U.S. Men Take 2026 VNL Silver After Five-Set Battle with Poland

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (August 2, 2026) – The U.S. Men’s National Team earned the silver medal at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League Final, its first VNL medal since 2023, after a 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 25-27, 25-23, 15-10) loss to Poland on Sunday in Ningbo Beilun, China. The gold medal was the second in a row for Poland.

The U.S. finished with a 65-59 advantage in kills, while Poland recorded more blocks (12-8) and service aces (8-4).

Opposite Jake Hanes led all players with 21 points on 18 kills and a team-high three aces. Outside hitter Matt Anderson finished with 20 points on 18 kills, a block and an ace, while also leading the team with six successful receptions. Middle blocker Merrick McHenry put together his best offensive performance of VNL play with 11 kills and just one error in 17 total attacks, adding three blocks for 14 points.

Outside hitter Ethan Champlin scored nine points on eight kills, and middle Taylor Averill produced eight kills. Setter Micah Christenson scored three points on two blocks and an ace. Libero Erik Shoji led the U.S. with eight digs.

The U.S. held early two-point leads in the match, 4-2 and 5-3, on two Anderson kills and a kill and ace from Hanes. McHenry and Hanes scored on back-to-back points for the last U.S. lead at 9-8. Poland took its first two-point lead at 14-12, leading to a U.S. timeout. After Poland built a 21-17 lead, the U.S. cut the deficit in half with a strong Anderson serve leading to him scoring on a back row attack and forcing a Poland timeout at 21-19. Poland scored the next two points on its way to taking the opening set. Anderson paced the U.S. with four kills.

Trailing 6-4 in the second set, the U.S. went on a 6-2 run started by a McHenry kill for a two-point lead. Hanes scored on an overpass off a tough Christenson serve with Champlin and Anderson delivering kills. After a Poland ace tied the set 12-12, Averill produced a kill and then made a great pick up that led to a Hanes kill. Champlin scored after a great Hanes dig and McHenry scored on back-to-back plays with a kill and a block for a 17-13 U.S. advantage. Poland used great defense and a block to quickly cut the deficit back to a point, 17-16, and prompt a U.S. timeout. A great diving up by Anderson and Hanes kill put the U.S. back up by a pair and an Anderson kill on the next play made it 20-17.

Poland scored the next four points, taking the lead on a block. Anderson tied the set again with a tip off the block and Hanes put the U.S. back ahead with an ace, forcing a Poland timeout. The next Hanes serve caused an overpass that Christenson put down for a 23-21 U.S. advantage. Hanes scored down the line to give the U.S. set point, 24-22. Poland saved one set point before serving into the net, evening the match at a set apiece. Hanes scored five points on four kills and an ace, while Averill (four kills) and McHenry (three kills, one block) each totaled four points. In the first two sets, Averill and McHenry each hit .833 with five kills in six attacks.

An Anderson ace put the U.S. ahead 11-10 in the third set before Poland took the first two-point lead of the set by scoring the next three points, the last on an ace. Poland earned consecutive break points for a 19-15 advantage with a block extending the margin to four points. After a Poland service error, the U.S. cut the deficit back to two points with phenomenal defense from Champlin and Hanes led to an Anderson kill. A Christenson block cut the lead to 21-20, and his great backward set to Hanes cut the lead to 22-21 after a Poland point. A McHenry block evened the set at 22 though he inadvertently delivered an elbow to Anderson in the celebration that forced Anderson out of the match temporarily.

McHenry tied the set at 23 apiece with a kill. Another great Christenson set from a tight position led to a Hanes kill for a 24-23 lead. A great pass from T.J. DeFalco, who replaced Anderson, led to a Hanes kill and a second U.S. set point. Averill scored back-to-back points after Poland saved a second set point to give the U.S. a 2-1 match lead. Hanes led all players with seven kills in the set.

Anderson returned to score three of the first four U.S. points in the fourth set. Neither team gained a two-point advantage until a block put Poland ahead 11-9. Poland had a free ball swing to take a three-point lead, but Champlin chased down a ball nearly in the seats and Anderson finished the play with a block. A Champlin block squared the set at 13-13 and forced Poland to take a timeout. Poland served an ace to regain a two-point lead, 17-15. An Averill kill and Hanes ace tied the set again, 18-18. Cole Hartke came in the match to give the U.S. a big block with Anderson serving and immediately recorded a block for a 20-19 U.S. lead. Poland retook the lead, 21-20, with an ace, prompting a U.S. timeout. Poland served another ace, this time off the tape, for a two-point advantage. After a Poland service error, McHenry tied the set at 23 with a kill, but Poland won the set by scoring the next two points, the final one on a block. Anderson scored six points on five kills and a block.

Two Anderson kills and a McHenry kill helped give the U.S. a 5-4 lead in the deciding set before a 4-1 run gave Poland a lead it would never relinquish. A block pushed the margin to three points, 10-7, sending the U.S. to its second timeout. Poland scored the next three points, one in spite of an incredible defensive play by Shoji and the next two on blocks. A Cooper Robinson kill and McHenry block cut the lead to 13-9, but Poland earned its second consecutive title scoring two of the final three points.

U.S. Men’s Roster for 2026 VNL Final

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)
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)
26 Matthew Knigge (MB, 6-7, New Egypt, N.J., Vassar, Garden Empire)

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 Final
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV.
(All times PDT)

July 30
Quarterfinal: USA def. Italy, 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-21)

August 1
Semifinal: USA def. Japan, 3-2 (25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-13)

August 2
Final: Poland def. USA, 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 25-27, 25-23, 15-10)