U.S. Men Post Crucial Win Over Argentina at 2025 VNL
The U.S. Men’s National Team kept alive its hopes of making the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) finals with a crucial 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23) win Argentina on Thursday in Chiba, Japan.
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 19, 2025) – The U.S. Men’s National Team fell to Germany, 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 17-25, 25-15, 15-12) in its next-to-last Volleyball Nations League (VNL) match on Saturday in Chiba, Japan.
The U.S. (6-5), which needs a win in its final match to possibly advance to the VNL finals, wraps up play tomorrow, Sunday, July 20 at 3:20 a.m. PT against host Japan (7-4).
“I loved how we kept battling. We had different people on in different sets and battled right to the end. Credit to Germany. They played really well in those last couple of sets. That is a really good team. They changed things up too and congratulations to them,” U.S. head coach Karch Kiraly said. “We need to reset. We have a chance to finish strong against a very good Japan team here on their home court. I’m sure it will be a sellout. It will be a great atmosphere and those are the most fun to play.”
Germany held slight advantages in kills (56-53) and blocks (9-8), while finishing with an 8-3 lead in aces. The U.S. made four fewer errors.
Opposite Kyle Hobus led all players with 17 kills and 18 points, adding a block and six digs.
“It was a thriller as all five-setters are. Our team made some really good defensive plays, but props to (Germany) for playing super well. I thought we were taking hard swings and making good plays on the net, recycling the ball and giving ourselves second chances,” Hobus said.
Outside hitter Ethan Champlin finished with 14 kills, a match-best nine successful receptions and five digs. Fellow outside Nolan Flexen scored 12 points on nine kills and a match-high three aces. Setter Micah Ma’a shared top honors with 11 digs, while adding a kill and a block.
Middle blocker Jeff Jendryk totaled seven points on five kills and two blocks, and opposite Gabi Garcia added four kills, coming in to swing late in the fourth set.
An ace gave Germany a 15-12 lead in the first set. The U.S. pulled within one point twice, first at 17-16 when a great Shoji dig keyed a rally finished by a Hobus kill. Another ace gave Germany its biggest lead of the set, 21-17, and it led by at least two points the rest of the set. Champlin led the U.S. with four kills, three of which came in the final eight points of the set.
A float serve ace put Germany ahead 16-13 in the second set but the U.S. ran off four points in a row after a timeout on kills by Hobus and Champlin and back-to-back net touches by Germany. A Flexen ace put the U.S. ahead by two, 19-17.
Leading 22-21, a great up by Champlin highlighted a rally that Hobus finished with a kill. A Flexen kill that just caught the end line closed out the set and evened the match. Hobus scored eight points on seven kills and a block.
A Flexen serving run helped the U.S. race out to a 7-2 lead in the third set. His second ace made it 6-2 and Hobus followed with a kill. A Germany service error raised the U.S. lead to seven points, 12-5, which was followed by 17 consecutive side-outs.
A Germany ace cut the lead to four points, 21-17, but the U.S. scored the final four points with Flexen’s third ace finishing the set. Hobus finished the set with seven kills.
Leading the fourth set 9-6, Germany ran off the next six points to take a commanding nine-point lead. Merrick McHenry entered the match late in the set and recorded two quick blocks.
A Champlin kill and Jendryk block gave the U.S. a 2-0 lead in the deciding set but Germany went on a 6-2 run and did not trail again. Another Champlin kill brought the U.S. within a point, 11-10, but a service error followed by a Germany ace stretched the lead to three points. Garcia and Cooper Robinson, who entered the match in the fifth set, joined Champlin with two kills.
U.S. Men’s Week Three 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)
5 Kyle Ensing (Opp, 6-7, Valencia, Calif., Long Beach State Univ., Southern California)
9 Gabi Garcia (OPP, 6-7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, BYU)
14 Micah Ma’a (S, 6-3, Kaneohe, Hawaii, UCLA, Aloha)
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)
22C Erik Shoji (L, 6-0, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford Univ., Aloha)
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)
26 Matthew Knigge (MB, 6-7, New Egypt, N.J., Vassar, Garden Empire)
29 Jordan Ewert (OH, 6-5, Antioch, Calif., Stanford, Northern California)
27 Michael Marshman (MB, 6-7, Glenmont, N.Y., St. Francis Univ., Excelsior 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 Manager: David Dantes
Consultant Coach: Chris McGown
Consultant Coach: Marv Dunphy
Team Doctors: Eugene Yim, Mark Hutchinson, Michael Shepard, Warren Young
2025 Volleyball Nations League Schedule for Week 3
All times PDT; Matches will be shown live on VBTV and either CBS Sports Network or Big Ten Network
Week 3 Schedule
July 15 USA def. Türkiye, 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 29-27)
July 17 USA def. Argentina, 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23)
July 19 Germany def. USA, 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 17-25, 25-15, 15-12)
July 20 at 3:20 a.m. vs. Japan
Week 1 Results
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 USA def. Cuba, 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 18-25, 25-23)
Week 2 Results
June 25 USA def. China, 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-11)
June 26 USA def. Canada, 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 30-28)
June 28 Poland def. USA, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-22)
June 29 Italy def. USA, 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-18)
Stories
U.S. Men Defeat Türkiye to Begin 2025 VNL Week Three
The U.S. Men’s National Team began week three of Volleyball Nations League (VNL) play with a 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 29-27) victory over Türkiye on Wednesday in Chiba, Japan.
U.S. Men’s National Team Ready for Round Three in 2025 VNL
USA Volleyball announces the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the third week of Volleyball Nations League (VNL), taking place July 16-20 in Chiba, Japan.