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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 19, 2026) – The U.S. Men’s National Team finished Volleyball Nations League (VNL) preliminary play with an 8-4 record after a 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-19) loss to world No. 1 Poland at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, on Sunday night. The U.S. will be seeded fifth in the VNL finals, while Poland earned the second seed behind undefeated Japan with the win before a large contingent of fans in the Chicago area.
The U.S. will face fourth-seeded Italy (8-4) in the quarterfinal round of the VNL finals, which begin on July 29 in Ningbo Beilun, China.
Poland finished with advantages in kills (45-34) and blocks (9-3) with each team serving three aces.
Outside hitter Matt Anderson was the only U.S. player in double figures with 13 points on 10 points and all three of his team’s aces, which came in the third set. Outside T.J. DeFalco (seven kills, one block) and opposite Jake Hanes (eight kills) each contributed eight points. Anderson also paced the team with six successful receptions, while DeFalco added five.
Middle blockers Merrick McHenry and Taylor Averill each recorded three kills with McHenry adding two blocks. Libero Erik Shoji led the team with eight digs.
McHenry scored the first point of the match, the only U.S. lead in the set. A block gave Poland the first three-point lead, 12-9. A great up by DeFalco led to a Hanes kill off an Anderson set to cut the lead to one, 14-13. The U.S. was in the net on the next point and Poland upped the lead back to three before a U.S. timeout. A triple block stifled the U.S. attack for a 21-17 Poland lead. The U.S. was unable to get closer than three points with the set ending on a block. Hanes led the U.S. with four points.
Poland took an 8-4 lead in the second set, forcing the U.S. into an early timeout. An ace pushed the lead to five, 11-6. A successful challenge helped Poland double up the score, 14-7. A McHenry block cut the deficit to five points, 19-14. A short McHenry serve gave Poland trouble and Anderson scored down the line to move the U.S. within four points, 22-18. The U.S. saved two set points before Poland took a two-set lead. Anderson paced the U.S. with five kills.
Anderson served back-to-back aces to give the U.S. a 4-1 lead to begin the third set, prompting an early Poland timeout. Anderson continued serving well after the timeout, setting up his own back row attack for one point and then serving another ace for a 6-1 advantage. A McHenry kill put the U.S. ahead 9-6 and Anderson scored twice for an 11-8 lead. Poland scored the next two points to pull within a point. After a service error, Averill put down an overpass on another strong Anderson serve to put the U.S. up 13-10. Poland scored four of the next five points to even the score at 14, leading to a U.S. timeout. Poland recorded a block on the first play out of the timeout to take the lead and later used a block for a 20-18 lead. Another block extended the margin to three points, 22-19. After a timeout, Poland ended the match with three consecutive points. Anderson scored seven points on four kills and his three aces.
U.S. Men’s Roster for 2026 VNL Week Three
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)
8 T.J. DeFalco (OH, 6-5, Huntington Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California Southern Nevada)
11 Micah Christenson (S, 6-5, Honolulu, Hawaii, USC, Aloha)
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)
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)
26 Matthew Knigge (MB, 6-7, New Egypt, N.J., Vassar, Garden Empire)
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
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 def. Canada, 3-2 (20-25, 33-35, 26-24, 25-21, 15-11)
June 14 Italy def. USA, 3-2 (25-18, 15-25, 25-19, 25-18, 15-10)
Week 2: Orleans, France
June 24 USA def. Cuba, 3-0, (25-21, 25-21, 25-19)
June 25 USA def. Iran, 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 31-29)
June 27 Japan def. USA, 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22, 15-13)
June 28 def. Serbia, 3-1 (25-12, 25-23, 24-26, 25-17)
Week 3: Hoffman Estates, Illinois
July 15 USA def. China, 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-20)
July 16 def. Brazil, 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-18)
July 18 Bulgaria def. USA, 3-1 (27-25, 22-25, 26-24, 25-18)
July 19 Poland def. USA, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-19)
The U.S. Men's National Team dropped an intense match to Bulgaria, 3-1 (27-25, 22-25, 26-24, 25-18) in its penultimate match in Volleyball Nations League (VNL) preliminary play on Saturday night at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
The U.S. Men's National Team moved to 8-2 in Volleyball Nations League (VNL) play with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-18) victory over longtime rival Brazil on Thursday night at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
The U.S. Men's National Team began play in Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week Three with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-20) win over China on Wednesday night at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The U.S. has won all five VNL matches in which the teams have met.
Four key matches are on tap for the U.S. Men's National Team as the squad prepares for the final week of Volleyball Nations League preliminary action, July 15-19, at NOW Arena in Hoffmann Estates, Illinois.
The U.S. Men's National Team completed the second week of 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) play with a 3-1 (25-12, 25-23, 24-26, 25-17) victory over Serbia on Sunday in Orleans, France. Just as it did in the first week of VNL, the U.S. won three of four matches in the second week.
The U.S. Men's National Team battled to the end before falling to unbeaten Japan, 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22, 15-13) on Saturday at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) in Orleans, France.
The U.S. Men's National Team swept Iran, 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 31-29) on Thursday at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) in Orleans, France. The teams had split their last four meetings in VNL play with the U.S. now holding a 5-3 advantage.
The U.S. Men's National Team moved to 4-1 at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-19) win over Cuba on a hot Wednesday in Orleans, France.
Olympians Micah Christenson and TJ DeFalco return to the U.S. Men's National Team lineup for week two of Volleyball Nations League, June 24-28, in Orleans, France.
The U.S. Men's National Team completed Volleyball Nations League (VNL) play with a 3-1 record after falling to world top-ranked Italy, 3-2 (25-18, 15-25, 25-19, 25-18, 15-10) on Sunday in Ottawa, Canada. Despite the close match score, no set was decided by fewer than five points.
The U.S. Men's National Team stormed back from a two-set deficit to defeat host Canada, 3-2 (20-25, 33-35, 26-24, 25-21, 15-11) on Saturday before a boisterous home crowd in the capital city of Ottawa.
The U.S. Men's National Team swept Germany, 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-20) at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League play on Friday in Ottawa, Canada. Germany rallied for a five-set victory over the U.S. in last year's VNL.
The U.S. Men's National Team defeated Türkiye, 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23), to begin 2026 Volleyball Nations League play on Wednesday in Ottawa, Canada. The U.S. finished fifth and Türkiye placed sixth at the 2025 FIVB World Championship.
