U.S. Sweeps Costa Rica; Wins Pool at 2025 Pan Am Cup
7/29/2025 7:20:00 PM | Volleyball
Team USA is 3-0
León, Mexico  – The U.S. Women's U23 National Team finished pool play without dropping a set after a 3-0 (25-18, 25-10, 25-10) win over Costa Rica on Tuesday at the 2025 NORCECA Women's U23 Pan American Cup in León, Mexico.
The U.S. (3-0) earned a bye in tomorrow's quarterfinal round and advanced directly to the semifinal round on Thursday, July 31 for a 9 p.m. CT match against Mexico.
The U.S. recorded 50 kills in the match, 30 more than Costa Rica, and six of the eight blocks in the match. The U.S. hit .460 as a team with its 50 kills and only 10 errors in 87 total attacks, while limiting Costa Rica to a .037 hitting percentage.
Opposite Jurnee Robinson led all players with 14 points on 13 kills and a block. She hit .579 for the match. Middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla scored nine points on eight kills, and outside hitter Chloe Chicoine also finished with eight kills. Cos-Okpalla and Chicoine each hit .727 with eight kills without an error in 11 attacks. Chicoine added 10 digs and five successful receptions. Middle blocker Raven Colvin totaled eight points on seven kills and a block. Libero Emmy Klika paced all players with 15 kills and nine successful receptions. In addition to running the effective offense, setters Averi Carlson (four points on three kills and a block) and Caroline Kerr (two points on a kill and a block) combined for six points.
After playing a starring role in Monday's romp over Suriname, Creighton's Ava Martin and Norah Sis excelled in limited playing time on Tuesday. Martin started the match and came off the bench in the third set. The rising senior had three kills in 10 swings, adding two digs and serving four times. Sis' only action came in the second set, when the 2024 graduate had four digs to go with one kill in three swings while serving eight times.
The U.S. never trailed in the first set, grabbing an early 8-4 lead when Martin converted an overpass for a kill. A Colvin kill extended the lead to six, 15-9. A block by Carlson gave the U.S. its biggest lead of the set, 20-12. After Costa Rica scored the next two points, Robinson scored on a tip. Robinson finished the set with her seventh kill. Â
With a 6-5 lead in the second set, the U.S. went on a 8-1 run to take an eight-point lead. Colvin served three aces in that stretch, and Cos-Okpalla delivered a kill to end the longest rally of the match and put the U.S. up 13-6. A Colvin block extended the lead to 12 points, 20-8. Colvin added three kills in the set for four points and Hudson recorded four kills.
A Robinson block put the U.S. up 5-1 early in the third set. A Colvin kill raised the lead to eight, 12-4. The U.S. continued to extend the lead, and a Chicoine kill ended the match for back-to-back 25-10 victories. Robinson paced the U.S. with seven points on six kills and a block.
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.
The United States is seeking its record eighth gold medal all-time in the event, but first since 2019. The Americans were runner-up in 2024 to Argentina and placed third in 2023, 2022 and 2021.
USA Volleyball Women's U23 Roster
Name, (Pos., Height, Hometown, College/Pro, Region)Â
1 Emmy Klika (L, 5-7, 2003, Novelty, Ohio, Pro Volleyball Federation, Ohio Valley)
3 Chloe Chicoine (OH, 5-10, 2004, Lafayette, Ind., Univ. of Louisville, Hoosier)
4 Cara Cresse (MB, 6-6, 2003, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Univ. of Louisville, Hoosier)
6 Raven Colvin (MB, 6-1, 2003, Indianapolis, Ind., Pro Volleyball Federation, Hoosier)
8 Eva Hudson (OH, 6-1, 2004, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Univ. of Kentucky, Hoosier)
9 Norah Sis (OH, 6-2, 2003, Papillion, Neb., Pro Volleyball Federation, Great Plains)
10 Averi Carlson (S, 5-11, 2003, Lucas, Texas, SMU, North Texas)
11 Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (MB, 6-2, 2004, Flower Mound, Texas, Texas A&M, North Texas)
13Â Caroline Kerr (S, 5-11, 2004, Champaign, Ill., Univ. of Tennessee, Great Lakes)
15 Ava Martin (OH, 6-1, 2004, Overland Park, Kan., Creighton Univ., Heart of America)
16 Jurnee Robinson (OPP/OH, 6-1, 2004, Simpsonville, S.C., LSU, Palmetto)
18 Lauren Rumel (OPP, 6-2, 2003, Tucson, Ariz., Oregon State Univ., Arizona)
Coaches
Head Coach: Marie Zidek (DePaul)
Assistant Coach: Kayla Banwarth (PVF, Olympian)
Assistant Coach: Danielle Scott (LOVB, Olympian)
Performance Analyst: Matthew Adams (Michigan)
ATC: Cherryl Bueno (Coast to Coast AthletiCare)
Team Lead: Taylor Marten (Ozark Juniors)
