SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, July 24, 2026. – The United States captured the 2026 NORCECA Girls’ U19 Continental Championship title with a perfect campaign after defeating Canada in straight sets 3-0 (25-7, 25-16, 25-20) in Saturday’s gold medal match at the Gimnasio Nacional in San José.
Both teams entered the championship match unbeaten, but the Americans took control from the outset to complete a flawless tournament without dropping a single set.
With the victory, the United States claimed its third consecutive NORCECA Girls’ U19 Continental Championship title after also defeating Canada in the 2018 and 2024 finals. The Americans also captured their 10th gold medal in tournament history, further extending their record as the most successful team in the competition.
The United States finished first, followed by Canada and Mexico. Puerto Rico placed fourth, the Dominican Republic fifth, Costa Rica sixth, Cuba seventh, the U.S. Virgin Islands eighth, and Jamaica ninth.
The top four finishers—the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico—secured NORCECA’s four qualification berths to the 2027 FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship.
From the opening set, the United States made its intentions clear, dominating with a powerful offense and a solid blocking performance. Although Canada showed a stronger effort in the third set and stayed within striking distance, the Americans remained composed in the decisive moments to close out the match in straight sets.
The United States led all major statistical categories, finishing ahead of Canada in attacks (42-23), blocks (9-2), and aces (12-2). The champions also committed more unforced errors (16-12), a margin that never threatened their control of the match.
Ava Burgess led the U.S. offense with 10 points, followed by Nejari Crooks with nine. Ireland Real and Josalyn Samuels each added eight points.
For Canada, Alexandra Brenner led the team with six points, while Kellyn Mbonjo and Chantel Peters each contributed five.
Following the championship victory, United States head coach Alexandra Dunphy said: “We’re very happy to have had this wonderful experience in Costa Rica, and especially to have won the gold medal. We finished the tournament undefeated, and every player contributed to achieving this victory.”
Canada head coach Natasha Spaling commented: “Without a doubt, the United States played very well. We would have liked to execute our game a little better, especially in the first set, but it was impressive to see how the match unfolded. I’m very proud of this group and of the work we accomplished throughout this tournament.”
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