Tournament Preview: Following Silver Medal at IHF Trophy, Junior WNT Prepped for Junior Pan American Games

USA Team Handball's Junior Women's National Team is set to compete in the 2025 Junior Pan American Games, beginning play Sunday (Aug. 10) in Asuncion, Paraguay at UENO Arena. The squad will be participating in the Junior Pan American Games for the first time.

In preliminary round play, Team USA opens their tournament campaign on Sunday (Aug. 10) against hosts Paraguay at 6:30 p.m. ET and will also face Chile (Aug 11. | 1:30 p.m. ET) and Uruguay (Aug. 12 | 4:00 p.m. ET). Medal matches will be held on Aug. 15.

The United States will finish a busy summer in Asuncion, as they secured a silver medal at the IHF Trophy in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, in July. Seven athletes - Lucie Braschoss, Isa Da Cruz, Ia Hannevik, Hajnalka Penszki, Maya Ready, Hanna Schlueter, Amanda Sumalla - were on the roster at the IHF Trophy.

As the Junior Pan American Games is an Under-20 tournament, as opposed to the Under-19 rule at the IHF Trophy, the U.S. returns five national team veterans in Vanessa Binderis, Viva Kreis, Julia Malysz, Mayte Martinez, and Emma Ready. Kai Beary and Hannah Yerman are the only debutants at the tournament. Malyz, who was named Player of the Match twice at the Jr. PAG Qualifier, and Beary, primarily a soccer goalkeeper who is ranked #1 in the class of 2027 by Prep Soccer, will be the U.S. netminders.

Team USA enters the tournament with a 7-1-1 (W-D-L) record this calendar year, including winning the Junior Pan American Games Qualifier in Mexico City.

All matches will be streamed on the Panam Sports Channel.

The Junior Pan American Games are a mulit-sport event, held every four years, with the first edition hosted by Colombia in 2021. All 41 Panam Sports member countries are expected to compete, including the United States delegation, the largest, with around 425 athletes. Handball will be one of 28 sports contested over the next two weeks.

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JUNIOR WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM (in alphabetical order) – 2025 JUNIOR PAN AMERICAN GAMES