SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – AJ Cottle, Trevor Herget and Connor Oldani defeated Costa Rica on Sunday to earn gold with Team USA at the 2026 NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup at the Palacio de los Deportes Carlos “El Famoso” Hernández.
Oldani helped push Team USA past Trinidad and Tobago in the second match of the tournament, helping the team win its pool and advance directly to the semifinals. The Phoenix native totaled 17 points, including 13 kills, to lead both teams in scoring.
Upcoming sophomore Cottle was Team USA’s second-leading scorer against Trinidad and Tobago, recording seven kills and 10 points overall.
Herget notched 15 kills in the championship match, adding to his 32 total points across the tournament. The outside hitter also competed in matches against the Dominican Republic and Mexico, with Team USA sweeping both opponents.
Team USA dropped just one set throughout the tournament, with the second set of the championship match being the only set it lost. This marks the first time Team USA has won the U23 Pan American Cup.
For more information about Team USA’s gold-winning performance, visit the USA Volleyball website.