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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 23, 2026) – The U.S. Women’s National Team dropped its Volleyball Nations League (VNL) quarterfinal match to host China, 3-2 (15-25, 25-23, 25-20, 17-25, 15-13) on Thursday in Macao, China. It marked the second consecutive VNL quarterfinal loss for the U.S. and China’s second 3-2 win over the U.S. in a row after a win in 2025 VNL preliminary round.
The top-seeded and third-ranked U.S. finished with a 74-58 advantage in kills, dominating the two sets it won. China recorded two more blocks (9-7) with the U.S. serving one more ace (5-4). China, which finished ninth in the preliminary round and was seeded eighth as the host country, made six fewer errors (26-20).
“You let a good team like them hang around – we had a lot of opportunities we didn’t take advantage of – and that’s what happens,” U.S. head coach Erik Sullivan said. “We’ll get home and take a little time off. It’s been a long trip for us. We didn’t come back after the third leg. We’ve been over here for three weeks or so. We’ll get a little rest and then get in a nice training block at the end of the summer.”
Opposite Jordan Thompson led all players with 21 kills and 24 points, adding a block and sharing match-high honors with two aces. She also contributed nine digs.
“We were not at our best today. In moments like this, you need to show up and I don’t think we executed to the best of our ability. China played an amazing match and are incredibly talented. They are a very strong team,” she stated. “It’s frustrating when you lose and feel like you beat yourself a little bit. Of course, China played amazing and we have to give props to them.”
Middle blocker Dana Rettke played an outstanding match, leading all players with four blocks and totaling 18 points on 14 kills without an error in 20 attacks for a .700 hitting percentage. Outside hitters Logan Eggleston (14 points on 13 kills and an ace) and Avery Skinner (13 points on 11 kills and two aces) combined for 27 points. Middle Asjia O’Neal rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points on 10 kills and a block. She hit .533 for the match as the U.S. middles hit a combined .667 with 24 kills.
Skinner led the team with 11 digs followed closely by libero Morgan Hentz with 10. Libero Lexi Rodriguez paced the team with five successful receptions and Eggleston added four. Setter Jordyn Poulter recorded six digs and scored two points on a kill and a block.
Rettke ended a long rally with a kill on a slide to give the U.S. a 6-2 lead to start the match. After a China timeout, Thompson served the first ace of the match. China was unable to get a tough Eggleston serve back over the net and Rettke followed with a block for a 10-3 advantage that forced China to use its final timeout just 13 points into the set. Rettke scored again off a one-handed set from Poulter for a 16-9 lead. A Rettke block on a rally that featured a great dig by Rodriguez and Eggleston chasing down the ball made it 18-10. Eggleston scored over the block into the deep corner to give the U.S. set point and Thompson followed with her second ace. Rettke scored six points on four kills and two blocks to lead the U.S., which recorded 17 kills with just one error in the opening set.
An O’Neal block gave the U.S. its first lead of the second set, 8-7. A Thompson kill and Skinner ace extended the margin to three points. A China timeout could not stop the run as Eggleston followed with a kill to cap a five-point stretch. A China ace cur the deficit back to one, 12-11, before Thompson scored on a sharp angle. A great up by Thompson led to an Eggleston score off the block on a set by Rettke on the next point. After China closed the gap to one, 14-13, Eggleston and Rettke delivered kills to raise the margin back to three points. Skinner kept a ball in play off the net and then put a ball down for an 18-14 lead, but China scored the next three points to prompt a U.S. timeout.
China scored the first point out of the timeout to even the set 18-18 and later used a three-point run to take a 22-20 advantage. A block out of a timeout upped the lead to three points. O’Neal scored and a China hitting error cut the deficit back to one, and a tough O’Neal serve led to a free ball that Rettke put down. China scored the final two points to even the match. Thompson recorded six kills in the set.
Two O’Neal kills and a Skinner ace staked the U.S. to a 3-1 lead in the third set, but an ace put China ahead for the first time in the set, 6-5. A Thompson block restored the U.S. lead, 8-7, but China scored the next three points. Thompson scored the next two points to even the set again. The teams split the next six points before China regained its two-point advantage. An ace stretched the lead to three, 19-16, forcing a U.S. timeout, but China scored the first two points out of the timeout for a five-point lead. Thompson scored her fifth point of the set to save one set point before China took a 2-1 lead in the match.
An O’Neal block gave the U.S. a 6-5 lead in the fourth set, capping a 4-1 U.S. stretch. A great hustle play by China led to a block that tied the set 8-8. A Rettke block put the U.S. up by two points, 11-9, and led to a China timeout. Thompson and Eggleston scored on consecutive plays for a four-point lead. A Rettke kill on the slide raised the margin to five, 16-11. A great dig by O’Neal helped the U.S. run the lead to six points, 21-15. A Poulter block and Rettke kill gave the U.S. set point, 24-16. A net call against China sent the match into a decisive fifth set. Thompson finished with five kills with Rettke scoring four points on three kills and a block. The U.S. evened its total from the first three sets with three blocks in the fourth set.
After two Thompson kills, the U.S. used a kill and block from Rettke and a Skinner kill inside the block for a 5-2 lead that forced a China timeout. Skinner pounded a ball down off a Poulter jump set for a 6-3 lead but China ran off three points in a row to tie the set 6-6. Thompson kills gave the U.S. 8-6 and 9-7 leads, but China went on a 6-2 run with back-to-back blocks for a 13-11 lead. The teams exchanged the next four points to send China to the semifinals.
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 Results/Schedule for the 2026 Volleyball Nations League
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: Pasig City, Philippines
June 16 USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-12)
June 18 USA def. Czechia, 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-16)
June 20 USA def. Italy, 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-16)
June 20 USA def. Serbia, 3-1 (25-22, 18-25, 25-16, 25-19)
Week 3: Osaka, Japan
July 7 USA def. Thailand, 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-20)
July 8 Poland def. USA, 3-2 (20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 18-25, 15-12)
July 9 USA def. Türkiye, 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 27-29, 25-21, 15-8)
July 11 USA def. Brazil, 3-0 (25-24, 25-22, 25-16)
VNL Final
Quarterfinals July 23: China def. USA, 3-2 (15-25, 25-23, 25-20, 17-25, 15-13)
The U.S. Women's National Team announces the roster for the Volleyball Nations League Final, July 22-26 in Macao, China. The U.S. is the top seed headed into the tournament and will face eighth-seeded China on July 23 at 4:30 a.m. PT.
The U.S. Women's National Team clinched the top seed for the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) finals with an impressive 3-0 (26-24, 25-22, 25-16) victory over Brazil on Saturday in Osaka, Japan. The U.S. entered the match ranked fourth in the world with Brazil ranked second.
Playing its third match in as many days, the U.S. Women's National Team rallied to defeat Türkiye, 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 27-29, 25-21, 15-8) on Friday in Osaka, Japan.
The U.S. Women's National Team fell to Poland, 3-2 (20-25, 25-2025-23, 18-25, 15-12) during Volleyball Nations League action in Osaka, Japan Thursday.
The U.S. Women's National Team, currently atop the Volleyball Nations League standings, won its seventh consecutive match with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-20) victory over Thailand to begin the final week of VNL play on Wednesday in Osaka, Japan. The U.S. has won all eight VNL matches between the teams.
The U.S. Women's National Team went undefeated during the second week of Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and improved to 7-1 overall with a 3-1 (25-22, 18-25, 25-16, 25-19) victory over Serbia on Sunday in Pasig City, Philippines.
The U.S. Women's National Team won its fifth consecutive Volleyball Nations League (VNL) match with an impressive 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-16) sweep of Italy in a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal match on Saturday in Pasig City, Philippines.
The U.S. Women's National Team moved to 5-1 at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-16) win over Czechia on Thursday in Pasig City, Philippines. It was the second meeting between the teams in the VNL after Czechia, making its debut in the tournament, defeated the U.S. in an epic reverse sweep (27-25 in the fifth set) in 2025.
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.
