COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (July 12, 2025) – The U.S. Boys U19 National Team will play for the gold medal at the 2025 NORCECA U19 Pan American Cup after a convincing 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-17) semifinal win over Canada on Saturday night in Cuernavaca, Mexico. 

The U.S. (4-0) will face the winner of the other semifinal between Mexico and Venezuela tomorrow, Sunday, July 13, at 3 p.m. PT.

The U.S. led Canada in kills (37-28), blocks (6-5) and aces (4-1).

MATCH STATISTICS

Opposite Corbin Batista posted match-highs of 13 kills and 14 points, adding a block.

“Canada is a great team. They came out swinging really tough and kept the pressure on us the whole match. We were just playing as a unit the whole time. Communication was up, our energy was up, defense was up. We had some crazy kills and were really tough from the service line. Everything was working on our end, so it was a great match,” Batista said.

Four other U.S. players scored seven or eight points to lead the balanced attack. Outside hitter Logan Hutnick (seven kills and one ace) and middle blocker Isiah Powell (five kills, one block, two aces) each scored eight points.

Middle blocker Dante Cayaban contributed seven points on five kills, one block and one ace. Outside Blake Fahlbusch led the team with two blocks and recorded five kills to also score seven points.

Libero Ben Bayer led all players with 10 digs and nine successful receptions. Hutnick finished with eight successful receptions and seven digs with Batista adding five digs. Setter Brett Novak scored three points on two kills and a block and totaled four digs.

The U.S. led 15-14 in the first set before ending the set on a 10-4 run. Batista produced two kills in the next four points to give the U.S. an 18-15 lead. A Powell ace made it 23-16 and Hutnick ended the set with his second kill. Batista finished the set with seven kills.

The second set was nearly a repeat of the first set. The U.S. led by just two points, 15-13, before finishing the set on a 10-5 run to win by the same 25-18 score. Hutnick led the U.S. with four points on three kills and an ace, while Powell added three points on two kills and a block.

The U.S. controlled the third set from the start. A Batista block gave the U.S. a five-point lead, 12-7. Canada was not able to get any closer than four points the remainder of the match. Fahlbusch finished the match with his fifth kill.

2025 Boys U19 National Team Pan American Cup Roster

Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, School, USAV Region)

2 Ben Bayer (L, 6-1, Menomonee Falls, Wisc., Sussex Hamilton HS, Badger)
3 Thomas Phung (L, 5-10 Garland, Texas, Harvard University, Southern)
6 Thomas Demps IV (OH, 6-4, Raleigh, N.C., Broughton HS, Carolina)
9 Dante Cayaban (MB, 6-7, Saint Cloud, Fla., Saint Cloud HS, Florida)
13 Logan Hutnick (OH, 6-6, Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach HS, Southern California)
15 Blake Fahlbusch (OH, 6-8, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Loyola HS of Los Angeles, Southern California)
17 Peter Chriss (S, 6-6, Menlo Park, Calif., Menlo Atherton HS, Northern California)
18 Brett Novak (S, 6-6, Lancaster, Calif., Paraclete HS, Southern California)
22 Kale Cochran (OH, 6-7, Roseville, Calif., Whitney HS, Northern California)
23 Corbin Batista (OPP, 6-7, St. George, Utah, Alta HS, Intermountain)
24 Isiah Powell (MB, 6-7, Silver Spring, Md., Springbrook HS, Chesapeake)
25 Brodie Heshler (MB, 6-7, Harrisburg, Pa., Central Dauphin HS, Keystone)

Coaches

Head Coach: Jonah Carson (MVVC)
Assistant Coach: Sean Byron (Marist College)
Assistant Coach: Spencer Wickens (Stanford)
Performance Analyst: AJ Ruttenberg (UCLA)
Team Doctor: Dr. Chris Cornell (Coduhi Clinic)
Team Lead: Brandon Oswald (NTDP)

Schedule

All times PDT

July 8: USA def. Venezuela, 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-16, 32-30)
July 9: USA def. Canada, 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-17)
July 10: USA def. Puerto Rico, 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-19)
July 11: Quarterfinals: Bye
July 12: Semifinals: USA def. Canada, 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-17)
July 13: Gold Medal match: USA vs. Mexico/Venezuela, 3 p.m.

After taking three months off from competition due to injury, 100-meter dash Olympic champion Noah Lyles returned to the track for the Monaco Diamond League. Lyles was scheduled to race in the 200-meter dash against the reigning Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo.

Despite Lyles’ setback, he was able to pull off his first win of the season ahead of the USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for later this month.

How Noah Lyles And Letsile Tebogo Are Working Their Way Back To The Top

Yesterday at the Monaco Diamond League, Olympic champions Lyles and Tebogo went head-to-head in the 200-meter dash. Tebogo controlled the race from the start, setting the tone that he was confident after his win at the Prefontaine Classic last weekend. Although Lyles did not have the quickest start, he was able to develop momentum around the curve and challenge Tebogo as they powered into the homestretch.

Lyles stayed calm under Tebogo’s pressure and was able to secure the victory in 19.88. Tebogo was not far behind in 19.97. After the meet, Tebogo expressed he didn’t have ample time to warm up, which contributed to his performance not living up to his expectations.

“First of all, I am disappointed in my performance,” said Tebogo. “…back in the call room where they called us in earlier than expected, so I did not do my whole warm-up.”

Producing a sub-20-second performance without full preparation is another sign that Tebogo is fit and will continue to run faster when all of his accommodations are properly met.

Both Olympic champions have dealt with unfavorable circumstances this post-Olympic season. As mentioned before, Lyles took three months off from competition to nurse an injury. The last time he competed this outdoor season was back in April, where he ran the 400-meter dash and the 4×100-meter relay at Tom Jones.

Following the meet in Florida, Lyles was scheduled to run at the Atlanta City Games, where he equaled the American record in the 150-meter dash last year. Lyles released a statement the day before the meet began and stated that he wouldn’t be competing due to ankle tightness.

The race in Monaco was heavily anticipated by fans since the last time spectators watched Lyles and Tebogo on the start line together was at the Paris Olympics last August. Lyles, who is typically more vocal on social media about his expectations and self-confidence, had been silent over the past several weeks. No one knew what to expect of his fitness going into this weekend’s competition.

Last week at the Prefontaine Classic, Tebogo ran 19.76 in the 200-meter dash to establish a new world lead. Tebogo, similar to Lyles, took time off from competition before winning his first Diamond League race back.

Six weeks before the Prefontaine Classic, Tebogo placed last in the 100-meter dash at the Rabat Diamond League. The Olympic champion has taken longer than usual to find his rhythm this season. Tebogo didn’t have the best season opening times in his main events and was inconsistent during the early portions of the year.

ForbesFaith Kipyegon And Beatrice Chebet Break World Records At The 50th Prefontaine ClassicBy Katelyn Hutchison

In an interview with Citius Mag, Tebogo expressed that his rough start was due to a recurring knee injury. The injury flared up in May, which was the cause of his performance in Rabat. His six-week break proved to be necessary as he looked to be back to his old self last weekend in Eugene, Oregon.

Although Lyles and Tebogo are slowly working their way back to the top after injury, they both proved they’re ready for what’s to come later this season.

As both athletes begin to find their race pattern, they will have to prepare for two-time Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek. This season, Bednarek was named Racer of the Year in the Grand Slam Track league for winning each short sprint Slam title. So far, he has run a 19.84 in the 200-meter dash and a wind-aided 9.79 in the 100-meter dash. Bednarek is currently undefeated this season. The likelihood of the Paris Olympic podium consisting of the same three men is high based on their performances this year and their unwavering determination.

Fans looking to watch Lyles race again before the USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships can catch him on the track at the London Diamond League on July 19th, where he will contest the 100-meter dash.

World Championships: U.S. Men Handle Canada, Montenegro Tips Greece as Men’s Water Polo Opens

The U.S. men handled Canada, 18-9, and Montenegro pulled out a 10-9 win over Greece on the first day of men’s water polo at the 2025 World Championships.

The U.S., which won bronze at the Paris Olympics in 2024, never trailed, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after one quarter. Adrian Weinberg was excellent in goal with 11 saves. Max Irving led the offense with four goals on five shots plus an assist. Hannes Daube had three goals and two assists, and Nicolas Saveljic added three goals.

Canada got a hat trick from Ali Oussadou.

In the penultimate game of the day at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, three goals and two assists from Djuro Radovic and a hat trick from Filip Gardasevic led Montenegro past Greece. Petar Tesanovic made seven saves.

Nikolaos Gkillas led Greece with a hat trick. Panagiotis Tzortzatos made 11 saves in goal.

Serbia, the reigning Olympic champion, opened the competition with a comprehensive 27-3 decision over South Africa. Dusan Mandic shot 6-for-7 from the field. Nikola Murisic scored five times, Nikola Jaksic added four goals and Milos Cuk paired three goals with four assists.

Croatia, the world champion in Doha in 2024 and silver medalist in Paris, began its quest for more hardware with a 25-6 thumping of China. Luka Bukic powered the onslaught with six goals on seven shots. Marko Zuvela scored four goals, and Konstantin Kharkov contributed three goals and five assists.

Italy, the silver medalist in Doha, trailed after the first quarter against Romania but turned it on for a 17-5 rout. Francisco Condemi scored four times, Lorenzo Bruni three and Gianmarco Nicosia stopped eight shots.

The other match in the U.S.’s Group C went to Brazil, 19-8 over Singapore. Gustavo Coutinho, Marcos Paulo Pedroso and Gustavo Guimaraes scored three times apiece.

Spain topped Japan, 22-16, in the day’s most offensive affair, which included 13 fourth-quarter goals. Alvaro Granados bombed home five goals to go with three assists, and Bernat Sanahuja and Unai Biel buried four goals each. Yusuke Inaba led Japan with five goals, and Taiyo Watanabe added four goals and three assists.

Hungary opened with an 18-6 win over Australia behind nine saves from Kristof Csoma. Marton Vamos scored three goals, and Krisztian Manhercz and Adam Nagy each had a goal and four assists as the Hungarians dished 15 helpers.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 12, 2025) – The U.S. Girls U19 National Team will look to defend its World U19 title on Sunday after the squad defeated Poland 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-19) at the 2025 FIVB Girls U19 World Championship on Saturday in Osijek, Croatia.

The gold medal match will pit the U.S. against the winner of the Türkiye/Bulgaria semifinal. Watch the final on July 13 at 9:15 a.m. on VBTV or on the Volleyball World YouTube channel.

The U.S. has medaled in the last three World Championships for the age group. The 2023 World Championship, where the team won gold, was the first one contested as a U19 championship. Previously, FIVB held Worlds as a U18 event, and the U.S. won bronze in 2021 and gold in 2019.

It was the second time at the World Championship that Poland and the U.S. squared off. The first match was closely contested, with Poland winning 16-14 in the fifth set. But this time, it was all USA.

The U.S. held the lead in kills (37-26), blocks (12-3) and aces (8-3).

Outside hitter Suli Davis led the U.S. with 18 points on 13 kills, three blocks and two aces. Opposite Henley Anderson had six kills, three blocks and two aces for 11 points, and middle blocker Jordan Taylor had seven kills and one block for eight points.

Gabrielle Nichols and Cari Spears also scored eight points, with Nichols collecting four kills, three blocks and an ace, and Spears notching six kills, one block and an ace. Devyn Wiest had one ace.

Libero Lily Hayes led the team with eight digs and seven successful receptions. Setter Genevieve Harris led the strong U.S. offense, and also scored three points.

The first set was all USA with a balanced offensive attack. Davis scored six points on five kills and a block, and Spears had three kills and a block. The U.S. had five blocks compared to zero for Poland.

The U.S. jumped out to a big lead in set two before allowing Poland to sneak within one at 11-10. The U.S. scored five of the next six to stretch the lead to 16-11. A U.S. service error and a Poland ace cut the lead to three at 16-13.  Poland’s first block of the evening cut it back to two at 17-15. Another U.S. ace gave the team a three-point lead and Poland did not get any closer. The U.S. closed out the set on a Nichols kill, a block from Anderson and Nichols, and a kill from Anderson.

The third set was the biggest test for the U.S., with Poland jumping out to a 9-6 lead. The U.S. tied it at 10 after a Spears ace and Poland attack error, and the U.S. took the lead at 13-12 with a Taylor kill. Taylor and Spears then went up for a block to extend the lead to 14-12, and an Anderson ace made it 15-12. The U.S. continued to extend its lead by winning eight of the next 10 points for 23-14. After three points for Poland to make it 23-17, Suli Davis attacked out of the back row for a kill to reach match point. A U.S. service error and a Poland ace cut the lead to 24-19. A Harris dump gave the match to the U.S.

2025 U19 National Team Roster for World Championship

(Name, Pos., Birth Year, Height, Hometown, School, Region)
3 Jordan Taylor (MB, 6-5, 2007, Houston, Texas, University of Minnesota, Lone Star)
5 Lily Hayes (L, 5-9, 2007, Tampa, Fla., Berkeley Prep HS, Florida)
6 Suli Davis (OH, 6-1, 2007, Euless, Texas, Brigham Young University, North Texas)
8 Abbey Emch (MB, 6-3, 2007, New Waterford, Ohio, University of Pittsburgh, Ohio Valley)
10 Isabelle Hoppe (S, 5-8, 2008, Gibsonia, Pa., Pine Richland HS, Ohio Valley)
11 Kelly Kinney (OH/OPP, 6-2, 2007, West Palm Beach, Fla., The Kings Academy, Florida)
12 Genevieve Harris (S, 5-11, 2007, Raleigh, N.C, Cardinal Gibbons HS, Carolina)
13 Gabrielle Nichols (MB, 6-3, 2007, Winston Salem, N.C., Penn State University, Carolina)
16 Cari Spears (OH, 6-3, 2007, Dallas, Texas, University of Texas, North Texas)
17 Lameen Mambu (OH, 6-0, 2007, Chantilly, Va., Georgia Tech, Chesapeake)
19 Henley Anderson (OPP/OH, 6-3, 2007, Dripping Springs, Texas, Dripping Springs HS, Lone Star)
20 Devyn Wiest (OH, 6-3, 2007, Peoria, Ariz., University of Utah, Arizona)

Alternates
1 Izzy Mogridge (S, 5-11, 2007, Lutz, Fla., Berkeley Prep HS, Florida)
2 Charlotte Vinson (OPP, 6-2, 2007, Muncie, Ind., Yorktown HS, Hoosier)
4 Kalyssa Blackshear (MB/OPP, 6-4, 2007, Torrance, Calif., University of Louisville, Southern California)
7 Ayanna Watson (OH/OPP, 6-3, 2007, Henderson, Nev., Bishop Gorman HS, Southern California)
9 Natalie Wardlow (MB/OPP, 6-5, 2007, Lincoln, Neb., Lincoln Southeast HS, Great Plains)
15 Logan Bell (L, 5-11, 2007, Beech Grove, Ind., Roncalli HS, Hoosier)
18 Aniya Warren (L, 5-8, 2007, Lockport, Ill., Benet Academy, Great Lakes)

Coaches
Head Coach: Keegan Cook (Minnesota)
Assistant Coach: Alyssa D’Errico (Utah)
Assistant Coach: April Sanchez (New Mexico)
Performance Analyst: Jon Wong (Florida State)
ATC: Cherryl Bueno (Coast to Coast AthletiCare)
Team Lead: Courtney Smith (NTDP)

2025 FIVB Girls U19 World Championship Schedule
All times Pacific/Osijek, Croatia
Matches live on VBTV and Volleyball World YouTube

July 2: USA def. Spain, 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-12, 25-23)
July 3: USA def. Peru, 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-18)
July 4: Poland def. USA, 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-17, 25-27, 16-14)
July 6: Bulgaria def. USA, 3-2 (25-15, 16-25, 27-25, 13-25, 15-5)
July 7: USA def. Türkiye, 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 25-23)
July 8: Round of 16: USA def. Germany, 3-2 (25-18, 26-28, 17-25, 25-15, 15-13)
July 11: Quarterfinals, USA def. Italy, 3-2 (31-29, 23-25, 20-25, 30-28, 15-8)
July 12: Semifinals, 12:15 p.m.: USA def. Poland, 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-19)
July 13: Final: USA vs. TBA, 9:15 a.m.

By: KJ Doyle

News

INGLEWOOD – It was suggested in the runup to this week’s Association of Volleyball Professionals event at Intuit Dome that when Logan Dan visits an AVP venue, he should get the Mariano Rivera treatment.

You know, Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” blasting through the speakers as he walks into the place.

Dan is literally the tour’s Sandman, maybe the most important guy on tour week in and week out. This week he was the guy who oversaw the delivery of 300 tons of sand and its placement into a beach volleyball court in the Clippers’ not-yet-a-year-old arena.

That court, located at the west end of the arena floor, is the centerpiece for L.A.’s stop in the AVP League, a 2-year-old concept involving the eight top teams on the men’s and women’s sides and played in either big city arenas – like Intuit – or in non-beach venues like a tennis center in Palm Beach, Fla., a marina in East Hampton, N.Y., or Central Park in Manhattan, next weekend’s site.

The league format and the non-beach sites have replaced all but two of the traditional beach tournaments on the AVP schedule, both of which are located in Southern California. There are eight league events – five of them indoors – leading up to the championship round at Chicago’s Oak Street Beach on Labor Day weekend.

And not everyone plays every week, which means that if you’re a true beach volleyball fan and you look forward to the sport’s best all in one place, you seldom get that. More on that below.

As the main domestic beach volleyball circuit transitions away from, you know, actual beaches, the guy in charge of the sand becomes ever more important. Dan, a contractor for San Antonio-based Kilowatt Events, is in his second year overseeing the installation of these temporary courts. Preparing the Intuit Dome, he said, was relatively easy, unlike some places – think facilities normally used for tennis – where the sand has to be dumped one place and transferred to another.

“It’s nice to come into a brand new venue and be the first group to bring sand into it,” he said. “Obviously there’s challenges and learning for the venue with us, you know, as we’re bringing in sand and learning the trucks and paths and things. … (But) everything’s already here.”

The sand surface for volleyball, he said, is USGA Top Dressing sand, the same stuff used by golf courses when aerating fairways and greens. Sometimes the sand used for one of these temporary volleyball courts will be given to golf courses or parks or playgrounds.

What do the players think of the temporary indoor conditions?

Kelly Cheng, USC alum and two-time Olympian, said the Intuit sand was “very shallow. We’ve played in indoor venues on the world tour, on the FIVB, and it’s much deeper than this. So, yeah, very springy sand. People are jump serving hard, jumping high. It’s fun. It’s a fast game. It’s different.”

But Cheng, who partners with Molly Shaw for the Miami Mayhem, said she misses the conditions players deal with outside, particularly the wind: “It’s so fun. It makes the game completely different. I love it. … It’s another challenge because you could go out on the beach and some days aren’t windy at all. And you’ve got to find out, find a way to win.”

A dissenting view comes from Logan Webber, who plays with Hagen Smith (son of beach legend Sinjin Smith) for the L.A. Launch. He doesn’t miss those uncertain conditions.

“It’s almost nice for us to just come in knowing that we’re going to have absolutely clean playing conditions,” he said. “Sometimes, you show up at a tournament and you just don’t know what to expect.”

As for the sand?

“This is basically the south side of the Huntington Pier (in) jumpiness,” he said. “That’s very equivalent sand to what this is. If you’re playing in Hermosa Beach? It’s a very different game from this … You sink in, two feet at a time.”

Meanwhile, the question must be asked: Has this new AVP concept, in which four of the eight teams are idle on a given weekend, thrown away the charm of the sport in exchange for regular weekly TV commitments from the CBS Sports Network and the CW?

What used to be a full summer of AVP tournament play has been reduced to only two “Heritage Event” weekends, the Huntington Beach Open in May and the Manhattan Beach Open – can we call it beach volleyball’s grandaddy of ’em all? – which will be held August 15-17. Five other tournaments are “Contender” (qualifying) events; four have already been played in Palm Beach, Fla., Virginia Beach, Va., Denver and Oshkosh, Wis., with one still to come in Laguna Beach Sept. 13-14.

AVP commissioner and chief operating officer Bobby Corvino said Friday the goal “is to continue to partner with iconic venues across this country. We want to grow the sport, and you know how beautiful it looked and incredible it was (at the 2024 Olympics) with Paris and the Eiffel Tower. … We’re strategic about the cities we’re going to right now, but we’re always looking for options and partners that see the vision with what we’re trying to do and build the sport and grow it in that geographic area.”

The fans who showed up at the Intuit Dome were enthusiastic enough, especially when the in-game host fired them up, but the matchups between geographic neighbors Palm Beach and Miami, and L.A. and San Diego, don’t exactly scream rivalry. Dodgers-Padres, this ain’t.

And much of the problem is that the true rivalries in volleyball are between individual teams, and those are deemphasized without the tournament format and the possibility that those teams could play in a Sunday final.

Example: Canadians (and Olympic silver medalists) Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes, are on site this week, playing for Palm Beach. Their rivals for No. 1, Americans Taryn Brasher and Kristen Nuss, who play for Austin, aren’t here.

“The idea seems to be that only by making our beloved game into something we don’t particularly like can the AVP attract a larger fanbase,” Mark Davis wrote in April for the “Larry Hamel’s All Volleyball” Substack.

Meanwhile, a poster on the VolleyTalk message board put it this way in a post last August: “Half the 8 teams sit out every week. What’s good about this league? Really what?”

And, a commenter/player on Reddit made this observation last winter:  “(The) AVP has decided that it is going to pool its money and resources and shuffle it around the people who are already at the top of the ladder while eliminating the ability for new or growing talent to emerge.”

Did the AVP’s decision makers perhaps miscalculate?

jalexander@scng.com