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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 15, 2026) – In its first appearance in the FIVB Girls U17 World Championship, the U.S. Girls U17 National Team will be playing for a gold medal after dispatching the 2024 Girls U17 gold medalists China, 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-18). The U.S. has not lost a set in the championship in eight matches.
The U.S. (8-0) will play for gold tomorrow at 4 p.m. PT against the winner of the second semifinal match between Chinese Taipei and Türkiye.
The U.S. offense was dominant, finishing with a 44-19 advantage in kills. The U.S. also held significant advantages in blocks (9-2) and service aces (9-3).
Opposite Kari Knotts paced the U.S. with 19 points, 18 kills and a block, with outside hitter Maya Ogbogu also reaching double digits with 15 points on 12 kills and three aces. Middle blocker Maija Mortensen recorded six blocks, equaling the total of every other player combined, and added three kills for nine points.
Setter Ellie Enger scored five points on two kills, two blocks and an ace, while running the efficient U.S. offense that hit at a .326 hitting efficiency clip for the match. Middle blocker Madlen Gloessner totaled eight points on four kills, one block and a trio of aces. Outside Julia Masselink finished with six points on five kills and an ace. Libero Brynli Burgess posted a match-best 16 kills and led the U.S. with four excellent receptions.
Gloessner scored on a slide and Knotts scored to put the U.S. up 8-5 to start the match. A kill by Ogbogu and a Mortensen block pushed the lead to four points, 10-6. Ogbogu served a pair of aces around her own kill for a 14-8 U.S. advantage. Another Ogbogu kill gave the U.S. a 19-11 lead and she scored off the block for a double-digit lead, 21-11. A Gloessner ace gave the U.S. set point and Knotts ended the set with a kill. Gloessner and Ogbogu (three kills and two aces) and Knotts (five kills) all scored five points.
A block and kill by Mortensen helped the U.S. move out in front 5-2 in the second set. China could not get past the doube block of Enger and Gloessner, and Masselink followed with a crosscourt kill for an 8-3 lead. A kill and ace from Ogbogu doubled up the score, 14-7. Knotts found the back of the court for an 18-9 U.S. advantage. An Enger block pushed the lead to 20-11 and after China scored the next two points, Ogbogu and Knotts each scored off the block for a 22-13 lead. Knotts tooled the block again to give the U.S. a 23-13 lead and she scored off a set from Burgess to give the U.S. a two-set advantage. Knotts delivered eight kills in the set.
A Knotts ace cut the China third-set lead to 5-4 and a Gloessner kill again cut the deficit to one, 7-6. After China raised the lead to three, Ogbogu scored down the line and Gloessner served an ace off the net to cut the lead to one point again, 9-8.
The U.S. used a three-point run to take its first lead, 14-13, behind a Masselink tip off the block, a Gloessner block and an Enger kill on an overpass. A setter dump from Enger and a kill from Ogbogu gave the U.S. its first two-point lead of the set, 16-14. A Mortensen block raised the margin to three points, 19-16. A China block cut the deficit to one, 19-18. An Ogbogu kill started the U.S. on a decisive 5-0 run that included back-to-back Mortensen blocks. Knotts produced a kill to end the match and send the U.S. to the gold medal match. Ogbogu recorded six kills in the set.
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 def. Chile, 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-19)
August 10: USA def. Thailand, 3-0 (25-11, 25-21, 25-16)
August 11: USA def. Czechia, 3-0 (25-10, 25-13, 25-17)
August 12: Round of 16: USA def. Argentina, 3-0 (25-15, 25-23, 25-15)
August 14: Quarterfinals: USA def. Italy, 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 26-24)
August 15: Semifinals: USA def. China, 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-18)
August 16: Gold Medal Match: USA vs. Chinese Tapei/Türkiye, 6 p.m.
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