U.S. Women Beat Japan, Advance to VNL Finals

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 16, 2024) – The U.S. Women’s National Team qualified for the Volleyball Nations League Final Round on Sunday with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 26-24) win over host Japan in Fukuoka.

The U.S. Women finished the VNL Preliminary Round in seventh place at 7-5. They will travel straight to Bangkok, Thailand, where they will play Italy (10-2) in the quarterfinals at 3 a.m. PT on June 21.

An estimated crowd of 7,600 watched on Sunday as the U.S. Women led Japan in kills (52-38), blocks (7-4) and aces (3-0). The U.S. scored 14 points on Japan’s errors and committed 15.

The two teams know each other well. Japan trained with the U.S. at its headquarters in Anaheim, Calif., before the start of VNL. Opposite Annie Drews also played for JT Marvelous, a professional club team based in Nishinomiya, Japan, over the winter.

“We’re doing a good job executing the gameplan,” U.S. Head Coach Karch Kiraly told Volleyball World after the second set. “We’re also passing well. (Japan is) a great serving team.”

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U.S. libero Justine Wong-Orantes was credited with 20 digs and six successful receptions. Outside hitter Avery Skinner also had six successful receptions.

Skinner and Drews led the U.S. scoring with 13 points apiece. Drews scored on 13 kills (.429 hitting efficiency). Skinner scored on 11 kills and two blocks.

“I think this was one of our better matches,” Skinner told Volleyball World. “We haven’t had an easy, consistent lineup. We’re just working through things. We want to be trending in the right direction. Right now is not when we want to peak.”

Among other U.S. scorers, outside hitter Jordan Larson had 12 points on 10 kills, one block and one ace. Middle blocker Anna Hall added 11 points on nine kills (.643) and two blocks.

Middle Haleigh Washington totaled six points on four kills and two blocks. Setter Lauren Carlini scored three points on three kills. She combined with substitute Micha Hancock to set the U.S. to a .361 hitting efficiency.

Hancock scored two points on two aces and opposite Jordan Thompson, playing as a substitute, scored twice on attacks.

The teams were tied 8-8 in the first set when the U.S. scored four straight points on a kill from Drews and two from Skinner along with Japan’s hitting error. Japan never recovered.

In the second set, the score was 6-6 when the U.S. scored on a Drews attack, a block from Hall, and two straight overpass kills by Carlini behind Washington’s tough serving. The U.S. cruised to the win.

Japan led 12-9 in the third set before the U.S. tied it at 14-14. The U.S. trailed 15-16 when Hall scored with an attack and then scored again by putting away an overpass. Larson followed with an attack to put the U.S. up 18-16. The U.S. increased the lead to four at 21-17 and reached set point at 24-20. Japan scored four straight points to tie it. Larson gave the U.S. match point by tooling the block and Drews ended the match with a fierce attack on the right.

U.S. Women’s Roster for VNL Preliminary Round 3
No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
1 Micha Hancock (S, 5-11, Edmond, Okla., Penn State Univ., Oklahoma)
2C Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Univ. of Illinois, Rocky Mountain)
3 Avery Skinner (OH, 6-1, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky, Lone Star)
4 Justine Wong-Orantes (L, 5-6, Cypress, Calif., Univ. of Nebraska, Southern California)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
7 Lauren Carlini (S, 6-2, Aurora, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
10 Jordan Larson (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., Univ. of Nebraska, Great Plains)
11 Annie Drews (Opp, 6-4, Elkhart, Ind., Purdue Univ., Hoosier)
12 Jordan Thompson (Opp, 6-4, Edina, Minn., Univ. of Cincinnati, North Country)
14 Anna Stevenson Hall (MB, 6-2, Laurens, S.C., Univ. of Louisville, Palmetto)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
22 Kathryn Plummer (OH, 6-6, Aliso Viejo, Calif., Stanford Univ., Southern California)
23 Kelsey Robinson Cook (OH, 6-2, Bartlett, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska, Great Lakes)
24 Chiaka Ogbogu (MB, 6-2, Coppell, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)

Reserve Player
15 Haleigh Washington (MB, 6-3, Colorado Springs, Colo., Penn State Univ., Rocky Mountain)

Head Coach: Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coaches: Tama Miyashiro, Erin Virtue,  Alfee Reft
Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer: Kara Kessans
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Brandon Siakel
Performance Analyst: Rianne Verhoek
Team Leader: Coley Pawlikowski
Dietitian: Shawn Hueglin
Team Doctor: James Suchy

U.S. Women’s Schedule for the 2024 Volleyball Nations League
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VolleyballWorld.tv
(All times PDT)

Week 1 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
May 15 USA def Thailand 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 25-12, 25-18)
May 16 China def USA 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-19)
May 17 Brazil def USA 3-1 (25-22, 25-16, 18-25, 25-19)
May 19 USA def Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-18)

Week 2 in Arlington, Texas
May 28 USA def Canada 3-1 (25-22, 25-17, 23-25, 25-20)
May 31 USA def Bulgaria 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-22)
June 1 Poland def USA 3-1 (28-26, 25-22, 20-25, 25-23)
June 2 Türkiye def USA 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 12-25, 15-12)

Week 3 in Fukuoka, Japan
June 10 USA def France 3-0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-20)
June 12 USA def Netherlands 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-22)
June 14 Italy def USA 3-1 (25-17, 19-25, 25-15, 25-21)
June 16 USA def Japan 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 26-24)

Final Round in Bangkok, Thailand
June 21 at 3 a.m. QF: USA vs Italy