U.S. Women Suffer Only Pool Play Loss in Battle of Undefeated Teams at 2025 U21 World Championship

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 12, 2025) – The U.S. Girls U19 National Team lost for the only time in pool play, 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 28-26) to China in a matchup of undefeated teams at the 2025 FIVB Women’s U21 World Championship on Tuesday in Surabaya, Indonesia.

The U.S. (4-1) finished second in its pool to advance to the round of 16 on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The time and opponent will be determined after pool play ends on Tuesday.

The U.S. led in kills (38-31) and blocks (11-8) but could not overcome 35 errors compared to just nine for China. The U.S. finished with 17 service errors while China, which served six aces to three for the U.S., made only five.

Opposite Henley Anderson led the U.S. with 14 points on 12 kills and two blocks. Middle blocker Brooke Harwood scored seven points on four kills, a block and two of the team’s three aces. Ayanna Watson totaled six points on five kills and a block in the third set.

Outside hitter Halle Thompson produced five kills and middle blocker Keoni Williams added four kills. Outsides Audrey Flanagan (three kills and a block) and JJ Robinson (two kills, two blocks) and setter Genevieve Harris (two kills with two blocks) joined Williams with four points.

After the teams split the first 10 points of the match, China went on a 7-2 run to take the lead for good in the set, 12-7. A Harris kill and Robinson ace cut the margin to three points, 15-12, but China scored the next three points to take a six-point advantage and force the U.S. to use its second timeout.

The U.S. scored four of the next five points and had a swing to cut the lead to two points, but China came up with a block. Anderson scored six points on five kills and a block in the set. The U.S. committed 11 errors to just three for China.

China opened the second set by scoring six of the first eight points. The U.S. pulled within three points, 8-5, after outlasting China on a long rally and again at 10-7 on a Hardwood kill. China went on a 7-2 run to take an eight-point lead. The U.S. cut the lead back to six before China scored seven consecutive points for set point, which it converted two points later. Anderson scored three points on two kills and a block.

Harwood served two aces to lead the U.S. to a 7-5 lead in the third set. A setter dump by Harris made it 9-6 but three consecutive errors and a China kill put the U.S. behind, 10-9. Between a U.S. timeout and an officials’ delay, it was several minutes before the next point was played.

Once play resumed, China scored the next two points to extend its lead to three and complete a 6-0 run. After China pushed the lead to four points, 15-11, the U.S. went on a 5-1 run to cut the margin to one point. Two errors and an ace put the China lead back to four points, 19-15.

The U.S. came back to score the next three points, the last of which came on a long rally which ended with a China hitting error. After a China timeout, Harris recorded a block to even the set. China won a joust on the next play to regain the lead. Anderson scored from the back row to tie the set again (21-21).

Another Harris block gave the U.S. a 22-21 lead. After a service error, Harwood scored on a slide to put the U.S. up by a point again. After China tied it, Flanagan delivered a kill for set point, but China responded with a kill. Watson put a ball straight down for a second set point, but a service error evened the set at 25 apiece. Anderson produced a kill for the third U.S. set point but another service error aided China, which won the next two points to clinch the match. Watson led the U.S. with her six points and Anderson added five kills.

2025 Girls U19 National Team for U21 World Championship

Name (Pos., Height, Birth Year, Hometown, School, USAV Region)

3 Jayden “JJ” Robinson (OPP, 6-3, 2008, Missouri City, Texas, Ridge Point HS, Lone Star)
6 Keoni Williams (MB, 6-4, 2007, Fort Worth, Texas, Eagle Mountain HS, North Texas)
7 Brooke Harwood (MB, 6-4, 2008, Mesa, Ariz., Casteel HS, Arizona)
8 Ayanna Watson (OH/OPP, 6-3, 2007, Henderson, Nev., Bishop Gorman HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
11 Gabi Rodriguez (L, 5-6, 2008, Celeste, Texas, McKinney North HS, North Texas)
12 Genevieve Harris (S, 5-11, 2007, Raleigh, N.C., Cardinal Gibbons HS, Carolina)
13 Halle Thompson (OH, 6-0, 2008, Spring, Texas, Grand Oaks HS, Lone Star)
14 Taylor Stanley (OPP, 6-3, 2007, Overland Park, Kan., Blue Valley Southwest HS, Heart of America)
16 Elena Hoecke (MB, 6-3, 2007, Lino Lakes, Minn., Centennial HS, North Country)
17 Audrey Flanagan (OH, 6-3, 2008, Redondo Beach, Calif., Mira Costa HS, Southern California Southern Nevada)
19 Henley Anderson (OH/OPP, 6-3, 2007, Dripping Springs, Texas, Dripping Springs HS, Lone Star)
22 Blair Thiebaud (S, 6-0, 2007, College Station, Texas, College Station HS, Lone Star)

Alternates
1 Emma Cugino (L, 5-9, 2008, Galena, Ohio, Olentangy Orange HS, Ohio Valley)
2 Nadiya Johnson (OPP, 6-2, 2008, Ashburn, Va., Riverside HS, Chesapeake)
4 Kendall Omoruyi (MB, 6-4, 2008, Gilbert, Ariz., Casteel HS, Arizona)
5 Danielle Whitmire (S, 6-1, 2007, Celina, Texas, Walnut Grove HS, North Texas)
9 Isabel Incinelli (OPP/OH, 6-5, 2008, Winter Park, Fla., Winter Park HS, Florida)
15 Lynney Tarnow (MB, 6-5, 2007, Downers Grove, Ill., Benet Academy, Great Lakes)
18 Tessa Larkin (OH, 6-1, 2008, Anthem, Ariz., Xavier College Preparatory HS, Arizona)

Coaches
Head Coach: Tama Miyashiro (LOVB)
Assistant Coach: Stacy Sykora (LOVB)
Assistant Coach: Steven Duhoux (Ohio State men’s volleyball)
Performance Analyst Training: Elgin Liu (UCSD men’s volleyball)
Performance Analyst Competition: Peter Wong (Halton Region Volleyball Club)
ATC: Misao Tanioka (LOVB)
Team Lead: Alex Purvey (NTDP)

Schedule
All times PT

Pool Play
Aug. 7: USA def. Korea, 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 19-25, 25-20)
Aug. 8: USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-11)
Aug. 9: USA def. Mexico, 3-0 (25-19, 25-11, 25-18)
Aug. 10: USA def. Croatia, 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-15)
Aug. 11: China def. USA, 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 28-26)
Aug. 13: Round of 16: USA vs. TBA