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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 24, 2026) –The U.S. Women’s Sitting National Team captured the USAV Sitting Cup gold medal with a thrilling 3-2 (28-30, 28-26, 25-22, 20-25, 16-14) win over Canada on Sunday in Orlando, Florida. The match featured the world’s top two teams in No. 1 U.S. and No. 2 Canada.
Tia Edwards led the U.S. with 13 points on nine kills, three blocks and one ace. Monique Matthews and Kaleo Kanahele Maclay each scored 12, with Matthews having eight kills, two blocks and two aces; and Kanahele Maclay with five klls, three blocks and a team-high four aces. Matthews was named the 2026 USAV Sitting Cup Most Valuable Player, while Kanahele Maclay was selected as the tournament’s top setter.
Katie Bridge had eight kills and a block for nine points. Nicky Nieves and Raelene Elam both had five kills, and Alexis Patterson had two aces and three kills. Jillian Coffee had two kills, an ace and a block for four points. Courtney Baker had three points (one kill, two aces); MaKenzie Franklin Wittman had a kill and a block; Emma Schieck had two kills, and Whitney Dosty had a kill.
“It wasn’t just about trying to win this tournament but also trying to prep for world championships. We played different lineups in the first three sets to try to prepare some players. I thought some players did really well and some not so well, but we stayed in some close sets,” said head coach Bill Hamiter. “The first set, we lost and I thought we should have won. The second set, we won and I thought we should have lost. I told them at the end that I think it is the sign of a good team when you’re not at your best and you know you’re not executing as well as you normally can, that you still find a way to win and that’s what they did. They just kept competing and willed to win.”
Buoyed by three aces, two by Kanahele Maclay, the U.S. opened up a 9-4 lead in the first set. A Patterson kill stretched the lead to six points, 15-9. Elam’s third kill made it 19-13 before Canada cut the deficit to three points with a 5-2 run. A Patterson kill and Edwards block pushed the margin back to five points. Canada fell behind 24-19 before going on a 7-1 run to take its first lead. The U.S. successfully challenged a point that would have given Canada the set to even the score at 26 apiece. The U.S. saved two more set points before Canada won 30-28 to hand the U.S. its first setback of the tournament.
The score was tied nine times in the second set before the U.S. took the first two-point lead, 11-9, on kills from Bridge and Edwards. Canada scored the next two points to even the set again before the U.S. scored three consecutive points to take the biggest lead to that point on a Matthews kill. An error put the U.S. up 17-13, but Canada went on a 7-2 run, using back-to-back aces for a 20-19 lead. The U.S. regained the lead, 23-22, on a Coffee ace. A service error gave the U.S. set point at 24-23. Canada earned its first set point by scoring the next two points before another service error evened the set 25-25. The teams traded points before a Matthews kill and an attack error gave squared the match at one set each.
Canada raced out to a 9-4 lead in the third set. A Patterson ace cut the deficit to three points, 9-6, but the U.S. could not close the gap to three points again until a Schieck kill made it 17-14. A Franklin Wittman block pulled the U.S. within two points, 18-16, but Canada scored the next two points to regain a four-point advantage. The U.S. took a 22-21 lead behind four Kanahele Maclay points, two each on blocks and kills. A Schieck kill made it 23-21 and prompted Canada to take a timeout. Kanahele Maclay followed with an ace, and after a Canada block, an attack error ended the set and gave the U.S. a 2-1 match lead by finishing the set on a 7-2 run.
Canada moved ahead 8-5 to begin the fourth set but the U.S. scored the next four points. Neither team led by more than a point again until a three-point run by Canada, ending on a successful video challenge, made it 15-12. Kills by Nieves and Bridge brought the U.S. back within a point, 19-18. Canada called timeout and responded by scoring the following two points to move the lead back to three. The U.S. got no closer than two points as Canada sent the match to a deciding fifth set.
Edwards opened the fifth set with back-to-back kills. A Bridge kill made it 3-1 and the teams exchanged points until Canada scored four consecutive points to take a 9-7 lead. An Edwards kill sparked a 3-0 U.S. run with a Bridge kill putting the U.S. back out in front, 10-9. A Schieck kill made it 11-10, but Canada retook the lead. Edwards and Nieves posted back-to-back kills for a 13-12 U.S. lead. Edwards served an ace for match point, but Canada successfully challenged on the next point when it appeared the U.S. won and then scored again to even the set at 14. After calling timeout, the U.S. took the next two points on Canada errors with the match ending on an unsuccessful challenge.
U.S. Women’s Sitting Team Roster
No. Name (Position, Ht., Hometown, Region)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif., Northern California)
3 Alexis Patterson (S/L, 5-4, Waseca, Minn., North Country)
5 Katie Holloway Bridge (OH, 6-3, Lake Stevens, Wash., Puget Sound)
7 Monique Matthews (MB, 6-0, Ardomore, Okla., Oklahoma)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz., Arizona)
9 Tia Edwards (OH/MB, 5-7, Skiatook, Okla., Oklahoma)
11 Jillian Williams Coffee (M/OPP/OH, 5-10, Odem, Texas, Oklahoma)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C., Carolina)
13 Gia Cruz (S, 5-5, San Antonio, Texas, Lone Star)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Honolulu, Hawaii, Oklahoma)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB/OH, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla., Florida)
18 Courtney Baker (OH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky., Pioneer)
22 MaKenzie Franklin Wittman (OH, 6-0, Red Wing, Minn., North Country)
24 Raelene Elam (OH, 6-1, St. George, Utah, Northern California)
Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Grace Campbell
Assistant Coach: Steve Florio
Team Leader: Layne Smith
Performance Analyst: Jeffery Hicks
Athletic Trainer: Samantha Carter
Sports Psychologist: Brooke Lamphere
Nutritionist: Tatum Vedder
NTDP Coach: Tina Reading
Schedule
All times Eastern
Friday, May 22
USA def. Japan, 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-12)
Saturday, May 23
USA def. Canada, 3-0 ((25-20, 25-11, 25-13)
USA def. Brazil, 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-15)
Sunday, May 24
Championship: USA def. Canada, 3-2 (28-30, 28-26, 25-22, 20-25, 16-14)