The four gold medals Texas volleyball brought back to Austin will not help the team’s record next season, but the experience and team chemistry behind them might.

Months before Texas begins its 2026 season, sophomore Abby Vander Wal, sophomore Taylor Harvey and incoming freshmen Genevieve Harris and Henley Anderson trained twice a day, adjusted to international opponents and helped the United States win the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) Women’s U21 Pan American Cup.

The U.S. finished the tournament 3–0, dropping only one set before sweeping Canada in the championship match on July 12 in Columbus, Ohio. The four Longhorns competed in different roles. Vander Wal played outside hitter, Harvey played middle blocker, Harris played setter and Anderson played opposite and outside hitter.

The tournament gave Vander Wal an early opportunity to attack off sets from Harris, allowing the future Texas teammates to develop timing coordination.

“It was really fun getting to play with them, and especially (Harris) because she’s a setter and to get to hit off of her,” Vander Wal said. “She just improved so much throughout that week.”

The players faced a competitive practice schedule. Twenty athletes were invited to train with the U21 national team, with 14 earning spots on the final roster. The selected players then practiced every day, and sometimes twice a day.

Vander Wal said the additional instruction was particularly valuable because Texas was in a summer dead period and its coaches could not work directly with the players.

“You get better,” Vander Wal said. “You get coached really well, kind of like we do at Texas. … It’s nice to get some extra touch-ups from pro-level coaches to help us get ready for (the) season.”

An early match against Canada was the Americans’ closest contest of the tournament. After winning the opening two sets, the U.S. dropped the third 25-21.

It was the only set the team lost all week.

The Americans responded by winning the fourth set 25-18, a reaction Vander Wal believes can help prepare the rostered Longhorns for their challenging schedule this fall.

“We’re going to lose sets,” Vander Wal said. “It’s realistic. … Some sets are not going to go our way, but it’s how we bounce back and how we respond that matters. I think that’s definitely something that we can use at Texas this year.”

She compared Canada’s level of play to that of a top-25 NCAA team, giving Harris and Anderson opportunities to face high-level competition before their freshman seasons.

“It was good to get to experience that against Canada and against Mexico, especially for our freshmen Genevieve and Henley, to give them a chance to adjust midgame,” Vander Wal said. “It was fun to get to play at that high of a level again in competition mode.”

While Harris and Anderson gained experience before their first seasons at Texas, Vander Wal stepped into a new role. This fall, Vander Wal will enter her sophomore season after playing in all 30 matches as a freshman.

“This was the first time I was with some younger girls and definitely took more of a leadership role,” Vander Wal said. “I loved getting to … help them out a little bit when they needed a little extra love on a hard day or a little extra encouragement.”

The medals will not guarantee Texas a deeper postseason run. They do, however, give four Longhorns a head start and momentum to carry from Team USA into the college season.

“We’re gonna bring it, like, full throttle,” Vander Wal said. “Longhorns are ready to go.”