U.S. Women's Sitting Downs Netherlands to Begin 2026 Worlds

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 10, 2026) – The U.S. Women’s Sitting National Team opened play at the 2026 World ParaVolley World Championship with a 3-1 (25-12, 25-15, 23-25, 25-21) win over the Netherlands in Hangzhou, China, on Friday.

The U.S. (1-0) will next face Germany (0-1) at 8:30 p.m. PT tonight.

The U.S. finished with a 45-30 advantage in kills and an eight-point margin in service aces (13-5). The Netherlands recorded six more blocks (15-9).

“It is always good to get a win. I thought the first two sets we played pretty well without high error counts. The last two sets we were scrambling. Netherlands really picked up their game, which put a lot of pressure on us. I didn’t feel like we handled the pressure too well, but well enough to pull out the win,” commented U.S. head coach Bill Hamiter. “We need to focus on what we’ve got to do and keep executing. I thought sometimes we were just making some gamble shots.”

Outside hitter Raelene Elam led the team in points (18), kills (10), aces (five) and shared team-high honors with three blocks. Middle blocker Monique Matthews totaled 12 points on eight kills, three aces and a block. Tia Edwards finished with 11 points on eight kills and equaled Elam with three blocks. Middle Nicky Nieves rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points on six kills, two blocks and two aces.

Outside Emma Schieck contributed eight points on seven kills and an ace, and setter Kaleo Kanahele Maclay added six kills and an ace for seven points.

The U.S. used a 10-0 run to turn a 7-5 deficit into a 15-7 lead in the first set. Netherlands scored the next three points out of a timeout, but the U.S. responded with five consecutive points to put the set out of reach.

It was a seven-point run that spurred the U.S. on in the second set, turning a 7-6 lead into an eight-point advantage, 14-6. The U.S. extended the lead to double digits, 21-11, and again with the final point of the set.

The U.S. stormed out to a 5-1 lead in the third set, but Netherlands eventually took the lead, 11-10. The U.S. held the only two-point leads, 15-13 and 23-21 before Netherlands scored the final four points of the set to cut the U.S. match lead to 2-1.

The U.S. jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the fourth set and still led by seven points, 16-9, when the Netherlands used a 7-1 run to close the gap to just one point, 17-16. A Matthews block put the U.S. back up by two. After Netherlands scored the next point, Schieck scored and then the Netherlands was unable to get past the double block of Matthews and Nieves. A hitting error and another Matthews kill gave the U.S. a 22-17 advantage. Keyed by two blocks and an ace, Netherlands again cut the margin to one point, 22-21, forcing a U.S. timeout. Nieves and Elam recorded kills to set up match point, and a net violation ended the match.

U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Roster for World Championship

No  Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif.)
3 Alexis Patterson (S/L, 5-4, Waseca, Minn.)
4 Maddy Ball (DS, 5-7, Delray Beach, Fla.)
5 Katie Bridge (OH, 6-3, Lake Stevens, Wash.)
7 Monique Matthews (MB, 6-0, Ardmore, Okla.)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz.)
9 Tia Edwards (OH/MB, 5-7, Skiatook, Okla.)
11 Jillian Williams-Coffee (MB/OH/OPP, 5-10, Odem, Texas)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C.)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Oklahoma City, Okla.)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB/OH, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla.)
17 Jessie West (OH, 5-8, Edmond, Okla.)
18 Courtney Baker (MH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky.)
24 Raelene Elam (OH, 6-1, St. George, Utah, Northern California)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Grace Campbell
Performance Analyst: Jeff Hicks
Athletic Trainer: Samantha Carter
Mental Performance Coach: Brooke Lamphere
Team Manager: Layne Smith

Schedule

All times Pacific
July 10: USA def. Netherlands, 3-1 (25-12, 25-15, 23-25, 25-21)
July 10: USA vs. Germany, 8:30 p.m.
July 11: USA vs. Ukraine, 10 p.m.
July 13: Round of 16
July 14: Quarterfinals and classification matches
July 15: Semifinals and knockout rounds
July 16: Bronze medal match and placement matches
July 17: Gold medal match