USA and Canada Lose, Jeopardizing Their Hopes

of Reaching the Finals

July 19, 2025. – The United States and Canada suffered defeats in their respective matches on Saturday in the Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL), complicating their chances of qualifying for the tournament finals.

USA Falls to Germany in Five Sets

In a hard-fought, back-and-forth match, Germany earned a 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 17-25, 25-15, 15-12) victory over the United States on Saturday in front of over 5,000 fans in Chiba, Japan.

The United States dropped to 10th place with a 6-5 record, tied with Cuba, Ukraine, Slovenia, and Bulgaria, still holding onto a mathematical chance of making the Finals. In their final match on Sunday, July 20, they will face powerhouse Japan, currently in 5th place with a 7-4 record.

Even if the U.S. wins, they will have to wait for the outcome of all remaining matches to determine which teams will secure the five remaining spots, as Brazil and Italy have already qualified for the Finals regardless of their results, and China is also through as the host nation.

Germany moved up to 11th place in the current VNL standings with a 5-6 record and 17 points, and they too remain in contention for a quarterfinal berth.

For the U.S., opposite Kyle Hobus was the top scorer of the match with 18 points. Outside hitter Ethan Champlin added 14, while his fellow outside Nolan Flexen recorded three aces and finished with 12 points.

Canada Falls to Serbia

Canada started strong but couldn’t hold their lead, eventually losing 1-3 (25-15, 22-25, 18-25, 22-25) to Serbia, missing a key opportunity to keep their Finals hopes alive.

Brodie Hofer led Canada’s offense with 15 points, including 14 kills, while Isaac Heslinga added 14 points, including 2 blocks.

Canada outperformed Serbia in blocking, 8-4, but the Europeans had the edge in attacking (53-50) and serving (4-3).

Final Day of Preliminary Round

In Japan, the United States will face the home team at 19:20 local time. In Slovenia, Canada takes on Ukraine at 13:00 local time. In Poland, Cuba will close out the round for NORCECA with a match against China at 13:30 local time.