Resources for
Follow USAVolleyball
Share
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 24, 2026) – The U.S. Women’s National Team earned a spot in the semifinal round of the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with a 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-17) win over Puerto Rico in a quarterfinal match on Monday.
The U.S. (3-1) will play at either 3 or 5:30 p.m. PT in the semifinals against host Dominican Republic at 3:30 p.m. PT
The U.S. finished with a 42-33 advantage in kills, 13-5 in blocks and with a 3-2 edge in service aces. The U.S. also made two fewer errors (18-16).
The top three scorers were all from the U.S. Simone Lee-Wank totaled 16 points on 13 kills and three blocks. Middle blocker Asjia O’Neal equaled the number of Puerto Rico blocks with five, adding six kills and was the only player in the match to serve two aces for 13 points. Opposite Stephanie Samedy rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points on nine kills and a block, while posting a match-best 13 digs.
Outside hitter Logan Eggleston recorded seven kills and led all players with five excellent receptions, middle Dana Rettke totaled six points on three kills, two blocks and an ace. Setter Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres and outside Kara Hallock each scored three points on two kills and a block. Libero Lexi Rodriguez made several outstanding digs, finishing with 11.
A Lee-Wank kill put the U.S. ahead 9-6 in the first set. Lee-Wank was all over the court chasing the ball down before a Rodriguez set from the back row led to an Eggleston kill for an 11-7 lead. An Eggleston kill down the line put the U.S. up 15-11. Rettke scored on a slide and Ka’aha’aina-Torres followed with a score on a second ball for a five-point advantage, 17-12. A Puerto Rico block cut the deficit to three points, 17-14. Puerto Rico had a swing to pull within two points, but a Lee-Wank score off the block after the U.S. defended the attack put the U.S. up 19-15. O’Neal put a ball straight down for a 20-16 advantage.
Puerto Rico scored four of the next five points to pull within a point, 21-20. After a U.S. timeout, Puerto Rico scored again to even the set. After Rettke put the U.S. back ahead, Puerto Rico took a 23-22 advantage and sent the U.S. to take its second timeout. A critical Lee-Wank block and a Puerto Rico hitting error gave the U.S. set point at 24-23. Puerto Rico saved one set point before O’Neal scored on a play set up by a great pass from Eggleston and again on an overpass off a tough Ka’aha’aina-Torres serve to give the U.S. the set. Lee-Wank scored six points on five kills and a block. The teams were even in kills (15) and errors (eight) with the U.S. using a 3-1 edge in blocks to account for the two-point difference.
Puerto Rico began the second set by scoring the first three points. Eggleston ended a long rally with a kill for the first U.S. lead of the set, 6-5. An O’Neal block and Rettke ace put the U.S. ahead 10-8 and a Ka’aha’aina-Torres block pushed the margin to four points. An Eggleston dig found the floor for a kill, Lee-Wank delivered a kill and a Puerto Rico hitting error extended the lead to six points, 15-9. O’Neal scored off a one-handed set from Ka’aha’aina-Torres and then served an ace for an 18-12 lead. Eggleston followed with a kill for a seven-point lead. Lee-Wank scored on a back row attack for a 20-13 advantage. Two great digs by Rodriguez and a save from Lee-Wank to keep the rally going led to Lee-Wank eventually ending the rally with a kill for a 22-14 lead, and Hallock scored on the next play to lift the margin to nine points. Lee-Wank scored the final two points of the set, the last on a tip, to put the U.S. ahead 2-0 in the match. She finished with six kills, and O’Neal added five points on two kills, a block and two aces.
Back-to-back Lee-Wank kills and an O’Neal block put the U.S. ahead 9-6 in the third set. After Puerto Rico scored the next point, the U.S. used a 5-0 run to move ahead 14-7 with blocks by Lee-Wank and Samedy advancing the lead to seven points. A Hallock kill put the U.S. ahead 18-10. Blocks by Hallock and Rettke gave the U.S. a 20-11 lead. A Wank block raised the margin to double digits, 22-12. On the following play, one-hand stabs by Lee-Wank and Rettke led to a Samedy kill off a Rodriguez set. Samedy scored for a 24-13 lead before Puerto Rico saved four match points in a row. O’Neal scored to send the U.S. to the semifinal round. Samedy scored six points on five kills and a block.
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 def. Puerto Rico, 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-17)
August 25: Semifinals: USA vs. Dominican Republic, 3:30 p.m.
August 26: Medal Matches
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. Women's National Team earned its second win in as many days at the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-17) victory over Mexico on Saturday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The U.S. Women's National Team returned to competition with a 3-0 (25-6, 25-11, 25-4) sweep of Trinidad and Tobago in the opening match of the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship on Friday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The U.S. Women's National Team is on its way to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic for the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship, August 21-28, a qualifier for the 2028 Olympic Games for all teams except the U.S.
USA Volleyball announces the USA Volleyball Cup, a two-match international series between the U.S. Women's National Team and Canada, taking place Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego and Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif.
Six Olympians are on the 2026 U.S. Women's National Team long-list roster for this year's Volleyball Nations League (VNL), as the squad gears up for a big season just two years out from the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
