SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, November 9, 2025. – The United States captured the gold medal at the 2025 NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship, earning a spot at the 2026 FIVB World Championship, after defeating defending champion Mexico 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-23) on Sunday at the Gimnasio Nacional in San José, Costa Rica.
The United States completed the tournament undefeated (5-0), without dropping a single set, to win gold in their first-ever participation at the NORCECA U17 Continental Championship.
Mexico finished with a 4-2 record, with both of its losses coming against the United States. This is Mexico’s second medal in the event, having won gold in the inaugural 2023 edition.
The United States dominated in attacks (43-19), while Mexico held a slight edge in serving (9-6). Both teams recorded five blocks, and the U.S. committed just one more error than Mexico (22-21).
Maya Ogbogu led all scorers with 21 points (18 kills, 1 block, 2 aces). Team captain Lexi Coleman added 11 points (9 kills, 1 block, 1 ace), while Evelyn Díaz led Mexico with 11 points (8 kills, 1 block, 2 aces).
The first set was tightly contested, with Mexico starting strong behind Karina Campos’ offense and taking a 4-1 lead as the U.S. committed early errors. The teams traded points several times before Mexico edged ahead 16-14 with a Díaz kill and a U.S. service error. Ogbogu then took control, powering the United States to a 25-20 first-set victory.
The Americans dominated the second set, fueled by Ogbogu’s unstoppable attacks and solid contributions from Coleman, cruising to a commanding 25-12 win and a 2-0 lead.
The third set followed a similar pattern, with the U.S. jumping to an 11-4 advantage behind Madlen Gloessner and Julia Masselink. Mexico mounted an impressive comeback from 14-20, scoring six straight points through Díaz and Camarena’s kills, two aces from Sofía Rodríguez, and two U.S. errors to tie at 20. Mexico tied again at 22, but the United States finished strong as Coleman delivered a clutch kill and Taylor Johnson, coming off the bench, sealed the victory and the gold medal with a final spike.
Tayyiba Haneef-Park, Head Coach of the United States said after the win: “We knew Mexico was going to put up a fight. We watched them comeback yesterday to beat the Dominican Republic and I think it was the most competitive match of the whole tournament, so we knew they would be coming for us as the defending champion. It feels great to win. It’s the first time these girls have played outside of the States, they earned it. They know that they belong here and deserve it. It’s excited to see that happen”.
Emily Camarena, captain of the Mexican team, said: “This game was very intense. I’m very proud of my team because we were able to accomplish so much in such a short time. Congratulations to the United States, they’re amazing, they have a really strong team. Both teams are good, and we’re going to keep moving forward.”
English 
Spanish