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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 22, 2026) – The U.S. Women’s National Team swept Cuba Tuesday afternoon, 25-17, 25-22, 25-13, to move to 2-0 at the 2026 NORCECA Final Six in Zinacantepec, Mexico.
The U.S. next plays the Dominican Republic on Sept. 23 at 3 p.m. PT.
Behind setters Rachel Fairbanks and Ella Powell, the U.S. hit .400 with 48 kills to just 21 for Cuba. The U.S. also led in blocks (8-2) and aces (6-0).
Three players scored in double figures, led by Eva Hudson with 17 (14 kills, one block, two aces). Jess Mruzik had 13 points on 11 kills and two aces, and Callie Schwarzenbach also scored 13, with eight kills and a match-high five locks. Sami Francis added six kills, one block and an ace; Temi Thomas-Ailara had five kills, Onye Onabanjo had three kills and a block; Powell had a kill and Fairbanks had an ace.
Mruzik and Hudson each scored six points in the opening set as the U.S. broke an early 5-5 tie with four straight to make it 9-5. The U.S. held on to that lead, increasing it to eight at 21-13 on a run that included a Thomas-Ailara kill, two Mruzik aces and a Hudson kill. Thomas-Ailara ended the set on her second kill.
Set two was tougher for the U.S. as the team nver led by more than four. Down 17-13, Cuba scored five of the next six points to tie the set at 18. The set was still tied at 20 when Schwarzenbach and Hudson had consecutive kills. Francis followed with an ace and then a kill of her own to give the U.S. set point. After two U.S. errors, Hudson scored her third kill of the set to win 25-22. Schwarzenbach had eight points in the set.
The U.S. scored six of the first seven points in set three and increased the five-point lead to six, 12-6, on a Mruzik kill. Using a combination of kills, blocks and aces, that lead was quickly up to nine, 19-8. The U.S. scored three of the next four, including an Onabanjo kill at the end of a great rally, to make it 21-10. Cuba made it 23-12, but Hudson ended the match a couple of plays later with a kill. She finished with eight points in the set.
No., Name (Pos., Height, Hometown, College)
3 Toyosi Onabanjo (MB, 6-1, Houston, Texas, Kansas)
7 Ella Powell (S, 6-0, Fayetteville, Ark., Washington)
9 Jess Mruzik (OH, 6-1, Livonia, Mich., Michigan/Penn State)
11 Natalie Foster (MB, 6-4, Mattawan, Mich., Wichita State/SMU)
12 Temi Thomas-Ailara (OPP, 6-2, Glenwood, Ill., Northwestern/Wisconsin)
13 Onye Ofoegbu (MB, 6-3, Cerritos, Calif., UC Irvine/Oregon)
19 Elena Oglivie (L, 5-10, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford)
20 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt)
21 Claire Hoffman (OH, 6-2, Pleasant Hill, Oreg., Washington)
22 Elena Scott (L, 5-10, Louisville, Ky., Louisville, Pioneer)
25 Callie Scharzenbach (OH, 6-5, Kearney, Mo., Nebraska/Long Beach State)
30 Eva Hudson (OH, 6-1, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Purdue/Kentucky)
77 Sami Francis (OPP, 6-6, San Diego, Calif., Stanford)
99 Caitie Baird (OH, 6-3, Indianapolis, Ind., Stanford)
All times PT
Sept. 21: USA def. Canada, 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-16)
Sept. 22: USA def. Cuba, 3-0, (25-17, 25-22, 25-13)
Sept. 23: USA vs. Dominican Republic, 3 p.m.
Sept. 24: USA vs. Mexico, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25: USA vs. Puerto Rico, 5 p.m.
Sept. 26 Semifinals
Sept. 27: Finals
The U.S. Women's National Team opened play at the 2026 NORCECA Final Six in Zinacantepec, Mexico, the way it left off at last week's Pan Am Cup - with a win. Using 13 points from Eva Hudson, the American squad swept its Canadian counterpart, 25-21, 25-16, 25-16.
The U.S. Women's National Team is on its way to Zinacantepec, Mexico, for the 2026 NORCECA Women's Final Six, Sept. 21-27.
