Women's National Team Battles Through Preliminary Play at The 2025 World Games

Chengdu, China – The United States Women’s National Fistball Team opened their 2025 World Games campaign with a demanding slate of matches in Silver Group play, facing three strong opponents over two days.

The tournament began on Saturday morning, August 9, with a rematch against Argentina, who had edged the Americans in the bronze medal match at the 2022 Pan American Games. The US stayed close in the opening set before falling 11:7, and then pushed Argentina to the limit in a tense second set, narrowly losing 14:12. Argentina closed out the match 11:5 in the third to take a 3–0 victory.

Later that afternoon, the US returned to the court to face Chile in their second preliminary match. The Chileans started strong, taking the first set 11:7 before pulling away in the second, 11:2. The Americans responded with grit in the third set, forcing extra points before Chile sealed the match 14:12 for another 3–0 result.

Group play concluded on Sunday, August 10, with the United States meeting emerging rivals New Zealand. The Americans battled point-for-point early, narrowly dropping the first set 11:9. New Zealand then found their rhythm, winning the next two sets 11:5 and 11:8 to complete the sweep and secure their fourth straight victory over the US.

Despite the 0–3 group stage record, Team USA showed resilience and flashes of strong play, particularly in their defensive positioning and service pressure.

The United States returns to the court for the Consolation Round on Tuesday, August 12, at 1:00 a.m. EST (1:00 p.m. local time), when they will take on the loser of the quarterfinal match between Austria and Chile.

Fans can stay connected through US Fistball’s Facebook, Instagram, and X pages for updates, photos, and behind-the-scenes coverage.