U.S. Boys U17 to Play For 2026 Pan Am Cup Bronze

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 8, 2026) – The U.S. Boys U17 National Team will play for the bronze medal at the 2026 NORCECA Boys U17 Pan American Cup after a 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 26-24) semifinal loss to a scrappy Venezuela team in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

The U.S. (3-2) will play Mexico for the bronze medal tomorrow at 1 p.m. PT. The teams met in the opening match of the tournament with the U.S. prevailing in five sets. Mexico dropped its semifinal contest in five sets to Canada, forcing a fifth set after dropping the first two.

The U.S. recorded two more kills (40-38) and just one fewer block (7-6) with each team serving just one ace. The difference was Venezuela making nine fewer errors (30-21).

Outside hitter Gabe Desiderio led the team with 10 kills with middle blocker Nikodem Opiola using seven kills and three blocks to also score 10 points. Outside Sid Saikanth came off the bench to score seven points on four kills and three blocks. Middle blocker Frankie Vincent and opposite Gavin McWaters each produced five kills.

Libero Collin Tullis continued his strong play, recording match-best totals of 12 digs and 31 excellent receptions. Noah Mbaitoloum finished with four kills and middle Nolan Barrett added three. Logan Flores contributed a kill and served the only U.S. ace.

Three consecutive Venezuela errors gave the U.S. its first lead of the match, 8-7. Venezuela took a 13-10 lead, the first time either team led by three points, prompting a U.S. timeout. A Desiderio kill brought the U.S. within a point, 14-13, before Venezuela regained its three-point advantage. Trailing 20-16, the U.S. went on a 5-1 run to even the set keyed by a back row attack from Desiderio and a Flores ace. Venezuela scored the next two points on its way to taking the set. Desiderio paced the U.S. with five kills.

Two Desiderio kills helped the U.S. take a 5-2 lead in the second set. Venezuela’s fifth error of the set helped the U.S. move ahead 11-5. A Vincent kill put the U.S. up 14-9 before Venezuela scored three consecutive points to cut the deficit to two and force a U.S. timeout. A block on the first point out of the timeout brought Venezuela within a point. Desiderio scored off a set from Tuangia, who had just entered the match, and Opiola recorded a block to extend the lead back to three. Venezuela responded with a 5-0 run to take a 19-17 advantage. Saikanth entered the match and delivered a kill to cut the lead to one point. The U.S. would pull within a point again on a Mbaitoloum kill but could get no closer as Venezuela took a two-set lead. Desiderio led the U.S. with five kills.

Another Desiderio tied the third set 6-6. Venezuela took the lead and still led 12-9 when the U.S. went on a five-point surge behind a Barrett kill, a Saikanth block and three Venezuela errors. A Saikanth kill, his fourth point of the set, put the U.S. up 15-13. The teams exchanged the next six points before another Venezuela error put the U.S. up by three points for the first time in the set, sending Venezuela to a timeout. Another Saikanth block extended the lead to four points and two points later, McWaters scored down the line for a 21-17 lead. Venezuela used a 4-1 run to cut the deficit back to one point and cause the U.S. to take a timeout. Venezuela finished the match on a 5-2 run. Saikanth scored six points on three kills and three blocks.

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)