GOLD! Girls U19 Team Wins World Title

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 11, 2023) – The U.S. Girls U19 National Team won the gold on Friday with a 3-2 comeback win over Türkiye (20-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-10) at the FIVB Girls U19 World Championship in Osijek Croatia.

MATCH STATISTICS (PDF)

It’s the third straight medal in the event for the United States (9-0 in the tournament), which won hardware in four of the last five editions of the U18 World Championship before the change to U19 last year, taking gold in 2019, silver in 2013 and 2015, and bronze in 2021. With the victory, the U.S also becomes the first girls U19 world champions.

Outside hitter Abby Vander Wal, who led the U.S. in the final match with 19 points (15 kills, two blocks, two aces) was named tournament MVP and Best Outside Hitter, and Teraya Sigler was named Next Best Outside Hitter.

“The individual awards mean a lot, and I do appreciate them, but again, this couldn’t have been possible without the team effort of this amazing group of girls,” Vander Wal said. “We know each other, we trust each other. We worked toward the goal of becoming world champions for our entire lives, especially in the last weeks. We all wanted this so bad. I am so proud of these girls. We all contributed in some way, and we are the champions of the world. We did not lose a single match on the road to the title, so now it’s time to celebrate.”

Early in the match, it did not appear as if a world title would be in the cards for the U.S. Türkiye came out fast and strong and had the U.S. Girls on their heels early. Türkiye was up by a handful of points midway through the set when the U.S. started to close the gap. But Türkiye’s early lead was too much to overcome.

Late in the first set, U.S. Head Coach Jamie Morrison brought in Charlie Fuerbringer at setter to replace starter Campbell Flynn. She helped spark the U.S. offense, and the second set began quite differently as the U.S. took the early lead. But it didn’t shut the door on Türkiye, allowing its opponent to take control late in the set for a 25-23 U.S. loss.

The U.S. Girls mounted their comeback in the third, using tough defense and blocking to win sets three and four. Sigler and opposite Abigail Mullen led the offense in the dominant fourth set, with Sigler scoring six points on six kills, and Mullen adding three kills.

In the deciding set, the U.S. took control and never allowed Türkiye in the game. Middle blocker Favor Anyanwu was key in shutting down Türkiye in the fifth with three blocks. She finished with a team-leading five blocks in the match to add to 11 kills and two aces for 18 points.

“We are fighters,” Sigler said. “Our coach was always repeating to us that we needed to be ourselves, that there was nobody better, so we gained confidence. We were losing 0-2 and we were playing an amazing team in Türkiye, but we came back. My teammates deserve the world. We have great spirit, and I think volleyball is an emotional sport, a fire, and we are showing it on the court – celebrating, dancing, enjoying.”

The U.S. led Türkiye in kills (61-48) and aces (5-3). Both teams were fantastic at the net, but Türkiye had the advantage in blocks (17-16). Türkiye scored 30 points off of U.S. errors, while the U.S. picked up 26.

Sigler finished with 13 points (12 kills one block), and Mullen collected 12 points (nine kills, three blocks). Middle blocker Jaela Auguste had eight points on six kills and two blocks; while Fuerbringer, who started the final four sets, had thee kills and two blocks. Middle blocker Ayden Ames scored five points on four kills and a block. Flynn had a kill and and an ace.

Morrison used all 12 of his players in the match. Defensively, libero Olivia Mauch had 13 digs.

“We thought about the fact that we had nothing to lose,” Morrison said. “We knew that Türkiye have a very nice group, and, on the other hand, we are a very young team. This entire tournament we have been getting better, overcoming difficulties. And if we hadn’t done it, we wouldn’t have made it to the final. These girls are one of a kind. It’s an amazing group of individuals that make a great team. We had six days to train and prepare for the tournament, so we were getting better here on the go, day by day, match by match.”

U.S. Girls U19 Roster for the 2023 FIVB World Championship

Name (Position, Height, Birth Year, Hometown, School, USAV Region)
2 Jaela Auguste (MB, 6-2, 2006, Spring, Texas, Grand Oaks HS, Lone Star)
3 Charlie Fuerbringer (S, 5-11, 2006, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Mira Costa HS, Southern California)
4 Ayden Ames (MB, 6-4, 2006, Prosper, Texas, Prosper HS, North Texas)
5 Favor Anyanwu (MB, 6-2, 2006, Rowlett, Texas, Sachse HS, North Texas)
6 Campbell Flynn (S, 6-3, 2006, Rochester Hills, Mich., Mercy HS, Lakeshore)
9 Ava Falduto (L, 5-7, 2006, Elmhurst, Ill., IC Catholic Prep, Great Lakes)
11 Becca Kelley (OH, 6-3, 2005, Rockwall, Texas, University of Oregon, North Texas)
12 Olivia Mauch (L, 5-6, 2005, Bennington, Neb., Bennington HS, Great Plains)
13C Emerson Sellman (OH, 6-4, 2005, Burtonsville, Md., The Academy of the Holy Cross, Chesapeake)
15 Abigail Mullen (Opp, 6-3, 2006, Kansas City, Mo., Liberty HS, Heart of America)
17 Teraya Sigler (OH, 6-2, 2006, Horizon HS, Scottsdale, Ariz., Arizona)
19 Abby Vander Wal (OH, 6-3, 2006, Elmhurst, Ill., Timothy Christian HS, Great Lakes)

Head Coach: Jamie Morrison
Assistant Coach: Michelle Chatman Smith
Assistant Coach: Maggie Eppright
Performance Analyst: Kyle Thompson
ATC: Chris Cornell
Team Lead: Jon Wong

Alternates
1 Lizzy Andrew (MB, 6-5, 2005, Ridgefield, Wash., Ridgefield HS, Columbia Empire)
7 Carly Gilk (OPP, 6-2, 2006, Brooklyn Park, Minn., Champlin Park HS, North Country)
8 Kaci Demaria (OH, 6-4, 2007, San Pedro, Calif., Palos Verdes HS, Southern California)
10 Noemie Glover (Opp, 6-2, 2005, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., University of Oregon, Southern California)
14 Skyler Pierce (OH, 6-2, 2005, Lenexa, Kan., Olathe Northwest HS, Heart of America)
16 Cari Spears (OH, 6-3, 2007, Dallas, Texas, Prestonwood Christian Academy, North Texas)
18 Izzy Starck (S, 6-1, 2006, Melbourne, Fla., Viera HS, Rocky Mountain)

U.S. Schedule for the 2023 FIVB Girls U19 World Championship
Matches will be shown on the Volleyball World YouTube channel

All times PDT
Aug. 1: USA def. Korea, 3-2 (25-21, 19-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-10)
Aug. 2: USA def. Japan, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 26-24)
Aug. 3: USA def. Mexico, 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-20)
Aug. 5: USA def. Poland, 3-1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-22, 25-15)
Aug. 6: USA def. Serbia, 3-2 (25-15, 18-25, 25-19, 19-25, 15-7)
Aug. 7 Round of 16: USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 2-24)
Aug. 9: Quarterfinals: USA def. Brazil, 3-2 (21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 15-11)
Aug. 10: Semifinals: USA def. Italy, 3-1 (25-19, 25-22, 20-25, 25-15)
Aug. 11: Finals: USA def. Türkiye, 3-2 (20-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-10)