U.S. Women Drop Five-Set Thriller to Canada in Final 2026 NORCECA Continental Champs Pool Play Match

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 23, 2026) – The U.S. Women’s National Team and rival Canada played another classic match with no set decided by more than three points in the final pool play contest at the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Canada came away with a 3-2 (22-25, 26-24, 22-25, 25-23, 15-13) victory on Sunday, its fourth win in as many meetings with the U.S. this summer.

The U.S. (2-1) will play in tomorrow’s quarterfinal round at 2:30 p.m. PT against an opponent to be determined.

As the set scores indicated, the match was statically even with each team scoring 110 points with 67 kills. The U.S. finished with a slight edge in blocks (11-10) and service aces (8-7). Canada scored two more points on opponent errors (28-26).

Outside hitter Logan Eggleston shared match-high honors with 20 kills, 16 digs and three aces, adding a block to lead all scorers with 24 points. Outside Avery Skinner scored 15 points on 14 kills and a block, while leading the team with five excellent receptions. Middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu again finished with the most blocks, totaling five to go with six kills for 11 points. Opposite Stephanie Samedy rounded out the U.S. double-digit scorers with 11 kills.

Opposite Jordan Thompson totaled nine points on eight kills and a block. Middle Dana Rettke finished with eight points on five kills, two blocks and an ace. Setter Jordyn Poulter served three aces, adding a kill and a block for five points.

A Thompson kill gave the U.S. an early 3-1 lead and an Ogbogu kill made it 8-7 before Canada scored three points in a row to take a two-point lead. Trailing 12-10, the U.S. retook the lead on back-to-back kills from Eggleston and Rettke. Canada responded with another three-point stretch before the U.S. used a 7-0 run to take a 20-15 lead. Thompson scored two points on the run and the U.S. took advantage of several Canada errors. An Ogbogu kill put the U.S. ahead 23-17 and a Skinner kill gave the U.S. a 24-18 lead. The U.S. appeared to win the set on the following point, but after a lengthy delay for a challenge review, Canada was awarded the point for a center line violation. Canada went on to save three set points before Ogbogu scored off an overpass to give the U.S. the set. Eggleston scored five points on four kills and a block with Thompson, Rettke and Ogbogu each scoring four points.

An Eggleston kill put the U.S. ahead 5-2 early in the second set. Back-to-back Eggleston aces and a Skinner kill pushed the lead to six points, 10-4. Canada scored the next four points to cut the deficit to two. An Ogbogu kill made it 15-11 and a great dig by Hentz on the following play led to a Thompson kill off the block to raise the lead back to five points. Eggleston scored again to put the U.S. ahead 19-14, but Canada tied the set at 22 with an 8-3 run. A kill despite a great hustling effort by Thompson trying to track down the ball and an ace capped the run. The U.S. took 23-22 and 24-23 leads on service errors, but Canada scored the final three points of the set, including another successful and lengthy video challenge at 24-24. Eggleston scored six points on four kills and two aces.

Trailing 5-3 in the third set, Canada scored six points in a row for a 9-5 lead. Despite an incredible block cover by Rodriguez to keep a rally going, Canada extended the margin to five points, 11-6. The lead reached six, 14-8, before the U.S. scored four consecutive points. Eggleston and Samedy scored the start the run and a strong Eggleston dig led to Skinner’s off-speed kill off the block for cut the deficit to two points. The U.S. pulled within one, 16-15, when a great Poulter up and an Ogbogu set produced an Eggleston kill off the top of the block. A Samedy kill on an overset evened the score at 17.

A great set from Rodriguez from the back row fed Skinner for a kill to tie the score again at 20 and an Ogbogu block put the U.S. in front. After Canada tied the set at 22 apiece, Poulter dropped in an ace for a 23-22 lead. Ogbogu followed with a one-on-one block to give the U.S. set point, and Skinner ended the set with a kill. After falling behind 14-8, the U.S. finished the set on a 17-8 run. Eggleston and Samedy each recorded four kills in the set.

A kill and block from Skinner gave the U.S. its first two-point lead of the fourth set, 9-7. Another Poulter ace raised the lead to three points, 11-8, but Canada scored the next three points to square the set. Canada moved ahead 15-13, its first two-point lead since scoring the first two points of the set. A block put Canada ahead by four, 18-14, leading to a second U.S. timeout. An Eggleston kill and Skinner score on a tip cut the deficit in half, 19-17. Two more Eggleston kills, the second set up by a dig from Rodriguez, sandwiched Samedy putting a ball straight down to tie the set 20-20 and force a Canada timeout. Canada scored the next two points to take the lead for good and eventually send the match to a fifth set. Skinner (four kills and an ace) and Eggleston (five kills) scored five points in the set.

Neither team led by more than a point in the dramatic final set until the end. The U.S. tailed 4-3 and 5-4, but either led by one point or the set was tied until 13-13. Eggleston and Asjia O’Neal each scored on plays started by Rodriguez successfully playing a serve that clipped the net, each time tying the score. Eggleston served an ace off the tape for a 6-5 U.S. lead. Skinner kills gave the U.S. 7-6 and 8-7 leads. Samedy delivered kills for 10-9 and 11-10 U.S. advantages, the second after a great up by Skinner started the play. The U.S. successfully challenged a block touch on an Eggleston swing for a 12-11 lead and took a 13-12 lead off a key Rodriguez dig and an Eggleston kill that just caught the back line. Canada scored the final three points to earn the win. Eggleston scored four points on three kills and an ace.

U.S. Women’s Roster for Continental Championship
No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
2 Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Univ. of Illinois, Rocky Mountain)
3 Avery Skinner (OH, 6-1, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky, Lone Star)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford, Pioneer)
7 Asjia O’Neal (MB, 6-3, Southlake, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)
8 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)
10 Simone Lee-Wank (OH, 6-1, Menomonee Falls, Wisc., Penn State, Badger)
11 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, 6-0 Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
12 Jordan Thompson (OPP, 6-4, Edina, Minn., Univ. of Cincinnati, North Country)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
24 Chiaka Ogbogu (MB, 6-4, Coppell, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)
25 Kara Hallock (OH, 6-2, Lyndon, Wash., Univ. of Washington, Puget Sound)
27 Madi Kubik-Banks (OH, 6-4, West Des Moines, Iowa, Univ. of Nebraska, Iowa)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-1, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)
34 Stephanie Samedy (OPP, 6-2, Clermont, Fla., Univ. of Minnesota, Florida)

Head Coach:  Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Assistant Coach: Rob Browning
Statistician: Virginia Pham
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shannon Boone, Shawn Hueglin
Mental Performance Coach: Nicole Davis
Team Doctor: Steven Stovitz
Team Manager: Shannon Slatter

2026 NORCECA Continental Championship Schedule
All times PT

August 21: USA def. Trinidad and Tobago, 3-0 (25-6, 25-11, 25-4)
August 22: USA def. Mexico, 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-17)
August 23: Canada def. USA, 3-2 (22-25, 26-24, 22-25, 25-23, 15-13)
August 24: Quarterfinals: USA vs. TBA, 2:30 p.m.
August 25: Classification and semifinals
August 26: Classification and Finals