U.S. Women Roll Past Germany to Finish 2026 VNL Week One 3-1

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 7, 2026) – The U.S. Women’s National Team finished 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week One with a 3-1 record after sweeping Germany, 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-12) on Sunday in Quebec City, Quebec.

The U.S. will begin 2026 VNL Week Two play at 9 p.m. PT on Tuesday, June 16 in the Philippines.

The U.S. dominated offensively with 45 kills compared to just 28 for Germany and finished with an 11-6 edge in blocks. Germany served one more ace (5-4).

“There was a lot of good stuff on our side. We weathered the storm. Germany came out playing at a very high level at the start (the U.S. trailed 17-12). From that point on, you could see the resolve. I thought we did a good job of not getting back on our heels and staying aggressive. I’m really proud of how we competed,” said U.S. head coach Erik Sullivan. “Hopefully we walk away from this last match knowing that we can play with anybody in the world. We don’t have to be anything that we are not. We just need to be us. If we play at a high level for a long period of time, we are right in the midst.”

Outside hitter Simone Lee-Wank led all players with 16 points and 15 kills, adding a block. She led the team with eight digs and finished second on the squad with three successful receptions.

“We learned a lot from our match two days ago against France. We always have a chance to bounce back and we always have a chance to improve. What we talked about in video as well as amongst ourselves and the coaches helped push the needle forward and helped us secure this victory,” she communicated. “I’ve been in and out of national teams, so it’s fun to see the swagger (Sullivan answered a question prior to the third set saying he didn’t believe the team had lost any swagger) myself up close and personal. If this is the swagger we are talking about, I can’t wait to see what more we can bring.”

Outside Avery Skinner totaled 15 points on 12 kills, two aces and a block, while opposite Jordan Thompson also reached double digits with 10 points on eight kills and a pair of blocks. Primary setter Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres ran the offense that hit .414 (45 kills, nine errors, 87 attacks) for the match. The U.S. used two liberos with Morgan Hentz and Lexi Rodriguez each recording five digs.

Middle blocker Asjia O’Neal registered a match-high four blocks to go with three kills and an ace for eight points. Opposite Stephanie Samedy added five points on four kills and a block, and middle Molly McCage contributed four points on two kills and two blocks with key points late in the opening set.

The first set began with eight consecutive side outs. A block gave Germany the first two-point lead for either team, 9-7. Another block extended the margin to four points, 12-8. Germany scored on the longest play of the set to take a five-point lead, 14-9. A Lee-Wank kill off a set from O’Neal followed by an O’Neal block cut the deficit to two points. Germany responded out of a timeout to score three consecutive points for a 17-12 advantage.

Back-to-back Skinner kills and a Samedy kill capped a five-point U.S. streak that evened the set. O’Neal served an ace to give the U.S. the lead and McCage scored the next two points, one on a block and another on a kill, for a 21-18 lead. A hitting error ended a 10-1 U.S. run that raised the lead to four points. A McCage kill gave the U.S. set point. Germany fought off three set points before a McCage block put the U.S. in front in the match. The U.S. out-blocked Germany 5-3 in a nearly even statistical opening set. Six U.S. players scored at least two points.

A one-handed set from Ka’aha’aina-Torres to Lee-Wank and a Ka’aha’aina-Torres attack on an overpass gave the U.S. a 6-3 lead in the second set. A Germany kill off an overpass squared the set at 8-8. A Skinner serve caused an overpass, which Lee-Wank put down for a 12-9 U.S. advantage. Germany called timeout but Skinner followed with an ace for a four-point margin. Consecutive blocks by Thompson and O’Neal pushed the margin to five points, 16-11.

Back-to-back aces, the second dribbling off the net, cut the deficit to two points. Lee-Wank scored on the next play. After a hitting error, Samedy followed with a kill and O’Neal recorded a block after a great defensive play by Hentz kept the play going to give the U.S. a six-point lead. Lee-Wank, who served the final seven points of the set for a 10-point victory, paced the U.S. with six kills.

Three Lee-Wank kills and a Skinner ace, combined with diving defensive plays by Hentz and Lee-Wank, helped state the U.S. to a 5-0 start to the third set. An ace cut the deficit to two points, 7-5. A great up by Hentz led to an O’Neal kill on a slide for an 11-7 lead and Skinner scored on the next play to raise the margin back to five. A strong Rodriguez dig helped the U.S. go up 13-9 on another Skinner kill.

A Lee-Wank block as part of a triple block stretched the lead to seven points, 17-10. Samedy, part of the U.S. double switch with Hancock, scored after a great dig by Hentz, for a 20-12 lead. After a Germany timeout, Hancock served an ace, Lee-Wank scored her 15th point, and Skinner and Samedy scored to set up match point. Germany was unable to get the ball over the net on the final play. Skinner (six kills, one ace) and Lee-Wank each scored seven points as the U.S. nearly tripled Germany (17-6) in blocks in the set.

U.S. Women’s Week One Roster for 2026 VNL

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
1 Micha Hancock (S, 5-11, Edmond, Okla., Penn State, Oklahoma)
3 Avery Skinner (OH, 6-1, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky, Lone Star)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford, Pioneer)
7 Asjia O’Neal (MB, 6-3, Southlake, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)
8 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)
10 Simone Lee-Wank (OH, 6-1, Menomonee Falls, Wisc., Penn State, Badger)
11 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, 6-0 Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
12 Jordan Thompson (OPP, 6-4, Edina, Minn., Univ. of Cincinnati, North Country)
14 Anna Hall (MB, 6-2, Laurens, S.C., Univ. of Louisville, Palmetto)
20 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt, Southern California Southern Nevada)
27 Madi Kubik-Banks (OH, 6-4, West Des Moines, Iowa, Univ. of Nebraska, Iowa)
29 Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-1, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)
34 Stephanie Samedy (OPP, 6-2, Clermont, Fla., Univ. of Minnesota, Florida)
77 Sami Francis (MB, 6-6, San Diego, Calif., Stanford, Southern California Southern Nevada)

Head Coach:  Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Assistant Coach: Rob Browning
Statistician: Virginia Pham
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shannon Boone, Shawn Hueglin
Mental Performance Coach: Nicole Davis
Team Doctors: Lori Boyajian-O’Neill, James Suchy, Chris Koutures, Mark Hutchinson
Team Manager: Shannon Slatter

U.S. Women’s Schedule for the 2026 Volleyball Nations League
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV.
(All times PDT)

Week 1: Quebec City, Quebec
June 3 USA def. Ukraine, 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-23)
June 4 Canada def. USA, 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 30-28)
June 5 USA def. France, 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 27-25, 23-25, 15-11)
June 7 USA def. Germany, 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-12)

Week 2: Philippines
June 16 at 9 p.m. vs. Dominican Republic
June 18 at 1 a.m. vs. Czechia
June 20 at 1 a.m. vs. Italy
June 20 at 9 p.m. vs. Serbia

Week 3: Osaka, Japan
July 7 at 11:30 p.m. vs. Thailand
July 8 at 9 p.m. vs. Poland
July 9 at 9 p.m. vs. Türkiye
July 11 at 8 p.m. vs. Brazil