July 9, 2026.- Canada rallied after dropping the opening set to defeat Belgium in four sets, while the United States saw its seven-match winning streak come to an end with a five-set loss to Poland.
Canada Rallies to Defeat Belgium
Canada earned its seventh victory of the 2026 Volleyball Nations League after coming from behind to defeat Belgium on Thursday in Women’s VNL action in Hong Kong, China.
The Canadians claimed a 3-1 (10-25, 25-21, 25-17, 27-25) victory, improving their season record to 7-3. The win moves the North Americans into fourth place in the overall standings.
“This was not our best game of the season,” admitted Canada’s head coach Giovanni Guidetti. “We started the match very badly, but we came back and played a very solid and strong third set. In the fourth set, we managed to win even after committing 12 unforced errors. We earned three very important points and learned from this match.”
Canada finished with advantages in attacks (57-51), blocks (12-8) and service aces (5-4). However, Belgium benefited from points scored off opponents’ errors, leading that category 25-13.
Opposite Kiera Van Ryk led all scorers with 22 points, including four blocks and one ace. Andrea Mitrovic and team captain Emily Maglio each added 10 points.
Canada will have a rest day on July 10 before returning to action against Italy on July 11. The Canadians will close the week on Sunday against the Dominican Republic.
United States Falls to Poland
In a thrilling five-set battle, the United States fell to Poland 20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 18-25, 15-12. Despite the defeat, the Americans remain atop the VNL standings, having played one more match than Brazil.
The United States now holds a 7-2 record with 24 points, while Brazil stands at 7-1 with 23 points.
Team statistics showed the Americans leading Poland in blocks (16-8) and service aces (4-3), while the Europeans held the advantage in attacks (75-63).
Five U.S. players reached double figures in scoring. Simone Lee led the team with 15 points, while Molly McCage (highlighted by seven blocks), Logan Eggleston, and Stephanie Samedy each scored 14 points. Asjia O’Neal added 13 points.
Match Schedule – July 10 (Local Time)
In Japan – United States vs. Türkiye – 13:00
In China – Dominican Republic vs. Ukraine – 17:00
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