July 19, 2026. – The United States, Cuba and Canada all closed out the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Men’s Preliminary Phase with losses. The United States finished fifth in the standings to qualify for the Finals, while Cuba placed 16th and Canada 17th.
United States Fall to Poland
The United States concluded the Preliminary Phase with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-19) loss to Poland. The Poles currently lead the FIVB World Ranking, while the Americans are ranked sixth.
In the Finals, the United States will face Italy in the quarterfinals, with a place in the semifinals at stake.
Team statistics showed both sides finishing even in aces (3-3), while Poland held the advantage in attacks (45-35) and blocks (9-3). The United States committed one fewer unforced error than Poland (18-19).
Matthew Anderson was the only American to reach double figures, scoring 13 points, including three aces.
Jake Hanes finished as the United States’ top scorer during the three-week Preliminary Phase with 157 points, including 128 kills, 15 blocks and 14 aces.
Cuba Fall to Italy
Despite winning the opening set, Cuba dropped a 3-1 (17-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-17) decision to Italy. The loss left Cuba with a 3-9 record. All three victories came during the final week of the Preliminary Phase, helping the Caribbean team secure its place in next year’s VNL.
Miguel Ángel López led Cuba with 11 points. Marlon Yant finished as Cuba’s leading scorer in the tournament with 124 points, while López also surpassed the 100-point mark, ending the competition with 113.
In team statistics, Cuba led Italy in aces (5-4), while the Europeans held the advantage in attacks (47-41) and blocks (12-7). Both teams committed 29 unforced errors.
Canada Lose to Belgium
Canada fell 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-19) to Belgium in its final VNL match and was relegated from the competition for 2027. The Canadians finished with a 1-11 record, with seven of their 11 defeats coming in five sets, matching China.
Their only two straight-set losses came in their final two matches, against Cuba and Belgium.
Xander Ketrzynski led Canada with 13 points against Belgium. He and Jackson Howe finished as Canada’s top scorers in the tournament with 135 points each. Howe also finished as the competition’s top blocker with 45 blocks in 12 matches.
Belgium outperformed Canada in attacks (42-35), blocks (8-6) and aces (5-2), while both teams finished with 20 unforced errors.
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