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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 14, 2025) – The U.S. Men’s National Team battled back before falling to undefeated Slovenia at the 2025 Volleyball Nations League, 3-1 (25-22, 27-25, 20-25, 25-23) on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The U.S. (1-2) will complete play at this week’s VNL against Cuba (1-2) on Sunday, June 15 at 1 p.m. PDT.
The U.S. dominated the net with a 13-4 advantage in blocks. Both teams totaled 54 kills with Slovenia holding an 8-3 lead in aces.
Seven players totaled at least five points for the balanced U.S. attack, led for the second consecutive match by opposite Kyle Hobus, who scored 13 points on a team-high 12 kills and added a block. Opposite Gabi Garcia led the U.S. with four blocks and two aces to go with six kills for 12 points.
Middle blocker Matthew Knigge tallied 11 points on nine kills and two blocks with outsider hitters Jordan Ewert (10 kills, one block) and Cooper Robinson (eight kills, one block) combining for 20 points. Outside Nolan Flexen scored seven points on five kills and two blocks, and middle Merrick McHenry added four kills and a block.
Libero Kyle Dagostino led all players with nine digs. Setter Quinn Isaacson registered 24 assists and two points on a block and an ace.
A Flexen kill gave the U.S. a 19-16 lead in the first set but Slovenia scored the next four points to take the lead. Slovenia finished the set by scoring nine of the final 12 points. Garcia paced the U.S. with four points on three kills and one block.
Despite Garcia’s eight points on three kills, three blocks and a pair of aces, the U.S. dropped a close second set. Garcia recorded a block and then an ace to give the U.S. its biggest lead of the set, 13-10. He also went back-to-back with a kill and an ace to even the score at 22. The U.S. fought off three set points, one on a block by Isaacson, before Slovenia finished the set.
The U.S. led throughout the third set with a Hobus kill making it 20-14, the first time the U.S. led by six points at any point. The lead reached seven before three Slovenia points in a row cut the lead to 22-18. An emphatic kill by Knigge stopped the mini-run and kills by Robinson and Hobus completed the set win.
Hobus, Knigge and Robinson combined for 15 points in set three with Hobus leading the way on six points with five points and a block. Knigge recorded four kills and a block, while Robinson posted four kills.
Isaacson made a great defensive play that led to a Dagostino set and Robinson kill on the first point of the fourth set that propelled the U.S. to an 8-2 lead. Slovenia stormed back with a 7-1 run to even the set at nine apiece.
A kill and block by McHenry evened the set at 17 and back-to-back kills, the second on an overpass by Hobus tied the set at 20-20, the last tie of the set. Slovenia rebounded each time with the next two points.
U.S. Men’s Week One Roster for 2025 VNL
No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
3 Mason Briggs (L, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Univ. Chicago, Great Lakes)
6 Quinn Isaacson (S, 6-2, Plainfield, Ill., Ball State, Great Lakes)
9 Gabi Garcia (OPP, 6-7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, BYU)
10 Kyle Dagostino (L, 5-9, Tampa, Florida, Stanford Univ., Florida)
15 Kyle Hobus (OPP, 6-7, San Pedro, Calif., CSUN, Southern California)
17 Andrew Rowan (S, 6-7, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
18 Cooper Robinson (OH, 6-7, Pacific Palisades, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
19 Patrick Gasman (MB, 6-10, Clovis, Calif., Univ. of Hawaii, Northern California)
23 Nolan Flexen (OH, 6-9, Rio Rancho, N.M., UC Irvine, Southern)
24 Merrick McHenry (MB, 6-7, Bedford, Texas, UCLA, North Texas)
25 Ethan Champlin (OH, 6-3, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
28 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 Manager: David Dantes
Consultant Coach: Chris McGown
Consultant Coach: Marv Dunphy
Team Doctors: Eugene Yim, Mark Hutchinson, Michael Shepard, Warren Young
U.S. Men’s Schedule for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV, CBS Sports Network and Big Ten Network
(All times PDT)
Week 1: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 11: Ukraine def. USA, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23)
June 12 USA def. Iran, 3-2 (19-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 17-15)
June 14 Slovenia def. USA, 3-1 (25-22, 27-25, 20-25, 25-23)
June 15 at 1 p.m. vs. Cuba