U.S. Women Knock Off No. 1 Italy During Perfect VNL Week

The U.S. followed the win with another sweep, defeating Czechia 25-17, 25-12, 25-16, in one of its cleanest showings of the tournament. Thompson led the way once again, hitting .824 with 14 kills and no errors on 17 swings. Chiaka Ogbogu turned in a strong defensive performance with six blocks as the U.S. out-blocked Czechia 12-5, and held their opponents to just 27 kills.

Team USA’s biggest statement of the week came in its match with Italy, the top-ranked team in the world. The Americans secured a 3-0 sweep, while Stephanie Samedy delivered the breakout performance of the match, leading the U.S. with 12 kills while hitting .600 with no errors. Setter Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres guided the offense to a .398 hitting percentage, while Morgan Hentz shared match-high numbers with 10 digs as the U.S. snapped Italy’s four-match winning streak.

The Americans closed the week with a 3-1 victory over Serbia after bouncing back from a first-set loss. Avery Skinner and Logan Eggleston led the offensive production with 16 kills each, while Eggleston added 10 digs and hit .429. Hentz anchored the back row once again with 11 digs, while Thompson added 14 points.

After the undefeated Round 2 showing, the U.S. will now turn its attention to Round 3 in Osaka, Japan, where the squad will face Thailand, Poland, Türkiye and Brazil beginning July 7.

Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.