U.S. Women Dominate Host Dominican Republic, Head to 2026 NORCECA Continental Champs Gold Medal Match

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 26, 2026) – The U.S. Women’s National Team earned a silver medal at the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, after falling 3-2 (25-23, 25-23, 20-25, 20-25, 15-10) to Canada in the gold medal match on Wednesday. The win was Canada’s fifth in as many meetings between the teams this summer and the second in five sets in this tournament.

The teams were nearly even statistically with each team recording 53 kills. Canada finished with one more block (16-15) and led 7-4 in aces with four of them coming down the stretch in the three sets it won.

Opposite Jordan Thompson scored 15 points on 13 kills and two blocks with middle blockers Chiaka Ogbogu (14 points on a match-high five kills to go with nine kills) and Dana Rettke (13 points on eight kills, three blocks and two aces) combining for 27 points.

Outside hitter Simone Lee-Wank totaled nine points on eight kills and a block, opposite Stephanie Samedy delivered eight kills and outside Logan Eggleston scored seven points on six kills and a block. Setter Jordyn Poulter registered three blocks and served an ace for four points.

A Thompson block gave the U.S. its first lead of the match, 5-4, and on the next rally Rettke sent back an attack, which led to a free ball and a Thompson kill. After the eighth tie of the set at 9-9, the U.S. regained a two-point lead on an Ogbogu kill on a slide and a block. Another Ogbogu kill put the U.S. up 13-11 and two Canada errors raised the lead to four, prompting a Canada timeout. Thompson scored on a crosscourt shot for a 16-12 lead and Rettke put down an overpass to make the score 17-13. Canada closed the gap to two points, 18-16, before Samedy scored off the block. Canada scored the next two points, cutting the deficit to one on an ace and sending the U.S. to a timeout. Another Thompson block put the U.S. back up by two points, but Canada used an incredible dig on a block cover to score the next point and appeared to tie the set on the next point, but the U.S. successfully challenged a block touch. A Thompson kill put the U.S. ahead 22-20, but this time Canada did even the set by scoring the next two points. Canada served two aces in a row to earn set point, taking its first two-point lead of the match. Thompson’s fourth kill and sixth point saved one set point but after calling timeout, Canada took the opening set. Lee-Wank appeared to tie the set on a kill off the block, but Canada successfully challenged the play to take the opening set.

Two Poulter blocks gave the U.S. a 3-1 lead early in the second set. Canada took its own two-point lead with a 6-2 run. A Thompson kill tied the score at eight apiece and Lee-Wank tied the set at 11-11 before Canada regained its two-point advantage. The U.S. used a three-point stretch to take its first lead since in the early in the set with kills from Thompson and Banks bringing the set even at 14-14 and a Rettke block giving the U.S. the lead. After Canada took the lead back, a Rettke kill and Canada hitting error put the U.S. up 17-16. A block capped a 4-1 Canada run for a 20-18 advantage, but a hitting error and a Rettke ace tied the set at 20-20. Canada scored the next point and as it did in the first set, served a key late ace. Samedy scored off the middle back on the next play before Canada put two points together to earn set point. Ogbogu scored down the middle and Thompson tooled the block to save two set points and lead Canada to take a timeout. Despite scrambling U.S. defense, including a diving dig by Poulter, Canada took the set on the following play to take a two-set lead. Thompson produced five kills and Rettke scored four points on a kill, a block and two aces.

Eggleston served for four points as the U.S. took a 9-5 lead in the third set keyed by another Poulter block and a Rettke kill. Two kills by Ogbogu and another by Rettke put the U.S. ahead 14-8. Another Ogbogu kill gave the U.S. a five-point advantage, 15-10. After yielding two points, the U.S. outlasted Canada on the longest rally of the match with a hitting error on the 10th attack and 14th ball over the net. A Samedy kill on the following rally reestablished the five-point U.S. margin. Lee-Wank scored off the block as Ogbogu also went up and left the blockers slow to react for a 21-16 U.S. lead. Poulter did feed Ogbogu for a kill to put the U.S. up 22-18. Canada errors gave the U.S. set point at 24-20 and a Lee-Wank block as part of a double block with Rettke ended the set. Ogbogu led all scorers with five points on four kills and a block.

Two Eggleston blocks and back-to-back Ogbogu blocks put the U.S. out in front 5-1 in the fourth. On the following play, a strong Thompson swing out of system led to an overpass that she put away to move the lead to five points. Thompson scored off the top of the block on a successful video challenge for an 11-5 lead. The U.S. doubled up the score, 14-7, on a Rettke kill and a Canada attack into the net. Canada used back-to-back blocks to pull within five, 15-10. An Ogbogu kill and a Canada hitting error raised the difference back to seven points, 18-11. A solo Rettke block gave the U.S. a 23-14 lead and Thompson found the back corner on an attack for a 24-16 lead. Canada saved two set points before Eggleston sent the match to a fifth set.

Unlike the previous five-setter between the two teams in which the U.S. led most of the set, it never led in the deciding set in this match. Canada scored the first three points of the deciding set, sending the U.S. to an early timeout. Rettke posted a block and on the next rally, Ogbogu sent an attack back that led to a Canada hitting error and cut the deficit to one, 4-3. A one-handed up on a block cover by Poulter kept the ball going on a play that ended with an Ogbogu block to cut the lead to 6-4. Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres served an ace and then when Canada struggled to handle her next serve, the U.S. tied the set off a free ball when Samedy put a ball down. Samedy ended another long rally with a kill off the block for a 7-7 tie and scored again off the block to make it 8-8. Rettke scored to even the set again at nine apiece, but Canada scored the next three points, the second after an unsuccessful U.S. challenge. After a U.S. timeout, Canada served an ace to raise the margin to four points. The teams traded service errors before Canada won the gold medal.

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 def. Dominican Republic, 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-10)
August 26: Gold Medal Match: Canada def. USA, 3-2 (25-23, 25-23, 20-25, 20-25, 15-10)