U.S. Women Fend off Five Match Points to Defeat Canada at 2025 VNL

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 12, 2025) – The U.S. Women’s National Team clinched a spot in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) finals with a thrilling 3-2 (26-24, 23-25, 20-25, 25-21, 19-17) win over North American rival Canada on Saturday night at the UT Arlington College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

The U.S. (7-4) is now in seventh place and seeks to finish undefeated in the final week of VNL play tomorrow, Sunday, July 13, at 5 p.m. PT against China.

“I thought we had moments of better volleyball tonight than we did the first two nights. We still have some letdowns that kind of get away from us, so I’d like to clean those up and address those. I feel like we are getting up three or four points in a set and then giving those points back in maybe not the greatest fashion,” U.S. head coach Erik Sullivan said. “I thought in the fourth set and fifth sets, while we still did that a little bit, we did it in a better emotional state. We were battling and not getting defeated by those moments. I really like the way we competed in those two sets at the end.”

The 69-58 U.S. edge in kills was just enough to offset the 24-16 deficit in blocks. Both teams served three aces.

MATCH STATISTICS

“We are still kind of learning about each other a little bit trying to figure out what buttons to push and how we respond,” Sullivan commented. “We try to give them a little more emotional support when things not necessarily just don’t go our way but when we just don’t have quality touches and you can see we are a little frustrated. Our staff was giving more of a pump-up vibe and I thought that helped a little bit. Our goal this summer was to give some players opportunities. We will shuffle around and continue to do that. I don’t want to abandon that just because we qualified.”

Outside hitter Avery Skinner put together another tremendous match, totaling 21 points on 20 kills, including six in the final set, and a block. She also led team in digs with 14 and added 11 successful receptions. Opposite Madi Skinner (16 kills, one block, two aces) and outside Logan Eggleston (17 kills and two blocks) each scored 19 points.

Setter Jordyn Poulter finished with 63 assists, six digs and two blocks.

“We just tried to remind ourselves to take it one point, one play at a time. We’ve been challenged in every match in tis VNL tournament and we will continue to be challenged every match this summer, so we are working our hardest to try to be steady and consistent and play some good volleyball,” said Poulter, who ran the offense in which five players recorded at least seven kills. “We can’t spread it out unless we are passing well so I will give that credit to our passers fighting off some really tough serves.”

Libero Lexi Rodriguez led all players with 14 successful receptions and added nine digs. Middle blocker Tia Jimerson took over in the fourth set, scoring half of her 14 points, to keep the U.S. in the match. She finished with eight kills and shared match-high honors with six blocks. Middle Dana Rettke also reached double digits with 10 points on seven kills and three blocks.

Trailing 13-9 in the first set, Canada scored five consecutive points to take a 14-13 lead. Neither team led by more than two points the rest of the set, which was tied at 24 when the U.S. was able to score back-to-back points to take the set. Avery Skinner scored to set up the second U.S. set point. Opposite Taylor Mims made her 2025 VNL debut from the service line and Canada’s hitting error ended the set. Madi Skinner led all players with five kills and Avery Skinner added four points on three kills and a block.

A Jimerson block put the U.S. up 19-18 in the second set and her kill made it 20-19, but it would be the U.S. squad’s last lead of the set. Down 24-21, the U.S. defended two set points on a Madi Skinner kill off hands and an Avery Skinner back row attack, but Canada secured the final point. Madi Skinner (five kills and an ace) and Eggleston (four kills and two blocks) each scored six points in the set.

Canada led most of the third set. The U.S. did use a 5-0 run thanks to strong serving from Brionne Butler to take a 14-13 lead but Canada responded with an 8-3 run to retake a four-point lead. Madi Skinner paced the U.S. with five points on three kills, a block and an ace.

Jimerson recorded a kill and block on consecutive plays to give the U.S. a 12-7 lead in the fourth set. Canada responded with a 7-2 run, tying the set at 14 on an ace, and then took its last lead at 16-15. An Avery Skinner kill off hands and another Jimerson kill gave the U.S. the lead for good, 17-16.

A Jimerson block extended the lead to four points, 22-18. Rettke and Avery Skinner scored the final points of the set to send the match to a decisive fifth set. Jimerson led the U.S. in the set with seven points on four kills and a trio of blocks.

Another Jimerson block gave the U.S. a 9-5 lead in the fifth set but Canada scored the next four points, the last two on blocks, to even the set. Jimerson recorded a kill for a 10-9 lead and then her two digs on the next point led to an Avery Skinner kill that put the U.S. up 11-9.

After Canada tied the set at 11, Eggleston scored on a kill over the block for a 12-11 U.S. lead. Two U.S. errors and Canada’s 24th block of the match gave the underdogs two match points. Eggleston scored off the block and Rettke followed with a block to tie the set at 14.

Canada earned three more match points. A service error that was well long tied the set at 15 and two Avery Skinner kills helped the U.S. fight off a fourth and fifth match point. Avery Skinner gave the U.S. its first match point on a back row attack and Eggleston ended the match on a kill off a pass from Rodriguez. Skinner finished the set with six kills and Eggleston added four.

U.S. Women’s Week Three Roster for 2025 VNL

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
2 Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Illinois, Rocky Mountain)
3 Avery Skinner (OH, 6-1, Katy, Texas, Kentucky, Lone Star)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
7 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)
8 Brionne Butler (MB, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
9 Madisen Skinner (OH, 6-2, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
11 Taylor Mims (Opp, 6-3, Billings, Mont., Washington St., Evergreen)
15 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
18 Asjia O’Neal (MB, 6-3, Southlake, Texas, Texas, North Texas)
20 Danielle Cuttino (Opp, 6-4, Indianapolis, Ind., Purdue, Hoosier)
21 Roni Jones-Perry (OH, 6-0, West Jordan, Utah, BYU, Intermountain)
22 Sarah Franklin (OH, 6-4, Lake Worth, Fla., Univ. of Wisconsin, Florida)
25 Tia Jimerson (MB, 6-3, Sugar Hill, Ga., Univ. of Ohio, Southern)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-2, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)
34 Stephanie Samedy (Opp, 6-2, Clermont, Fla., Minnesota, Florida)

Coaches
Head Coach: Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Mike Wall
Second Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Second Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Second Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey
Team Manager: Rob Browning
Team Doctors: William Briner, James Suchy, Chris Lee, Andrew Gregory
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shawn Hueglin, Shannon Boone
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker, Katy Stanfill
Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham

Week 3 Schedule: Arlington, Texas (all times PDT)
Matches will be shown on VBTV, Big Ten Network and/or CBS Sports Network. Please check listings for BTN and CBSN.

July 9 USA def. Thailand, 3-1 (28-26, 21-25, 27-25, 25-15)
July 10 USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-20)
July 12 USA def. Canada, 3-2 (26-24, 23-25, 20-25, 25-21, 19-17)
July 13 at 5:00 p.m. USA vs. China

Week 1 Results: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 4 Italy def. USA, 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 30-28)
June 5 Brazil def. USA, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19)
June 6 Czechia def. USA, 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 27-25)
June 8 USA def Korea, 3-0 (25-13, 28-26, 25-17)

Week 2 Results: Belgrade, Serbia
June 18 USA def. Serbia, 3-2 (25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 15-11)
June 19 Poland def. USA, 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-18)
June 21 USA def. Netherlands, 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-19)
June 22 USA def. France, 3-2 (25-22, 26-24, 20-25, 21-25, 15-13)