2026 Men's Volleyball Nations League Week Three (Chicago)

Volleyball fans in the U.S. will once again experience world-class international competition as the Volleyball Nations League returns to the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, July 15-19, 2026.

Hosted by USA Volleyball, the 2026 VNL Men’s Preliminary Round will feature several of the world’s top-ranked teams, including:

• Poland (No. 1), 2025 World bronze medalist, 2025 VNL champion
• Brazil (No. 3), 2025 VNL bronze medalists
• France (No. 4), two-time defending Olympic gold medalists
• United States (No. 5), 2024 Olympic bronze medalists
• Bulgaria (No. 9), 2025 World silver medalist
• China

The five-day event will showcase the best of the global game as the U.S. Men’s National Team competes on home soil against a field stacked with Olympic and world champions. Tickets are now on sale, with thrilling international rivalries and high-energy matches expected throughout the week at the NOW Arena.

The Volleyball Nations League is the sport’s premier annual international competition, featuring 18 national teams per gender competing over four weeks. Each team plays 12 matches across three preliminary rounds, with the top eight advancing to the VNL Finals to determine the 2026 champions.

U.S. Roster

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. Match Schedule
All times Pacific

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 USA 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 vs. Poland def. USA, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-19)