Shocker! Dominican Republic Stuns Unbeaten Japan,
USA Upsets
Italy; Canada Falls
June 20, 2026.- In what could be considered the biggest surprise
of the 2026 Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) so far, the
Dominican Republic earned its first victory of the season by
defeating Japan, handing the Asian squad its first loss since
the start of the competition. The Caribbean Queens secured a
four-set victory over their powerful opponents on Saturday in
Pasig City. Earlier in the day, in a rematch of the Paris 2024
Olympic final, the United States stunned Italy, defeating the
reigning VNL, world, and Olympic champions in straight sets,
while Canada fell to Thailand.
Dominican Republic Shocks the World by Defeating Japan
The Dominican Republic bounced back after dropping the opening
set to claim a hard-fought 3-1 (17-25, 25-20, 28-26, 25-23)
victory over Japan, the 2024 VNL runner-up and last year’s
semifinalist.
The third set was by far the most competitive of the match. The
lead changed hands several times, and in the closing stages, the
Dominican Republic was the first team to reach set point.
However, in overtime, they had to save a couple of Japanese set
points before finally taking the set and moving ahead in the
match.
The NORCECA side outperformed its opponents in net defense with
a 10-6 advantage in kill blocks and also led in service aces,
4-3. Additionally, the Dominicans capitalized on Japan’s higher
number of unforced errors, 21-17. Japan held the edge in
attacks, 68-60.
Middle blocker Jineiry Martínez contributed four of the team’s
10 kill blocks and attacked at a 62% efficiency rate to finish
with 14 points. Outside hitter Flormarie Heredia led all
Dominican scorers with 17 points, while three other players also
reached double figures: Yonkaira Peña Isabel with 13 points, and
middle blocker Sthefany González and 22-year-old opposite
Alondra Tapia with 11 points each.
The victory lifted the Dominican Republic out of last place in
the VNL standings. The Caribbean team moved ahead of Bulgaria
and France and now sits in 16th place with a 1-6 record and four
points. Japan dropped to 6-1 with 16 points, falling to third
place. The Asian squad also lost ground in the FIVB World
Ranking, dropping to sixth place.
United States Dominant in Victory over Italy
The United States delivered an impressive 3-0 (27-25, 25-20,
25-16) victory over world No. 1 Italy and climbed to fifth place
in the world rankings. The Americans also moved ahead of Japan
in both the VNL standings and the FIVB World Ranking, sitting in
second place with a 6-1 record and 17 points.
With a 60% attacking efficiency, opposite Stephanie Samedy led
the winners with 12 points, while outside hitter Madison Kubik
Banks added another 12.
In team statistics, the United States outperformed Italy in
attacks (49-41) and blocks (9-7), while also taking advantage of
Italy’s 17 unforced errors. Italy held the edge in service aces,
4-2.
Canada Falls to Thailand
Canada was unable to overcome Thailand and suffered a 1-3
(21-25, 25-22, 18-25, 20-25) defeat, ending its strong winning
streak during the second week of competition.
Match Schedule for June 21
In the Philippines (local time)
United States vs. Serbia – 12:00 PM
Dominican Republic vs. Czech Republic – 4:00 PM
In Thailand (local time)
Canada vs. Poland – 5:00 PM
This concludes the second week of action in the Women’s VNL. The
third and final week will begin on July 8. The United States
will travel to Japan, while the Dominican Republic and Canada
will compete in China.
