The United States kept their Volleyball Nations League title hopes alive rallying past previously unbeaten Japan in a dramatic five-set semifinal to book a place in the 2026 championship match.
USA came from behind to earn a 3-2 victory (25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-13) in Ningbo Beilun, China, ending Japan’s perfect run after the Asian side had gone undefeated through the preliminary round.
Matt Anderson and Jake Hanes powered the American attack with 24 points each. Anderson finished with 21 kills, two blocks and an ace, while Hanes added 20 kills, three aces and a block in a standout performance. Libero Erik Shoji anchored the defense with a match-high 14 digs as the Americans outperformed Japan in kills (67-57), blocks (9-7) and serve aces (7-2). Yuji Nishida led Japan with 19 points, including three blocks and two aces, while Yuki Ishikawa added 18 points. Ran Takahashi also reached double figures with 13 points.
Japan controlled much of the middle stages of the match, taking the second and third sets to move within one set of the final. However, the United States responded with a dominant fourth set behind Hanes’ serving before edging a tense deciding set.
The fifth set featured several momentum swings, with Japan briefly taking a 12-11 lead. The Americans answered immediately as Ethan Champlin delivered a crucial ace, Cooper Robinson converted an important attack for match point, and Anderson sealed the victory with the winning kill.
The win sends the United States into fourth Volleyball Nations League final, where they will look to capture first VNL title. Poland, the defending champion, stands between the Americans and the trophy in a rematch of the 2023 final.
Japan, meanwhile, will shift focus to the bronze medal match against Slovenia after suffering first defeat of the tournament.
Result
Volleyball Nations League 2026 – Semifinal
United States def. Japan 3-2 (25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-13)
Sunday, August 2 – Medal Matches (local time)
Bronze Medal Match: Japan vs. Slovenia – 15:40 local time (07:40 UTC)
Gold Medal Match: United States vs. Poland – 19:30 (11:30 UTC)