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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 19, 2026) — The U.S. Women’s Sitting National Team earned a pair of victories on the first day of the 2026 Dutch Tournament in Assen, Netherlands. The U.S. started with a 3-0 (25-14, 26-24, 25-15) win over Poland before defeating Ukraine, 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18).
vs. Poland
All 14 players saw action as the U.S. dominated with 31 kills and 28 service aces compared to just eight kills and nine aces for Poland, which did have a 13-8 edge in blocks.
Setter Gia Cruz led all players with 12 points on a match-best nine aces to go with two kills and a block. Outside hitter Emma Schieck was the only other player to reach double digits with 10 points on seven kills and three aces. Outside MaKenzie Franklin-Wittman finished with nine points on four aces, three kills and two blocks.
Middle blocker Nicky Nieves equaled match-high honors with seven kills and added a block to total eight points. Jillian Coffee (two blocks, two aces, one kill), Courtney Baker (three kills, two aces) and Kylee Doremus (two kills, two aces, one block) each scored five points. Tia Edwards totaled four points on three kills and an ace, while Kendra Hall added two aces and a kill for three points.
Vivian Eagle served a pair of aces, Annie Flood recorded one kill and one ace, Jessie West added a kill, and Cami Wood registered a block.
The U.S. scored the first five points of the match with Poland scoring the next five. The streaks continued with the U.S. taking an 8-5 lead and Poland evening the set at eight apiece. An Edwards ace put the U.S. up three points again, 11-8. After the Netherlands scored the next point, a Coffee kill marked the first quick side-out of the match. A Schieck ace pushed the lead to seven points, 16-9. A Coffee ace made it 19-10 and the lead reached double digits on a Doremus kill. Schieck ended the set on a kill off a set from Cruz.
Poland jumped out in front in the second set, leading to a U.S. timeout down 11-8. A Franklin-Wittman aced even the set at 12. Consecutive kills by Franklin-Wittman and Nieves gave the U.S. a three-point lead, 18-15, ending a 10-4 stretch. Poland ran off the next five points to retake a two-point advantage. An ace gave Poland a 23-21 lead, but a service error followed by a Franklin-Wittman ace tied the set and prompted a Poland timeout. The teams split the following two points before a West kill and Eagle ace gave the U.S. the set.
A Schieck kill and Hall ace gave the U.S. an early two-point lead in the third set, 4-2. After Poland scored the next two points, the U.S. went on a 6-1 run for a 10-5 advantage and a Poland timeout. Hall put a ball down to stretch the lead to six points, 16-10. A Hall ace made it 20-11 and Poland got no closer than seven points down the stretch. A Schieck ace set up match point and the U.S. scored on the next play to complete the sweep.
vs. Ukraine
In a very even match, the difference was a 42-30 U.S. advantage in kills. Each team served 14 aces and the U.S. held a slim advantage in blocks (16-13).
Four U.S. players led a balanced attack, scoring between 10 and 12 points. Schieck paced the team with 12 points on seven kills, three blocks and two aces, and Coffee finished with 11 points on five kills, three blocks and three aces. Nieves again shared the team lead in kills with seven to go with three aces and a block to total 11 points. Franklin-Wittman reached double digits with a team-high four blocks in addition to four kills and two aces.
Edwards scored nine points on six kills and a trio of blocks, while Wood also registered six kills and added a block for seven points. Cruz added three more aces to her total for the day, finishing with a kill and a block for five points.
A Nieves kill gave the U.S. a 9-4 lead in the opening set and forced Ukraine to take an early timeout. Ukraine used a 6-2 run to close the gap to a point, 11-10, before the U.S. moved back in front by four points by scoring on the next three plays. Ukraine scored eight consecutive points for an 18-14 lead. The U.S. roared back with five points in a row to regain the lead on a Franklin-Wittman kill that caused Ukraine to take its second timeout. Cruz followed with an ace and three more U.S. points made it 22-18 as the U.S. posted its own 8-0 run. The U.S. took the set by scoring 11 of the final 12 points.
A kill by Wood staked the U.S. to a 6-3 lead to begin the second set. A nice dig by Schieck led to another Wood kill for a 9-5 advantage. A kill by Wood ran the margin to six points, 15-9. Ukraine used an 11-4 burst to take the lead, 20-19. The set was tied at 21 apiece before Ukraine scored the final four points to even the match.
Ukraine kept the momentum from the previous set going and took a 9-4 lead in the third set. An ace by Cruz capped an 8-2 run that gave the U.S. a 12-11 lead. The set remained close with Ukraine moving back out in front, 17-16. After the U.S. tied it at 17, Coffee served three consecutive aces and forced a Ukraine timeout. After yielding the next two points, the U.S. scored the final five points to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Neither team made a big run through the first half of the fourth set. With the score tied at 12, the U.S. moved ahead by two points on a Nieves kill and Franklin-Wittman ace. Ukraine again tied the set by scoring the next two points, but the U.S. ran off three points in a row for the first three-point lead of the set, 17-14. Consecutive kills by Schieck, the second on a tip after a great defensive stab by libero Maddy Bell, raised the lead to four points, 20-16. Ukraine could not get the ball past the double block of Franklin-Wittman and Nieves, giving the U.S. a 22-17 advantage. After a Ukraine timeout, the U.S. scored again when Franklin-Wittman two-handed a ball to the back left corner. Shieck ended the match with another kill, this time on a set from Franklin-Wittman.
The tournament, usually held the first weekend in July, is the last tournament before the team travels to Hangzhou, China, for the World ParaVolley Championship, July 10-17.
No Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
1 Lora Webster (MB, 5-11, Point Lookout, N.Y.)
4 Maddy Ball (L, 5-7, Delray Beach, Fla.)
9 Tia Edwards (OH/MB, 5-7, Skiatook, Okla.)
11 Jillian Williams Coffee (M/OPP/OH, 5-10, Odem, Texas, Oklahoma)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C.)
13 Gia Cruz (S, 5-5, San Antonio, Texas)
15 Kendra Hall (5-7, Westfield, Ind.)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla.)
17 Jessie West (OH, 5-8, Edmond, Okla.)
18 Courtney Baker (OH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky.)
19 Cami Wood (S, Fort Wayne, Ind.)
20 Kylee Doremus (S/OH, Waverly, Neb.)
21 Annie Flood (S, 5-7, Salem, Ore.)
22 MaKenzie Franklin-Wittman (OH, 6-0, Red Wing, Minn., North Country)
28 Vivian Eagle (MB/OH, Avon, Ind.)
Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coach: Grace Campbell
Assistant Coach: Steve Florio
Team Leader: Layne Smith
Performance Analyst: Jeff Hicks
Athletic Trainer: Samantha Carter
June 19
USA def. Poland, 3-0 (25-14, 26-24, 25-15)
USA def. Ukraine, 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18).
June 20
USA vs. Germany, 1:45 a.m.
USA vs. Netherlands, 6:30 a.m.
June 21
USA vs. Italy, 1:30 a.m.
USA vs. Canada, 5:30 a.m.
Both U.S. sitting national teams are in Assen, Netherlands, this weekend for the annual Dutch Tournament, the last tuneup before both teams head to Hangzhou, China, for the World ParaVolley Championship, July 10-17.
