Canada and Cuba Suffer Defeats in Men's VNL

June 26, 2026.- Canada suffered its second loss in week two of the 2026 Men's Volleyball Nations League (VNL) in Slovenia, while Cuba, competing in France, further complicated its campaign after dropping its seventh consecutive match of the season.

Canada Falls to Ukraine

Despite showing strong stretches of play, Canada fell 1-3 (19-25, 23-25, 25-18, 23-25) to Ukraine on Friday. The loss leaves Canada in 15th place in the overall standings.

Opposite Xander Ketrzynski led the Canadian offense with 17 points (16 kills and one block).

The team statistics were very close. Ukraine held the advantage in attacks (55-51) and service aces (5-4). Both teams recorded nine blocks, while Canada committed fewer unforced errors (24-26).

"At the start of the match, we didn't seem fully engaged, especially by letting a few balls drop in coverage situations. It was the first time in the tournament that we've had that kind of start, and it was a little frustrating because I believe we missed an opportunity today," said Canada's head coach Dan Lewis.

"Then we made some substitutions that had a positive impact on the match, showing that we have a deep roster capable of competing, which is fantastic. The players started fighting and playing really well. Unfortunately, our attack errors early in the fourth set hurt us, and it was difficult to recover. I'm very proud that the team never gave up and kept battling to get back into the match. There's no time to dwell on it; we still have two matches in a row, and it will take a tremendous team effort to break through and earn our next victory."

Cuba Falls to Serbia

Cuba suffered its seventh consecutive defeat of the 2026 Men's VNL season, this time falling to Serbia.

The Cubans lost 1-3 (19-25, 25-13, 23-25, 22-25).

Despite the loss, Cuba outperformed Serbia in several team statistics, leading in attacks (53-49) and blocks (12-10). The Europeans held the edge in service aces (3-2). Cuba committed 26 unforced errors, while Serbia finished with 22.

Four Cuban players reached double figures in scoring. Miguel Ángel López led the Caribbean squad with 15 points, Israel Masso added 13, Robertlandy Simón recorded 12 points, including five blocks, and Marlon Yant also contributed 12 points.

Match Schedule – Saturday, June 27

In Slovenia (Local Time)

Canada vs. Bulgaria – 4:30 p.m.

In France (Local Time)

United States vs. Japan – 5:00 p.m.

Cuba: Rest day