U.S. Boys U17 Finishes Strong, Takes Bronze at 2026 Pan Am Cup

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 9, 2026) – The U.S. Boys U17 National Team saved its best for last at the 2026 NORCECA Boys U17 Pan American Cup, earning the bronze medal with an impressive 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-19) victory over Mexico on Sunday in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

The U.S. hit at a .500 efficiency percentage for the match with 52 kills and just 10 errors in 84 total attacks, finishing with 14 more kills than Mexico. The U.S. also led 8-2 in blocks with each team serving two aces.

“We were pretty disappointed after our loss yesterday to Venezuela. It’s always a hard thing to have to bounce back from when you have a shot to play for a gold medal. We had to regroup and we went back to the hotel, had some meetings, watched some video and got the guys ready for today,” said U.S. Boys U17 head coach Mike Wall. “They were fantastic. They showed up and were steady. They had great energy and when you go through these journeys, it’s always good to take home some hardware. I’m proud of the boys for doing something that is really hard and that’s coming back after a tough loss and winning the bronze medal.”

Outside hitter Gabe Desiderio led all players with 21 kills and 23 points and was one of four U.S. players with two blocks. In two matches against Mexico, Desiderio recorded 43 kills and 50 points. Opposite Jackson Real totaled 15 points on 13 kills and two blocks, while outside Sid Saikanth finished with 13 points on nine kills, two aces and both U.S. aces. Desiderio and Saikanth hit .500 for the match and Real hit .450.

Setter Carter Tchaikovsky ran the highly effective U.S. offense and added a kill. Libero Collin Tullis recorded match-bests of 18 excellent receptions and 12 kills. Middle blocker Nikodem Opiola scored seven points on five kills and two blocks with fellow middle Frankie Vincent adding three kills.

After the teams exchanged the first 14 points of the match, Saikanth served an ace, his fourth point in the early going, to give the U.S. its first lead, 8-7. Desiderio followed with a kill and a block for a three-point lead, prompting a Mexico timeout. Saikanth converted an off-speed back row attack to raise the margin to four points, 13-9. A kill from Real and a hitting error extended the lead to 15-10. Another Desiderio kill put the U.S. ahead 20-14 and a kill by Real stretched the advantage to seven points, 22-15. Real scored cross court for a 23-15 lead and later recorded his seventh kill to give the U.S. the set. Saikanth (six kills, one ace) also scored seven points.

Mexico scored four of the first five points of the second set and extended the lead to five, 8-3. Trailing 13-9, the U.S. ran off four consecutive points with Opiola starting the run with a kill and tying the set with a block, causing Mexico to take a timeout. A Saikanth kill gave the U.S. its first lead of the set, 15-14. A Desiderio kill put the U.S. ahead 19-17 and forced Mexico into its second timeout, capping a 10-4 run. Saikanth recorded a block and then a great up to set up a Desiderio kill for a 22-18 lead. Desiderio scored the final two U.S. points to finish with nine kills in the set and give the U.S. a two-set advantage.

Mexico ran out to a 6-3 lead in the third set, forcing an early U.S. timeout. A Saikanth block cut the deficit to two points, 7-5, and his ace put the U.S. back within a pair, 10-8. An Opiola kill and Desiderio block evened the score at 11 apiece. An Opiola kill and Mexico hitting error put the U.S. up by two points, 16-14, for the first time in the set. The teams exchanged the next eight points before the U.S. scored four points in a row to set up match point on two Desiderio kills and blocks from Opiola and Real. The U.S. converted match point on a serving error. Desiderio finished with nine points on eight kills and a block in the set.

2026 Boys U17 National Team Roster for Pan American Cup

No. (Name, Position, Height, Hometown, High School, USAV Region)
2 Logan Flores (OH, 6-1, Cypress, Calif., Cypress HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
3 Collin Tullis (L, 6-2, Slidell, La., Seton Catholic Homeschooling, Southern)
4 Sid Saikanth (OH, 6-3, Leander, Texas, Rouse HS, Lone Star)
5 Dane Schaefer (S, 6-3, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Mira Costa HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
9 Gabe Desiderio (OH, 6-6, Los Altos Hills, Calif., Saint Francis HS, Northern California)
10 Nikodem Opiola (MB, 6-5, Arlington Heights, Ill., Rolling Meadows HS, Great Lakes)
12 Carter Tchaikovsky (S, 6-6, Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
13 Frankie Vincent (MB, 6-6, Schaumburg, Ill., Schaumburg High School, Great Lakes)
15 Noah Mbaitoloum (OH, 6-7, Rockville, Md., Winston Churchill HS, Chesapeake)
16 Jackson Real (OPP, 6-9, Irvine, Calif., San Clemente HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
18 Nolan Barrett (MB, 6-7, Encinitas, Calif., La Costa Canyon HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
20 Louis “Lula” Kordus III (OH, 6-5, Los Altos, Calif., Homestead HS, Northern California)
21 Gavin McWaters (OPP, 6-8, Loveland, Ohio, Loveland HS, Ohio Valley)
24 Jonah Tuaniga (S, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Millikan HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)

Alternates
1 Nate Paige (L, 5-10, Wheaton, Ill., Wheaton Warrenville South HS, Great Lakes)
6 Paxon Boynton (L, 5-11, Mesa, Ariz., Mountain View, HS, Arizona Region)
7 Sean John (MB, 6-3, Mount Prospect, Ill., John Hersey HS, Great Lakes)
8 Tommy Clifford (OH, 6-5, Glen Ellyn, Ill., Glenbard West HS, Great Lakes)
11 Kekoa Wade (OPP, 6-5, Kailua, Hawaii, University Laboratory School, Aloha)
14 Jackson Vanderpool (MB, 6-6, Queen Creek, Arizona, Higley HS, Arizona Region)
17 Kellen Saurer (S, 6-8, Elgin, Ill., Wheaton Academy, Great Lakes)
19 Miles Crotty (MB, 6-3, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Mira Costa HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
22 Grant Schmidt (OPP, 6-7, San Diego, Calif., Clairemont HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
23 Luis Tarja (OH, 6-7, Temecula, Calif., Temecula Valley HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
25 Dean Wagner (OH, 6-1, Irvine, Calif., Mater Dei HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
26 Ryder Wilper (OH, 6-6, Golden, Colo., Ralston Valley HS, Rocky Mountain)

Coaches
Head Coach: Mike Wall (USA Volleyball)
Assistant Coach: Steven Duhoux (Ohio State)
Assistant Coach: Tom Stillwell (NTDP)
Athletic Trainer: Beth Drayer (BD Movement)
Performance Analyst: Alex Hurlburt (The Volleyball Institute)
Team Lead: Brandon Oswald (NTDP)
Training Coach: Sean Byron (Daemen), Derek Sullivan (Belmont Abbey)
Mental Performance Coach: Mitzi Kincaid (Performance GRIT)