Cole Hartke's 33 Points Lead U.S. Men to Reverse Sweep of Host Canada at 2026 Men's VNL

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 13, 2026) – 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. (3-0) completes VNL Week One tomorrow at 3 p.m. PT against two-time reigning world champion Italy.

The U.S. finished with slight advantages in kills (67-65), blocks (18-14) and aces (5-4). Canada made four fewer errors (33-29).

Opposite Cole Hartke put together a monster match from beginning to end, scoring at least five points in every set, and finishing with a match-high 33 points while leading all players in three categories with 24 kills, six blocks and three aces while hitting at a .346 clip.

“It was a good fight from us. We battled and we came back,” stated Hartke, who thanked the Ottawa crowd for its enthusiasm. “The first few swings I hit to the corner, and they were shifting that way, so I had to change it up a little bit. Thanks to the coaches for telling me to do that.”

Middle blocker Merrick McHenry hit .625 for the match with 11 kills and just one error in 16 total attacks. He recorded four blocks to finish with 15 points. Outsides Jordan Ewert (14 points on 13 kills and a block) and Ethan Champlin (12 points on nine kills and three aces) also reached double digits in scoring. Veteran middle Jeff Jendryk added nine points on six kills, two blocks and a key ace.

Setter Micah Ma’a came in midway through the third set to run the U.S. offense, while also registering seven digs and scoring twice on a kill and a block. Libero Mason Briggs led the U.S. with 11 digs and eight successful receptions. Ewert finished with seven digs, and Hartke, Champlin and McHenry all added five. Champlin contributed six successful receptions.

Canada started strong, taking a 5-1 lead to begin the match, capped by a kill on an overpass that caused the U.S. to call a time out. Canada pushed the margin to six points, 10-4, on strong serving with an ace forcing the U.S. to use its final timeout early. A block extended the deficit to seven points, 12-5. A Rowan ace brought the U.S. within five, 13-8. Canada sent the ball back several times before finishing with a block for a 16-10 lead. A Robinson kill off the block set up by a one-handed dig from Briggs helped the U.S. use a 4-1 run to cut the lead to three points at 17-14.

Back-to-back kills by Hartke appeared to bring the U.S. within two points for the first time since very early in the set, 19-17, but Canada bookmarked a play and successfully challenged that the U.S. crossed the center line during the rally. An ace followed for a 21-16 Canada advantage. McHenry and Hartke scored on the next two points, but the U.S. could draw no closer than three points. Hartke produced five kills in the set.

An ace gave Canada the first two-point lead of the second set, 5-3. Canada doubled up the U.S., 12-6. McHenry scored his third point, the only U.S. point in a stretch of seven points that saw Canada go up 15-7. Ewert scored his first point of the match to cut the deficit to five points, 17-12. The U.S. pulled within four points, 18-14, but Canada scored on the next play that included a U.S. attack bouncing off a Canada player and over the net.

Another McHenry kill and Champlin block, just the second for the U.S., cut the deficit to three points, 19-16. After a Canada timeout, McHenry and Hartke posted consecutive blocks to make it a one-point set and force a second Canada timeout. A fourth consecutive block, second from Hartke, evened the set. A Jendryk block and another Hartke kill gave the U.S. its first two of what would turn out to be seven set points. McHenry scored to tie the set at 32 and a Hartke kill made it 33-33 before Canada took a 2-0 lead in the match by scoring the next two points. McHenry scored seven points on six kills and a block, Hartke totaled six points on four kills and a pair of blocks, and Ewert scored five points.

Hartke produced a kill for the U.S. to take its first two-point lead of the match, 8-6, in the third set. The lead bounced back from one to two points until a McHenry block and Champlin kill on a dig when Rowan threw off the defense by not touching the ball put the U.S. up 16-12. Canada recorded four blocks in a 6-1 run for an 18-17 lead. With Shoji serving, a Champlin block and kill against a triple block on a play set up by a great Ewert dig made capped a 5-2 U.S. run and a 22-19 lead. Canada battled back to even the set at 23 before another Hartke kill gave the U.S. set point. The U.S. took the set on its second set point with a Jendryk ace that went off the fingertips of the defender. Hartke scored seven points on six kills and a block with Ewert adding four points on three kills and a block.

Canada took a 13-9 lead in the fourth set before the U.S. went on an 8-2 run for a 17-15 lead. Hartke served back-to-back aces to put the U.S. out in front. A Hartke block, his 25th point of the match, followed by a solo block by Jendryk made it 19-16. Canada got no closer than two points with another Hartke block making it 22-18. McHenry gave the U.S. set point with a kill to make it 24-20 and Jendryk ended the set one point later. Hartke scored 10 points in the set on six kills, two blocks and two aces.

The U.S. scored the first three points of the deciding set with a kill from Ewert, a McHenry block as part of a double block with Ewert, and a solo block from Hartke. A Canada timeout did not slow down Hartke, who scored again on the next play. A Canada block cut the deficit to two points. 6-4, but a service ace and a Hartke ace made it 8-4 and forced Canada to use its final timeout of the match.

Canada bounced back with the next three points to pull within a point, 8-7, and prompt the first U.S. timeout. Another Hartke kill put the U.S. up 9-7 with an Ewert kill and Ma’a block making it 11-8. Canada again scored twice to pull back within a point. A McHenry kill gave the U.S. a 12-10 lead and Ewert scored off the block for a three-point advantage. Canada attempted to slow play down with an unsuccessful video challenge, but Ewert scored off the block again to set up four match points. One point later, Canada served out to end the match. Hartke again led the U.S., scoring five points on three kills, a block and an ace. Ewert delivered four kills and McHenry used two blocks and a kill to score three points.

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 def. Canada, 3-2 (20-25, 33-35, 26-24, 25-21, 15-11)
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.