U.S. Men Move to 2-0 at 2026 Men's VNL with Sweep of Germany

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 12, 2026) – The U.S. Men’s National Team swept Germany 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-20) at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League on Friday in Ottawa, Canada. Germany rallied for a five-set victory over the U.S. in last year’s VNL.

The U.S. (2-0) returns to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. PT against host Canada (1-1), which dropped a five-setter to Germany earlier this week.

The U.S. dominated in kills (41-27) and blocks (9-2), while Germany, playing its third match in as many days, served four of six aces.

“Shout to a German team that just played a third match in a row. That’s a really tough part of the schedule. I don’t want to say we got lucky but it’s nice to play a tired German team,” commented middle blocker Taylor Averill, who contributed six points on five kills and a block.

“We’re going to have to watch for the same thing when we get to Sunday’s third match in a row against Italy,” said U.S. head coach Karch Kiraly. “A lot of our guys have played a lot in Germany and know these guys well, they’re good friends, and they could see that they looked a little gassed today. We lucked out and caught them on a good day, but that is a really good team. I warned our team about the easy first set. Don’t assume anything. They can come back at us with amazing volleyball. They were playing some different guys and were just tired. Clinical is a good word. Business-like is another good word. We did some nice things. One of our goals is to take care of the easy plays. If an easy serve comes over the net to pounce on that as an opportunity or if we get a great serve, it should be easier for us to score a point off that, so we are taking great pride in doing that hopefully close to 100 percent.”

Opposite Jake Hanes again paced the U.S., recording match-highs of 14 kills and five blocks for 19 points. Outside hitters Matt Anderson (six kills, two aces) and Ethan Champlin (eight kills) both scored eight points. Champlin led the team with 10 digs and four successful receptions. Setter Micah Ma’a finished with six digs and added a block, while libero Erik Shoji posted five digs.

Seven other players scored.

“We just have a really solid group. We have a younger generation coming in that provides a lot of value and energy. We are having a good time. I am feeling much older with every day that goes by,” Averill quipped. “My hair is thinning. Life is changing for me, but I still love it. I am still honored to be a part of the program.”

Opposite Cole Hartke scored three points on two kills and a block, middle Merrick McHenry scored twice, recorded four digs and put pressure on Germany with his serve, and outsides Cooper Robinson and Jordan Ewert each scored two points in the third set.

Hanes and Champlin each scored two points to give the U.S. a 7-2 start to the match. Ma’a won a joust to push the lead to seven points, 12-5. After an Anderson back row attack and a Germany hitting error raised the lead to eight, 16-8, Germany ran off four consecutive points to cut the deficit in half and prompt a U.S. timeout. The lead went back to six points on a service error and hitting error, leading Germany to take its final timeout of the set.

A second successful video challenge by the U.S. made it 23-17 after Germany’s fifth service error of the set. An Anderson ace set gave the U.S. seven points. Germany scored the next three points to cut the lead to 24-20 and led to U.S. timeout. Back-to-back aces made it 24-22 before Champlin scored on an out-of-system kill off the triple block. Hanes led the team with six points on five kills and a block, and Champlin delivered four kills.

Hanes scored three early points and Averill put a ball down to help the U.S. off to a 6-2 start in the second set. A Hanes block advanced the U.S. advantage to five points, 11-6. The U.S. doubled up Germany, 14-7, when Champlin scored off the block. After two more errors raised the margin to eight points, 16-8, Germany called time out. Averill registered a block on the next point for a nine-point lead. A block by Hartke and an Anderson kill off a set from Andrew Rowan gave the U.S. its first double-digit lead, 21-11. Hartke scored to give the U.S. set point and Champlin ended the set with a kill set up by a Hartke pass. Hanes scored five points on three kills and two blocks, while Germany only produced four kills in the set.

With the score 7-7 in the third set, Hanes scored his fourth point with a swipe off the double block in the middle, McHenry went up high to score his first point, and Anderson scored for a three-point lead. A Germany timeout did not stop the momentum as two points by Anderson, one led by a pass on an overpass by McHenry, and another by Hanes raised the lead and run to six. Hanes’ eighth point of the set upped the scored to 18-12. Germany cut the deficit to three points, 22-19, before a U.S. timeout. A service error followed by a Rowan block set up match point. The U.S. ended the match with a Mason Briggs pass to Rowan, who set Ewert for a kill.

The U.S. expects a large and boisterous home crowd in tomorrow’s match.

“This is what it is about, playing Canada on its home court. We had a couple of friendlies last weekend and they are such a good team playing high-level volleyball. Hopefully we will get a sold-out crowd. Bring the kids back!” Averill referred to the large number of school children at last weekend’s matches. “They came to our first match. It was kids camp and I loved it. It was super fun. That is what it takes to get better, playing in really intense environments when you are the away team. We are ready to roll the dice.”

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

No., Name (Pos., Height, Hometown, College, USAV Region)
1 Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State, Western Empire)
3 Mason Briggs (L, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California Southern Nevada)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Chicago, Great Lakes)
6 Cooper Robinson (OH, 6-7, Pacific Palisades, Calif., UCLA, Southern California Southern Nevada)
12 Michael Marshman (MB, 6-7, Glenmont, N.Y., St. Francis Univ., Excelsior Empire)
13 Taylor Averill (MB, 6-7, San Jose, Calif., Univ. of Hawai’i, Northern California)
14 Micah Ma’a (S, 6-3, Kaneohe, Hawaii, UCLA, Aloha)
15 Andrew Rowan (S, 6-7, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., UCLA, Southern California Southern Nevada)
17 Jake Hanes (OPP, 6-10, Orland Park, Ill., Ohio State Univ., Great Lakes)
18 Cole Hartke (OPP, 7-0, Barrington, Ill., Pepperdine, Great Lakes)
20 Ethan Champlin (OH, 6-3, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA, Southern California Southern Nevada)
22 Erik Shoji (L, 6-0, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford Univ., Aloha)
24 Merrick McHenry (MB, 6-7, Bedford, Texas, UCLA, North Texas)
29 Jordan Ewert (OH, 6-5, Antioch, Calif., Stanford, Northern California)

Head Coach:  Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coach: Luka Slabe
Assistant Coach: Javier Weber
Performance Analyst: Nate Ngo
Physiotherapist: Aaron Brock
Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach: Tim Pelot
Senior Sports Dietitian: Shawn Hueglin
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker
Team Doctors:  Andrew Gregory, Mark Hutchinson, Christopher Lee, Michael Terry, Eugene Yim
Statisticians: Jimmy Kim, Frank Pham

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

Week 1: Ottawa, Canada
June 10 USA def. Türkiye, 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23),
June 12 USA def. Germany, 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-20)
June 13 vs. Canada at 1 p.m.
June 14 vs. Italy at 3 p.m.

Week 2: Orleans, France
June 24 vs. Cuba at 8 a.m.
June 25 vs. Iran at 8 a.m.
June 27 vs. Japan at 8 a.m.
June 28 vs. Serbia at 11:30 a.m.

Week 3: Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Get your tickets.

July 15 vs. China at 6 p.m.
July 16 vs. Brazil at 6 p.m.
July 18 vs. Bulgaria at 6 p.m.
July 19 vs. Poland at 6 p.m.