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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 7, 2026) – The U.S. Girls U17 National Team earned a 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-16) win over Türkiye on Friday at the 2026 FIVB Girls U17 World Championship in Santiago, Chile.
The U.S. (2-0) returns to play tomorrow against Chile at 5 p.m. PT.
The U.S. led in all statistical categories, 37-26 in kills, 11-4 in blocks and 8-3 in service aces. The U.S. made five fewer errors (19-14) and finished with one more dig (47-46).
Outside hitter Maya Ogbogu recorded five blocks, one more than Türkiye, and finished with eight kills and an ace for a match-best 14 points. Opposite Kari Knotts led all players with 11 kills, adding two aces for 13 points, and recorded nine digs.
“I give Team Türkiye credit for putting pressure on us from the start and allowing us to play good USA volleyball. We stuck together as a team during challenges, and I am excited to be Team USA through the rest of this tournament,” Knotts said.
Setter Ellie Enger scored seven points with five kills on five attacks, a block and an ace, while leading the offense to a .351 hitting efficiency percentage. Libero Brynli Burgess led all players with 13 digs and six successful receptions. Outside Julia Masselink served a match-high four aces to go with five kills for nine points. Middle blocker Maija Mortensen registered three blocks along with six kills for nine points. Middle Madison Middleton finished with four points on two kills and two blocks.
Türkiye scored the first five points of the match before the U.S. quickly cut the deficit to one, 6-5, behind a pair of Knotts kills and an Ogbogu ace. An Ogbogu block capped an 8-2 U.S. run for a 15-11 lead that forced a Türkiye timeout. Ogbogu scored three times in the run that included an ace from Masselink and a pancake from Knotts that kept a point alive that the U.S. eventually won with a block. The U.S. scored seven points in a row out of the timeout to double up Türkiye, 22-11, highlighted by a one-handed kill by Enger, who later ended the set with an ace. The U.S. finished the set on an 18-3 run. Ogbogu scored five points on three kills, one block and an ace.
The U.S. kept the momentum going, using a pair of blocks, to move ahead 4-0 and forcing an early Türkiye timeout. A Knotts kill and Middleton tip pushed the lead to five points, 6-1. Middleton ended two of the longer rallies with kills for a 9-3 U.S. advantage. A Masselink ace raised the margin to seven, 11-4. The U.S. kept scoring after a timeout with another Masselink ace and a Knotts kill on a back row attack set up by a great up from Burgess. Türkiye cut the lead back to six, 13-7, on one of the best plays of the match, using a kick and save from out of bounds to keep the rally alive and then scoring with a block.
Türkiye pulled within four points, 16-12, on an ace off the net. A Masselink kill and Knotts ace pushed the lead to 18-12. Enger scored on a second ball for a 21-14 U.S. lead. Türkiye saved two set points before Masselink ended the set with a crosscourt kill. Knotts scored six points on five kills and an ace with Masselink totaling five points on three kills and a pair of aces.
Ogbogu scored to open the third set, followed by scrambling U.S. defense on a rally that ended with a Mortensen block. Türkiye took its first lead since early in the opening set, 4-3. Two Enger kills and a Knotts ace put the U.S. up 7-4. Ogbogu put an overset down for a 9-6 lead and drilled a ball off a Türkiye defender for a 12-7 advantage. Knotts scored off the block for a 13-10 lead after Türkiye had cut the deficit to two points. Türkiye pulled within a point before Masselink put a ball down for a 14-12 lead. Türkiye scored the next two points to even the set for the first time since 4-4 and moved ahead 16-15 on a kill off an overpass.
After a timeout, the U.S. scored the next four points on a kill and block from Ogbogu and two Türkiye errors to move back ahead, 19-16. A Türkiye hitting error and Knotts score off the block moved the margin to five and forced Türkiye to take it second timeout in a three-point span. The U.S. finished the match by scoring the next four points with back-to-back blocks by Ogbogu and Middleton, a Türkiye hitting error and an ace from Masselink. Ogbogu finished with six points on four kills and two blocks.
No., Name (Position, Height, Hometown, School, USAV Region)
3 Lexi Coleman (PIN, 6-0, Northville, Mich., South Lyon East HS, Lakeshore)
5 Kaelyn Easton (S, 5-11, Saline, Mich., Mercy HS, Lakeshore)
6 Ellie Enger (S, 6-1, Forest City, Fla., Orangewood Christian HS, Florida)
7 Madlen Gloessner (MB, 6-5, Denver, Colo., Lakewood HS, Rocky Mountain)
8 Kari Knotts (PIN, 6-3, Marietta, Ga., The Lovett School, Southern)
9 Grace Hengler (L, 5-6, Frisco, Texas, Coram Deo Academy, North Texas)
11 Taylor Johnson (PIN, 6-0, Plano, Texas, Hebron HS, North Texas)
13 Julia Masselink (PIN, 6-2, Sioux Falls, S.D., Harrisburg HS, North Country)
15 Madison Middleton (MB, 6-1, Roswell, Ga., St. Francis HS, Southern)
16 Maya Ogbogu (PIN, 6-0, Parker, Texas, Allen HS, North Texas)
19 Brynli Burgess (L, 5-9, Van Alstyne, Texas, McKinney North HS, North Texas)
24 Maija Mortensen (MB, 6-3, Draper, Utah, Corner Canyon HS, Intermountain)
26 Peyton Smith (PIN, 6-0, Arlington, Texas, Duncanville HS, North Texas)
28 Kaya Young (MB, 6-3, Rockville, Md., Kaiserslautern HS)
Head Coach: Heather Olmstead (NTDP)
Assistant Coach: Amir Lugo-Rodriguez (SC Rockstar/Long Beach State men’s volleyball)
Assistant Coach: Laura “Bird” Kuhn (MLV)
Performance Analysts: Joe Skinner (Texas A&M – domestic leg), Peter Wong (Halton Region Volleyball Club – international leg)
Athletic Trainer/Team Doctor: Madison Hauge (domestic leg), Chris Cornell (Coduhi Clinic – international leg)
Team Lead: Alex Purvey (NTDP)
August 6: USA def. Egypt, 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-17)
August 7: USA def. Türkiye, 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-16)
August 8: USA vs. Chile, 5 p.m.
August 10: USA vs. Thailand, 11 a.m.
August 11: USA vs. Czechia, 11 a.m.
August 12: Round of 24 and Round of 16
August 14: Quarterfinals and Playoffs
August 15: Semifinals and Playoffs
August 16: Medal matches and Playoffs
The U.S. Girls U17 National Team made its world championship debut with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-17) win over Egypt at the 2026 FIVB Girls U17 World Championship on Thursday in Santiago, Chile. This is the second-ever U17 World Championship and the first time the U.S. has competed.
USA Volleyball has selected the 14 athletes who will represent the United States at the 2026 FIVB Girls U17 World Championship, Aug. 6-16 in Santiago, Chile.
USA Volleyball has announced the 28 athletes selected to the 2026 U.S. Girls U17 National Team which will represent the United States in its second year of international competition at both the 2026 NORCECA Girls U17 Pan American Cup and the 2026 FIVB Girls U17 World Championship. It’s the first time a U.S. U17 girls team has competed in either event.
