U.S. Women Start 2026 VNL Week One with Win Over Ukraine

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 3, 2026) – The U.S. Women’s National Team opened play at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-23) win over Ukraine on Wednesday before a boisterous crowd that included 3,500 school children in Quebec City, Quebec. It was the first VNL match ever for Ukraine.

The U.S. (1-0), ranked seventh in the world, will face host Canada tomorrow at 5 p.m. PT.

“We want to see everyone’s best. It is a very good Ukraine team, very well-coached, and you could see it at the start of that third set. It was a nice job by our team bouncing back. They got after us pretty hard and it took a little while for us to get out feet underneath us, but I thought we did a nice job there,” said U.S. head coach Erik Sullivan. “It’s a nice start for us in the first match of the summer. Some of it is just getting comfortable under the lights, with the uniform on, against another opponent. I told our group, ‘VNL is short lived. Let’s celebrate for an hour and then we need to move on to our next match.”

The U.S. finished with three fewer kills (42-39) but dominated in blocking (9-2) and service aces (9-3) while also making half as many errors (18-9).

Outside hitter Avery Skinner led all players with 12 points on eight kills, a match-high three aces and a block.

“We were down in that third set, and I think that was important. It’s the first match and you have to get through the jitters and get into the flow. I’m proud of us for sticking with it and pulling it out in the end,” Skinner said. “I think it is just about building each set, each match, and hopefully getting more comfortable with each other. Every team we are going to play is really good. I think it is just about finding our own rhythm.”

Middle blocker Asjia O’Neal registered a match-best five blocks to go with five kills for 10 points. Opposite Jordan Thompson made her return with eight kills, and outside Logan Eggleston also scored eight points with six kills, a block and an ace. Eggleston and libero Lexi Rodrguez shared the team lead with six successful receptions. Rodriguez also paced the team with six digs.

Middle Anna Hall contributed seven points on four kills, two blocks and an ace. In addition to running the efficient U.S. offense, setter Micha Hancock added two aces and a kill for three points.

The U.S. moved out to a 4-1 lead on an ace from Hall and pushed the lead to four points, 7-3, on a roll shot by Skinner. Ukraine pulled within two points twice, but the U.S. responded each time with an Eggleston block extending the lead to five points, 15-10. After a Ukraine timeout, Eggleston served an ace for an 18-11 advantage. Ukraine got no closer than six points the remainder of the set. Eggleston led all players with six points on four kills, one block and one ace. The U.S. recorded all four blocks in the set and made four fewer errors.

Strong defensive plays by Rodrigiuez and Hancock, and a Skinner ace, on the first two plays helped the U.S. jump out to a 4-0 lead and force an early Ukraine timeout in the second set. Another Skinner ace raised the stretch to six points to open the set. Hancock put a ball down on an overpass and served an ace that trickled off the net for a 12-5 U.S. lead.

Ukraine scored four of the next five points to cut the lead back to four points. Back-to-back kills by Stephanie Samedy and O’Neal increased the margin back to seven points, 18-11. The teams split the next six points with a Hancock ace making it 21-14. Simone Lee-Wank put a ball straight down and served an ace to give the U.S. set point. Ukraine defended two set points before a service error gave the U.S. a 2-0 match lead. Eight players scored for the U.S. in the set.

Ukraine used a 5-1 run to take an 11-6 lead in the third set. The U.S. pulled within a point, 14-13, after Thompson drilled a kill and O’Neal followed with a block. A Samedy kill evened the set at 16 apiece and a hitting error put the U.S. out in front. Two kills and an ace from Skinner gave the U.S. its first two-point lead of the set, 21-19. Two Thompson kills and an ace from Morgan Hentz, in which the defender failed to get out of the way, set up four match points, 24-20. Ukraine fought off three match points and had a swing to square the set, but O’Neal ended it with a block.

U.S. Women’s Week One Roster for 2026 VNL

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
1 Micha Hancock (S, 5-11, Edmond, Okla., Penn State, Oklahoma)
3 Avery Skinner (OH, 6-1, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky, Lone Star)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford, Pioneer)
7 Asjia O’Neal (MB, 6-3, Southlake, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)
8 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)
10 Simone Lee-Wank (OH, 6-1, Menomonee Falls, Wisc., Penn State, Badger)
11 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, 6-0 Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
12 Jordan Thompson (OPP, 6-4, Edina, Minn., Univ. of Cincinnati, North Country)
14 Anna Hall (MB, 6-2, Laurens, S.C., Univ. of Louisville, Palmetto)
20 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt, Southern California Southern Nevada)
27 Madi Kubik-Banks (OH, 6-4, West Des Moines, Iowa, Univ. of Nebraska, Iowa)
29 Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-1, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)
34 Stephanie Samedy (OPP, 6-2, Clermont, Fla., Univ. of Minnesota, Florida)
77 Sami Francis (MB, 6-6, San Diego, Calif., Stanford, Southern California Southern Nevada)

Head Coach:  Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Assistant Coach: Rob Browning
Statistician: Virginia Pham
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shannon Boone, Shawn Hueglin
Mental Performance Coach: Nicole Davis
Team Doctors: Lori Boyajian-O’Neill, James Suchy, Chris Koutures, Mark Hutchinson
Team Manager: Shannon Slatter

U.S. Women’s Schedule for the 2026 Volleyball Nations League
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV.
(All times PDT)

Week 1: Quebec City, Quebec
June 3 USA def. Ukraine, 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-23)
June 4 at 5 p.m. vs. Canada
June 5 at 5 p.m. vs. France
June 7 at 11:30 a.m. vs. Germany

Week 2: Philippines
June 16 at 9 p.m. vs. Dominican Republic
June 18 at 1 a.m. vs. Czechia
June 20 at 1 a.m. vs. Italy
June 20 at 9 p.m. vs. Serbia

Week 3: Osaka, Japan
July 7 at 11:30 p.m. vs. Thailand
July 8 at 9 p.m. vs. Poland
July 9 at 9 p.m. vs. Türkiye
July 11 at 8 p.m. vs. Brazil