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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 16, 2026) – The U.S. Women’s National Team began the second week of the 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-12) victory over the Dominican Republic on Tuesday in Pasig City, Philippines. The U.S. entered the match ranked seventh in the world with the Dominican Republic ranked 12th. The win was the sixth for the U.S. in seven all-time meetings between the teams in VNL play.
The U.S. (4-1) will play again Thursday at 1 a.m. PT against Czechia (3-1).
The U.S. dominated in kills (43-31) and blocks (8-2) and made six fewer errors (22-16). Each team served two aces.
“For most of the match I thought we performed pretty well. There was just a little bit of a lull there in the second set. I was real happy with how we came out in the third set and got after them and didn’t let up at all. That’s a very dangerous team. Give them a little bit of oxygen and they can get going,” said U.S. head coach Erik Sullivan. “Systematically we are trying to do the right thing. It’s just a matter of how we can tighten it up and play at the edge of us being really good. We’re trying to execute, to do the things we really want to do.”
Opposite Jordan Thompson led all players with 13 kills, two aces, 15 points, and 10 digs. “I’m proud of the way we just come together. Sometimes it’s difficult to mix lineups and we are changing rosters from week to week, but we find ways to work together. It might not always be pretty, but I think part of our DNA as a team is being gritty and I think that showed tonight,” she remarked. “Every team in VNL is really strong, so as we look ahead, it’s taking the time to recover and get a really good scout in and taking care of business where we can.”
Outside hitter Logan Eggleston registered 10 kills and led the team with five successful receptions with middle blocker Dana Rettke scoring 10 points on five kills and five blocks. Middle Chiaka Ogbogu scored eight points on six kills and two blocks, hitting .625 with just one error in eight attacks. Primary setter Jordyn Poulter led the U.S. offense to a .358 hitting percentage. Rettke, Ogbogu and Poulter were all making their first VNL appearances this season.
Libero Morgan Hentz recorded nine digs and Eggleston finished with eight. Outside hitter Madi Kubik-Banks contributed six points on five kills and a block, while opposite Stephanie Samedy registered three kills. Kubik-Banks recorded four successful receptions and libero Lexi Rodriguez added three.
The Dominican Republic served an ace on the first point of the match and scored the first three points before the U.S. got on the board. Eggleston scored her third point to give the U.S. its first lead, 7-6. Ogbogu’s first block and third point gave the U.S. its first two-point advantage, 12-10. Ogbogu served for two points to make it 15-11 and prompt the Dominican Republic to take the first timeout of the match. Back-to-back blocks and a kill on an overkill by Rettke made it 21-15. Eggleston and Thompson scored the final two U.S. points, each recording their fifth kill of the set.
Eggleston tooled the block to put the U.S. up 4-0 to start the second set. A Rettke kill on a slide extended the margin to five points, 11-6. Eggleston scored on consecutive plays for a 16-8 U.S. advantage. The U.S. doubled up the Dominican Republic, 20-10, on a Kubik-Banks kill. Thompson scored her fifth point of the set on an attack that nearly reached 100 kilometers an hour and Rettke followed with another block for a 24-13 lead. The Dominican Republic scored six consecutive points before Poulter ended the set on a kill.
Rettke and Ogbogu each scored two early points as the U.S. rolled to an 11-3 start to the third set before the Dominican Republic recorded its first two blocks on consecutive plays. Thompson ripped a ball down the line for an 18-8 lead. Another Rettke block put the U.S. up by 12 points, 21-9. Rettke reached double digits in scoring to set up match point. Samedy scored off the block to end the match.
U.S. Women’s Week Two Roster for 2026 VNL
No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
1 Micha Hancock (S, 5-11, Edmond, Okla., Penn State, Oklahoma)
2 Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Univ. of Illinois, Rocky Mountain)
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)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
24 Chiaka Ogbogu (MB, 6-4, Coppell, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)
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)
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 USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-12)
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