July 8, 2026. – The United States and Canada opened the final week of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Women’s Preliminary Phase with important victories in Japan and China, respectively. Meanwhile, Dominican Republic opposite Gaila González reached the 1,000-point milestone in VNL history, and despite a five-set loss, the Caribbean side earned a valuable point in its fight to avoid relegation.
United States Extend Winning Streak to Seven
Playing in Osaka, Japan, the United States defeated Thailand 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-20), extending its winning streak to seven matches and strengthening its hold on first place in the overall standings with an 8-1 record, tied with Brazil.
The Americans controlled every statistical category, leading Thailand in attacks (51-43), blocks (8-2), service aces (3-2), while committing fewer unforced errors (12-13).
Opposite Jordan Thompson led the U.S. offense with 17 points, including four blocks and one ace. Outside hitters Avery Skinner added 13 points, while Logan Eggleston finished with 10.
On July 9, the United States will face Poland at 13:00 local time, looking to extend its winning streak and secure a place in the VNL Finals. Poland currently sits fifth in the standings.
Canada Rallies Past China in Five Sets
Canada rallied from a set down to defeat host China 3-2 (19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 23-25, 15-11) in Hong Kong, improving to 6-3 and remaining tied with Japan and Poland for sixth place in the standings.
China had no answer for opposite Kiera Van Ryk, who led all scorers with 27 points. Outside hitters Alexa Gray added 25 points and Abagayle Guezen contributed 22 as the trio combined for 74 of Canada’s 107 points in the victory.
Canada held the edge in attacks (77-55) and service aces (7-5), while China led in blocks (13-8).
Canada returns to action on July 9 against Belgium at 17:00 local time.
Gaila Reaches 1,000 VNL Career Points
The decisive third week of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League opened with a thrilling five-set battle between Belgium and the Dominican Republic in the first match of the Hong Kong pool.
Although the Caribbean Queens rallied from a two-set deficit before falling 3-2 (19-25, 20-25, 25-14, 26-24, 12-15), opposite Gaila González reached the milestone of 1,000 career points in the Volleyball Nations League.
The point earned in defeat could prove crucial in the fight to avoid relegation. The Dominican Republic remains outside the relegation zone in 17th place with a 1-8 record and six points, now holding a two-point advantage over last-place France.
Belgium held the advantage in attacks (67-60) and service aces (6-1). The Caribbean side, however, committed fewer unforced errors (23-30) and dominated the blocking battle (11-7).
The Dominicans even built a three-point lead in the deciding set and came within six points of completing a remarkable reverse sweep before Belgium answered with six consecutive points to regain control and seal the victory.
Four Dominican players reached double figures in scoring. Yonkaira Peña led the team with 19 points, followed by captain Brayelin Martínez with 14, middle blocker Jineiry Martínez with 11, and opposite Gaila González, who finished with 17 points—exactly the number she needed to become the latest player to reach the 1,000-point mark in VNL history.
“First, congratulations to them. They played a really good match. We fought all the way to the end,” Gaila said. “We’re continuing to improve as a team every day. We have more confidence in ourselves. We try to do what we know how to do, and that’s play great volleyball. The next matches are very important because we’re trying to stay in the VNL, so we’ll do our best every day and every time.”
The Dominican Republic, which shares the Hong Kong pool with Canada, will have a rest day on July 9.
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