Team USA Earns Three Wins in Opening Week of 2026 VNL
The 2026 Volleyball Nations League is in full swing, and the U.S. Women’s National Team opened Week 1 with a 3-1 record in Quebec City, Canada, earning victories over Ukraine, France, and Germany before heading to the Philippines for the second week of competition.
Here’s a look at how Team USA fared in each match.
Round 1: USA def. Ukraine, 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-23)
Team USA opened its 2026 VNL campaign with a straight-set victory over Ukraine. The Americans controlled most of the match behind strong serving and blocking. Despite an early deficit in the third set, the team managed to rally before securing the sweep.
Avery Skinner led the offense with 12 points, including three service aces. Asjia O’Neal added 10 points and a match-high five blocks, while Jordan Thompson made her return to international competition with eight kills. Setter Micha Hancock added two aces while guiding the U.S. offense.
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Round 2: Canada def. USA, 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 30-28)
The United States suffered its lone loss of the week in a tight match versus host Canada. Despite pushing the third set beyond 30 points, Team USA was unable to snag the set win and fell in straight sets.
Jordan Thompson and Simone Lee-Wank paced the U.S. with nine points each. O’Neal recorded seven points and tied a match-high with four blocks, while libero Lexi Rodriguez finished with a team-best 12 digs.
Round 3: USA def. France, 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 27-25, 23-25, 15-11)
The Americans bounced back with a five-set victory over France in what was the team’s longest and most competitive match of the week. After trading sets throughout the match, Team USA pulled away late in the fifth set to secure its second win of the tournament.
Lee-Wank posted a standout performance with 24 points, including 22 kills, while Stephanie Samedy added 20 points. Morgan Hentz anchored the defense with a team-high 15 digs, and Madi Kubik-Banks contributed 16 points. Molly McCage and Sami Francis each added seven points in the victory.
Round 4: USA def. Germany, 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-12)
The United States closed the opening week with its most dominant performance by sweeping Germany to finish Week 1 with a 3-1 record. After recovering from an early deficit in the opening set, Team USA controlled the remainder of the match and held Germany to just 12 points in the final frame.
Lee-Wank once again led the offense with 16 points, while Skinner followed with 15 points and Jordan Thompson added 10. O’Neal contributed eight points, including four blocks, and liberos Morgan Hentz and Lexi Rodriguez combined for 10 digs.
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Upcoming Schedule (All Times ET)
Week 2 – Philippines
- June 17 vs. Dominican Republic — 12 a.m. ET
- June 18 vs. Czechia — 4 a.m. ET
- June 20 vs. Italy — 4 a.m. ET
- June 21 vs. Serbia — 12 a.m. ET
Week 3 – Osaka, Japan
- July 8 vs. Thailand — 2:30 a.m. ET
- July 9 vs. Poland — 12 a.m. ET
- July 10 vs. Türkiye — 12 a.m. ET
- July 11 vs. Brazil — 11 p.m. ET
The top eight teams following preliminary-round play will advance to the Volleyball Nations League Final Round.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
