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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 27, 2026) – 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. It marked the third five-setter for Japan in its first seven matches.
The U.S. (5-2) will complete the second week of VNL play tomorrow against Serbia (4-2) at 11:30 a.m. PT.
The U.S. finished with a slight advantage in kills (69-66) and more than doubled Japan in blocks (9-4), while Japan served one more ace (4-3) and made four fewer errors (29-25).
“It doesn’t feel good to lose that, but it’s so good to be in those kind of matches for this different group of U.S.A. men. We need experiences like that. We need to suffer some, to learn some. We had four or five chances in the fifth that we didn’t convert. Ultimately that is an experience we are going to put in our pockets to make us better,” said U.S. head coach Karch Kiraly.
Opposite Jake Hanes led all scorers with 25 points on 21 kills, two blocks and two aces. “We relish the chance to play a great team in a great atmosphere. There is a little bit of a feeling out process that will come naturally with time. Iron sharpens iron, so we want to keep playing good teams, playing tough matches and a lot of this stuff will sort itself out,” Hanes commented.
Outside hitters TJ DeFalco and Matt Anderson each produced 15 kills with DeFalco contributing a block and an ace, and Anderson adding a block. Middle blocker Merrick McHenry finished with eight kills to go with a match-high four blocks, and middle Jeff Jendryk totaled nine points on eight kills and a block.
Libero Erik Shoji made numerous great plays on defense and led all players with 13 digs. DeFalco and setter Micah Christenson each added 12 digs. Anderson recorded a match-high 13 successful receptions with DeFalco adding nine and Shoji posting five.
The match started with 11 consecutive side-outs before Japan took a 7-5 lead. Hanes scored to tie the set again at 7-7 before Japan took the lead at the first break. An Anderson kill gave the U.S. its first lead, 10-9. DeFalco scored off the block for a 12-10 advantage. Japan evened the set 13-13, but the U.S. scored the next two points, the second on a Hanes kill off the block. Anderson put the U.S. up 16-14 at the second break.
A McHenry block and Hanes kill put the U.S. up by four, 18-14, and sent Japan to take a timeout. DeFalco served an ace for a 20-16 lead. The U.S. pushed the margin to five, 22-17, on a Jendryk block. The U.S. earned set point on a one-handed dig from DeFalco that Christenson retrieved from across the net to Hanes, who hit the back corner for a 24-18 lead and the set ended on the next point on a Japan error. DeFalco scored five points on four kills and an ace with Anderson and Hanes also recording four kills.
The U.S. took an 8-7 lead into the first break of the second set on a DeFalco block as part of a triple block. The U.S. led 16-14 at the second break as Christenson put up a great set from a pass tight to the net, feeding Hanes for a kill. A McHenry block ended a play that featured great defense from both team’s liberos for a 17-15 lead. Continued great defense by Japan tied the set at 17. A one-handed Christenson set to Jendryk put the U.S. up 20-19 before Japan scored the next five points for set point. Anderson paced the U.S. with four kills in the set.
A Hanes kill gave the U.S. a 6-2 lead and his ace sent the U.S. to the first hydration break of the third set with an 8-3 advantage. Christenson took advantage of the Japan block shifting too quickly to deliver a kill for a 13-7 lead. Anderson scored on a back row attack after a great save by Christenson and then tooled the block on the next rally to make it 22-15. Japan scored the next three points to pull within four, but a DeFalco kill made if 23-18. A one-foot approach and kill from Hanes made it set point and two points later, Hanes produced his seventh kill and 10th point of the set to put the U.S. ahead 2-1 in the match.
Japan led 8-6 at the first hydration break in a fourth set that remained close throughout. Hanes scored after his tough serve caused an overpass to give the U.S. a 20-19 lead. Anderson produced a kill for a 21-20 advantage, but as it did in the second set, Japan finished strong, evening the match with a 5-1 run. DeFalco (five kills) and Hanes (four kills, one ace) each scored five points in the set.
The first 10 points of the deciding set were side-outs before Japan took a two-point lead, 7-5 and forced the U.S. a timeout right before the side switch. Hanes scored again to cut the deficit back to a point, but Japan scored the next two points for a 9-6 lead. An ace raised the lead to four, 12-8. McHenry started a three-point U.S. run with a kill. Hanes followed with a kill off the block and then set Anderson for a kill to bring the U.S. within a point, 12-11. A Jendryk kill cut the lead to 13-12 and the U.S. had a swing for a tie, but a block gave Japan match point. After a service error, Japan produced a kill to stay undefeated in 2026 VNL play.
After returning from France, the U.S. men prepare for an anticipated homestand in Hoffman Estates, Illinois (July 15-19). Get your tickets.
U.S. Men’s Roster for 2026 VNL Week Two
No., Name (Pos., Height, Hometown, College, USAV Region)
1 Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State, Western Empire)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Chicago, Great Lakes)
8 T.J. DeFalco (OH, 6-5, Huntington Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California Southern Nevada)
9 Gabi Garcia (OPP, 6-7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, BYU)
10 Kyle Dagostino (L, 5-9, Tampa, Florida, Stanford Univ., Florida)
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
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 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 vs. Serbia at 11:30 a.m.
Week 3: Hoffman Estates, Illinois
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.
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.
Five Olympians are on the Men's National Team roster for week one of the 2026 Volleyball Nations League, set for June 10-14 in Ottawa, Canada.
USA Volleyball announces its preliminary roster for the 2026 Volleyball Nations League, headlined by eight Olympians, including the return of Matt Anderson and TJ DeFalco.
