COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 11, 2022) – The U.S. Women’s U21 National Team will play for the gold medal at the Pan American Cup after beating Chile 3-0 (25-11, 25-13, 25-9) in the semifinals on Saturday in La Paz, Mexico.
The victory also qualified the U21 Team (4-0) for the 2023 FIVB World Championship. The top two teams at the tournament qualified.
The U21 Team will play Argentina (4-1) in the final at 7 p.m. PT on Sunday. Watch live at facebook.com/babisuritv.
The U.S. dominated Chile in kills (43-18), aces (12-2) and blocks (9-4).
Libero and Team Captain Lexi Rodriguez said the U.S. focused on defense.
“We went out with defensive intensity,” Rodriguez said. “We knew they were going to be a scrapy team, so we just stuck to that.”
Rodriguez finished with 11 digs and five excellent receptions.
Every player on the U.S. roster got playing time and every player except Rodriguez scored at least one point.
Middle blocker Bre Kelley led the U.S. scoring with nine kills (.900 hitting efficiency), a match-high three blocks and one ace.
Outside hitter Mckenna Wucherer, who subbed in the second set and started the third, added 11 points on seven kills (.462), three aces and one block.
Outside hitter Chloe Chicoine finished with eight points on eight kills (.412). Opposite Merritt Beason scored eight points on seven kills and one block.
Outside hitter Norah Sis, who started the first two sets, scored seven points on six kills and one block.
Middle Raven Colvin, who started the second and third sets, scored six points on a match-high four aces, one block and one kill.
Opposite Devin Kahahawai, who played as a substitute, scored five points on five kills.
Starting setter Rachel Fairbanks scored three points on one kills, one block and one ace. Fairbanks combined with backup Alexis Stucky, who started the third set, to set the U.S. to a .493 hitting efficiency.
Middle Bekka Allick started the first set and scored one point with a block. Outside hitter Elia Rubin played as a substitute and scored one point with a block.
U.S. Women’s U21 National Team
No. Name (position, height, hometown, HS grad year, USAV region, college or college commitment)
1 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., 2020, Great Lakes, Nebraska)
3 Chloe Chicoine (OH, 5-10, Lafayette, Ind., 2023, Hoosier, Purdue)
4 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Santa Ana, Calif., 2021, Southern California, Pitt)
6 Elia Rubin (OH, 6-1, Brentwood, Calif., 2022, Southern California, Stanford)
7 Mckenna Wucherer (OH, 6-1, Brookfield, Wis., 2022, Badger, Minnesota)
8 Raven Colvin (MB, 6-1, Indianapolis, Ind., 2021, Hoosier, Purdue)
9 Norah Sis (OH, 6-2, Papillion, Neb., 2021, Great Plains, Creighton)
11 Alexis Stucky (S, 6-2, Laramie, Wyo., 2022, Rocky Mountain, Florida)
15 Merritt Beason (OPP, 6-3, Gardendale, Ala., 2020, Southern, Florida)
16 Bekka Allick (MB, 6-3, Waverly, Neb., 2022, Great Plains, Nebraska)
18 Bre Kelley (MB, 6-4, Rockwall, Texas, 2020, North Texas, Florida)
19 Devin Kahahawai (OH, 6-4, Kailua, Hawaii, 2022, Aloha, Texas)
Head Coach: Dan Fisher (Head Coach, University of Pittsburgh)
Assistant Coach: Jon Newman-Gonchar (Head Coach, University of New Mexico)
Assistant Coach: Heather Olmstead (Head Coach, BYU)
Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham (Technical Coordinator, USC)
Team Leader: Kyle Thompson (Director of Volleyball Operations, Maryland)
Women’s U21 Pan American Cup Schedule
(All times PDT)
Pool Play
June 7
Puerto Rico def Dominican Republic, 3-2 (25-23, 27-29, 25-22, 24-26, 16-14)
Argentina def Canada, 3-0 (25-17, 25-8, 25-22)
United States def Costa Rica, 3-0 (25-8, 25-4, 25-8)
Mexico def Honduras, 3-0 (25-7, 25-18, 25-8)
June 8
Cuba def Puerto Rico, 3-1 (23-25, 25-16, 29-27, 25-22)
Argentina def Costa Rica, 3-0 (25-12, 25-12, 25-11)
United States def Canada, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-22)
Mexico def Chile, 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-20)
June 9
Canada def Costa Rica, 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-11)
Dominican Republic def Cuba, 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-17)
Chile def Honduras, 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-7)
United States def Argentina 3-1 (25-16, 25-21, 22-25, 27-25)
June 10
Dominican Republic def Costa Rica, 3-0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-18)
Canada def Honduras, 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-9)
QF1: Argentina def Puerto Rico, 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-13)
QF2: Chile def Cuba, 3-0 (26-24, 25-22, 27-25)
June 11
Costa Rica def Honduras, 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-17)
Canada def Dominican Republic, 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-22)
United States def Chile, 3-0 (25-11, 25-13, 25-9)
Argentina def Mexico, 3-1 (26-24, 27-25, 28-30, 25-7)
June 12
3 p.m. Class 5/6: Puerto Rico vs Cuba
5 p.m. Bronze: Mexico vs Chile
7 p.m. Gold: USA vs Argentina