, Texas, Allen HS, North Texas)
19 Brynli Burgess (L, 5-9, Van Alstyne, Texas, McKinney North HS, North Texas)
24 Maija Mortensen (MB, 6-3, Draper, Utah, Corner Canyon HS, Intermountain)
26 Peyton Smith (PIN, 6-0, Arlington, Texas, Duncanville HS, North Texas)
28 Kaya Young (MB, 6-3, Rockville, Md., Kaiserslautern HS)
Head Coach: Heather Olmstead (NTDP)
Assistant Coach: Amir Lugo-Rodriguez (SC Rockstar/Long Beach State men’s volleyball)
Assistant Coach: Laura “Bird” Kuhn (MLV)
Performance Analysts: Joe Skinner (Texas A&M – domestic leg), Peter Wong (Halton Region Volleyball Club – international leg)
Athletic Trainer/Team Doctor: Madison Hauge (domestic leg), Chris Cornell (Coduhi Clinic – international leg)
Team Lead: Alex Purvey (NTDP)
August 6: USA def. Egypt, 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-17)
August 7: USA def. Türkiye, 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-16)
August 8: USA def. Chile, 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-19)
August 10: USA def. Thailand, 3-0 (25-11, 25-21, 25-16)
August 11: USA def. Czechia, 3-0 (25-10, 25-13, 25-17)
August 12: Round of 16: USA def. Argentina, 3-0 (25-15, 25-23, 25-15)
August 14: Quarterfinals: USA def. Italy, 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 26-24)
August 15: Semifinals: USA def. China, 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-18)
August 16: Gold Medal Match: USA vs. Türkiye, 3-0 (25-23, 25-11, 25-23)
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