U.S. Volleyball U23 Team Wins Pan American Cup

León, Mexico  –  The United States U23 Volleyball Team won the NORCECA Pan American Cup on Friday night with a 3-0 win over Canada in the Gold Medal match. Scores of the U.S. victory were 25-16, 25-15, 25-19.

Rising Creighton senior Ava Martin played in a total of four points as a serving specialist and served the final three points of the match.  Former Bluejay Norah Sis did not play in the contest, but still won her third Gold Medal with USA Volleyball in the past four years. For the tournament, Sis finished with 14 kills, 11 digs and two aces while hitting .522. Martin ended with 10 kills and 10 digs on .250 hitting, adding two aces and a block.

The U.S. finished with more kills (42-33), blocks (6-5) and aces (4-0) while making 11 fewer errors (23-12). Middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla was named tournament MVP and Best Blocker. Emmy Klika earned Best Libero, Best Digger and Best Receiver honors.

Setter Averi Carlson led the team to a .316 hitting efficiency percentage in distributing the ball evenly as five U.S. players scored between eight and 11 points in a remarkably balanced attack. Carlson added four points on three kills and an ace.

Middle blocker Raven Colvin led all players with 11 points on nine kills and two blocks. Outside hitters Eva Hudson (10 kills) and Chloe Chicoine (nine kills, one block) both scored 10 points. Chicoine recorded seven successful receptions with Hudson adding six. Klika posted a match-high 17 digs with Hudson contributing 12.

Cos-Okpalla totaled nine points on five kills, two blocks and two aces. Opposite Jurnee Robinson finished with eight points on six kills and two aces.

The first set went back-and-forth until the score was tied at 12 when the U.S. ran off 10 consecutive points. Back-to-back Robinson aces made it 18-12. After a Canada timeout, the U.S. kept its streak going, starting with a Carlson block and Chicoine kill. Chicoine led the team with five points on four kills and a block with Hudson (four kills), Carlson (three kills and a block), and Robinson (two kills to go with her two aces) each adding four points.

Cos-Okpalla scored the team’s first three points as the U.S. took a quick 4-1 lead in the second set. A Hudson kill made it 10-4. The advantage grew to 10 on a Carlson ace to make it 17-7. Canada could get no closer than eight points. A Robinson kill pushed the lead back to double digits, 20-10, after Canada scored three of four points. Cos-Okpalla and Hudson each delivered four kills in the set.

Canada took an 11-8 lead in the third set before the U.S. used a 7-1 run to take a 15-12 advantage. A Cos-Okpalla ace gave the U.S. a 13-12 lead, which was followed by a Colvin kill and Robinson block. The U.S. scored six of the next eight points to take a 19-14 lead on a Hudson kill. Canada pulled back within two points, 21-19, but a service error stopped the run. Chicoine recorded back-to-back kills to set up match point, and Robinson clinched the gold medal with a kill. Colvin scored six points on four kills and two blocks to pace the U.S. in the set.

The U.S. was coached by Marie Zidek, who also is the head coach at DePaul.

Last season at Creighton, Sis and Martin were one of the most formidable outside hitting tandems in the nation to help the Bluejays finish 32-3 and reach its first Elite Eight since 2016. Both women were unanimous All-BIG EAST selections and named AVCA All-Americans in 2024. Martin will return for her senior year in August looking to help Creighton win a 12th consecutive BIG EAST Conference title, while Sis won the Pro Volleyball Federation title with the Orlando Valkyries in May and looks to carry that momentum into her second professional season next spring.

Creighton has had several women play internationally with USA Volleyball in recent seasons, as Brittany Witt (Thailand), Jaali Winters (Croatia), Taryn Kloth (China; France) and Sis (Mexico) have all represented Team USA at one time or another in the past decade. Sis was part of back-to-back gold medal-winning teams at the U21 Women's NORCECA Pan American Cup, while Kloth became Creighton's first female student-athlete to compete in the Olympics last summer when she tied for ninth in Beach Volleyball along with partner Kristen Nuss.