July 23, 2026.- It was a difficult day for NORCECA teams as the United States and Canada were both eliminated from the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Women’s Finals on Thursday, falling in their quarterfinal matches to China and Türkiye, respectively.
The defeats end NORCECA’s participation in this year’s Women’s VNL, with both teams now looking ahead to the 2027 edition.
China Thrills Home Crowd to Upset United States in Quarterfinals
China delighted the 4,400 fans in attendance in Macao with a thrilling five-set victory over the United States in the final quarterfinal match of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) on Thursday. The hosts will now face Türkiye on Saturday for a place in Sunday’s gold medal match.
The seventh-ranked team in the FIVB World Rankings stunned world No. 3 and VNL Preliminary Phase winners the United States with a dramatic 3-2 (15-25, 25-23, 25-20, 17-25, 15-13) victory, advancing to the semifinals for the first time since 2023. Meanwhile, the three-time VNL champions were eliminated before the semifinals for the third consecutive edition.
The opening set was completely one-sided. With Dana Rettke dominating at the net on both offense and defense, the Americans controlled play from start to finish, building a comfortable lead before Jordan Thompson capped the set with a perfectly placed ace for a 25-15 win.
The second set was much more competitive. Although the United States opened a four-point lead at 11-7, China rallied to tie the score at 18-18 and eventually moved ahead 23-20. The Americans responded with three straight points to level the set, but China answered with back-to-back powerful kills from outside hitter Zhuang Yushan to even the match.
The third set remained close through 13-13 before China began pulling away, using a series of break points to build a five-point cushion at 21-16. The hosts maintained their advantage and closed the set 25-20 after Rettke’s long service error.
The United States responded strongly in the fourth set. Four consecutive points gave the Americans a 13-9 lead, and they never looked back, dominating the remainder of the set to force a deciding fifth with a 25-17 victory.
In the tiebreak, China twice erased three-point deficits. After the score was tied at 11-11, the hosts seized control and secured the victory when 18-year-old middle blocker Wang Aoqian finished the match with a quick attack through the middle for the final 15-13.
China committed fewer unforced errors than the United States (20-26) and also held a 9-7 advantage in blocks.
The Americans dominated offensively with 74 kills to China’s 58 and held a slight edge in aces (5-4). Jordan Thompson led all scorers with 24 points, including two aces and one block. Middle blocker Dana Rettke added 18 points, highlighted by four blocks. Outside hitters Logan Eggleston and Avery Skinner contributed 14 and 13 points, respectively, while middle blocker Asjia O’Neal added 11.
“I don’t think we played our best volleyball today, and that’s unfortunate,” Thompson said. “In moments like these, you have to step up, and I don’t think we executed to the best of our ability. China played an incredible match. They’re obviously very talented and a really strong team.”
Canada Falls to Türkiye After Taking Opening Set
Türkiye advanced to the Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) semifinals after defeating Canada in four sets in Thursday’s opening quarterfinal in Macao.
The fourth-ranked team in the FIVB World Rankings recovered after dropping the opening set to earn a 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-17) victory over a determined Canadian side. The win sends Türkiye to the VNL semifinals for the sixth time and marks its return to the final four for the first time since 2023.
Led by opposite Kiera Van Ryk, Canada controlled most of the opening set. Türkiye saved the first set point with a kill from Melissa Vargas, but Alexa Gray finished the second opportunity to give Canada the 25-22 win.
The second set shifted dramatically as Vargas took control, scoring 11 points, including two aces, and finishing the set with an off-the-block attack to level the match at one set apiece.
Canada appeared in command in the third set after building a 17-12 lead, but Türkiye answered with a five-point run to tie the score at 17-17. After the teams were level at 20-20, the Europeans scored four straight points to reach set point, and outside hitter Hande Baladin closed the set 25-21 with a sharp crosscourt winner. Riding that momentum, Türkiye remained in control throughout the fourth set and sealed the match 25-17 with a winning attack by outside hitter İlkin Aydın.
Türkiye kept its unforced errors to just 12 compared to Canada’s 23 and also led in aces (8-5) and blocks (9-7). Melissa Vargas was the match’s leading scorer with 27 points, including four aces, while attacking at a 54 percent efficiency rate. Hande Baladin added 14 points. Middle blocker Zehra Güneş finished with 12 points, including three blocks and two aces, while İlkin Aydın contributed 11.
Canada completed an impressive debut in the VNL Finals despite facing one of the tournament favorites. The Canadians actually outscored Türkiye in kills (60-57). Kiera Van Ryk matched Vargas with 27 points, including four aces and one block. Outside hitters Alexa Gray and 20-year-old Abagayle Guezen each added 14 points.
“Overall, this VNL gave us a lot of confidence,” Van Ryk said. “We were able to make it this far and compete in high-level matches over the last two months. It’s been an incredible experience as we prepare for the Olympic qualification tournaments later this summer.
“Obviously, this wasn’t the result we wanted today. We did some things we didn’t want to do, and they played really well. Overall, we’ve learned that we’re a very resilient team, but also that there are still areas where we need to improve.”
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