U.S. Men’s National Team Charges Back to Defeat China to Start 2025 VNL Week Two

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 25, 2025) – The U.S. Men’s National Team rallied from a 2-1 set deficit to defeat China, 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-11) in the opening match of the second week of Volleyball Nations League (VNL) on Wednesday at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The U.S. win was the ninth in its last 10 meetings with China.

The U.S. (3-2) will return to the court tomorrow, Thursday, June 26m at 5:30 p.m. PT to face North American rival Canada (2-3).

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The U.S. finished with 13 more kills than China (65-52), and though the U.S. men were outblocked 16-12 for the match, most of the blocks came in the first three sets as China had only one block in each of the final two sets. Both teams served three aces with China making three fewer errors.

Eleven U.S. players scored and all 14 played in the match. Outside hitter Jordan Ewert led all players with 16 kills and 18 points, adding a pair of blocks, and paced the team with six successful receptions.

“It was an important match for a lot of us, the first time getting to play in front of our friends and family representing the national team. For the first match having such a big crowd and supportive fans and then to get the ‘W’ is huge. It gives us a lot of confidence going into the rest of the week,” Ewert commented. “We were playing against a good team. They made adjustments and we had to make adjustments. We made those adjustments in the fourth set and it worked out. The fifth set is always a battle and we pulled it out. They were a great team and they did some impressive things defensively, so we had to adjust and did well.”

Opposite Kyle Ensing scored 12 points on 10 kills, a block and an ace. Outside hitter Jacob Pasteur recorded 11 kills and outside Ethan Champlin came in to start the fourth set and finished with 10 kills. In addition to running the offense, Micah Ma’a scored five points on three kills, a block and an ace. In just under two sets, veteran libero Erik Shoji registered five successful receptions and led the team with four digs.

“It was a 14-man effort. Everybody was on the floor at some point and eventually we found a combination that put together some really good volleyball. It’s not a bad thing to play a little extra as we are learning, even if it gives me a few more grey hairs,” head coach Karch Kiraly said. “I’m really proud of the way the guys responded after losing that third set. They came out really strong in the fourth and really strong in the fifth. It’s nice to come out to a lead. Whatever combination we put out, they were working and there was a lot of effort. It didn’t always work but credit to all the guys for enduring, for rolling with all the changes we threw at them.”

A perfect Pasteur pass led to a second consecutive kill by Ensign to give the U.S. a 16-10 lead in the first set. The U.S. was passing at a 71 percent efficiency at that point. The lead was still six points, 18-12, when China went on a 6-1 run to close the lead to one point.

A Pasteur kill made it 20-18 and with a 21-19 lead, Pasteur’s strong serve led to a well-placed tip by Ewert. Ensign followed with a block on an attempted tip for a 23-19 lead. China fought off two set points after falling behind 24-20 but a kill on a back row attack by Pasteur ended the set. Ensign led the team with seven points on six kills and his late block.

Strong serving sent China out to a 6-3 lead in the second set. The U.S. called a quick timeout and rebounded to even the set 7-7, but China scored the next three points and led by at least two points the remainder of the set. Pasteur led the U.S. with five kills in the set.

Trailing 21-17 in the second set, the U.S. suffered a big blow when three-time Olympian Shoji landed awkwardly after going up for a jump set and had to be assisted off the court.

The teams split the first 12 points of the third set before China ran off six consecutive points and forced the U.S. to use both of its timeouts. A block by Cooper Robinson after a strong serve by Matthew Knigge brought the U.S. within two points, 18-16. China scored five of the next six points to put the set out of reach. Through three sets, China was serving at 54 percent.

Champlin and Hobus entered the match in the fourth set and keyed a 7-1 U.S. start that forced China to use both its timeouts early in the set. The lead quickly grew to eight points 12-4 on a Champlin kill. China pulled no closer than five points the rest of the set.

Middle blocker Shayne Holdaway made his U.S. National Team debut in the set and served an ace for a 21-13 lead. Champlin ended the set with his seventh kill, hitting .545. Holdaway added two blocks for three points and Ewert recorded three kills.

Ewert scored the first two points of the deciding set, one on a tip and another on a block, and a Gabi Garcia kill put the U.S. ahead 3-0. Champlin made a perfect pass and then scored on a back row attack and Garcia pounded a ball as the U.S. scored five of the first seven points in the set.

China pulled within two points three times but could get no closer. With a 9-7 lead, the U.S. scored three consecutive points. After a net violation on China, Jeff Jendryk came up with a block and then Robinson put a ball away after a great dig by Ma’a and a set from Dagostino.

A Holdaway kill and Champlin’s 10th point in just a set and a half gave the U.S. five match points at 14-9. China scored two points before Garcia sealed the comeback win with a kill. Jendryk, Garcia and Champlin each scored three points in the set which saw six different U.S. players score.

U.S. Men’s Week Two Roster for 2025 VNL

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Univ. Chicago, Great Lakes)
5 Kyle Ensing (Opp, 6-7, Valencia, Calif., Long Beach State Univ., Southern California)
6 Quinn Isaacson (S, 6-2, Plainfield, Ill., Ball State, Great Lakes)
7 Jacob Pasteur (OH, 6-4, Westminster, Md., Ohio State Univ., Chesapeake)
9 Gabi Garcia (OPP, 6-7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, BYU)
10 Kyle Dagostino (L, 5-9, Tampa, Florida, Stanford Univ., Florida)
12 Shane Holdaway (MB, 6-6, Huntington Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
14 Micah Ma’a (S, 6-3, Kaneohe, Hawaii, UCLA, Aloha)
15 Kyle Hobus (OPP, 6-7, San Pedro, Calif., CSUN, Southern California)
18 Cooper Robinson (OH, 6-7, Pacific Palisades, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
22C Erik Shoji (L, 6-0, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford Univ., Aloha)
25 Ethan Champlin (OH, 6-3, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
26 Matthew Knigge (MB, 6-7, New Egypt, N.J., Vassar, Garden Empire)
29 Jordan Ewert (OH, 6-5, Antioch, Calif., Stanford, Northern California)

Head Coach:  Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coach: Luka Slabe
Assistant Coach: Javier Weber
Performance Analyst: Nate Ngo
Physiotherapist: Aaron Brock
Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach: Tim Pelot
Senior Sports Dietitian: Shawn Hueglin
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker
Team Manager: David Dantes
Consultant Coach: Chris McGown
Consultant Coach: Marv Dunphy
Team Doctors:  Eugene Yim, Mark Hutchinson, Michael Shepard, Warren Young

2025 Volleyball Nations League Schedule for Week 2
NOW Arena
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
All times PDT; Matches will be shown live on VBTV and either CBS Sports Network or Big Ten Network

June 25 USA def. China, 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-11)
June 26 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Canada
June 28 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Poland
June 29 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Italy

Week 1 Results
June 11: Ukraine def. USA, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23)
June 12 USA def. Iran, 3-2 (19-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 17-15)
June 14 Slovenia def. USA, 3-1 (25-22, 27-25, 20-25, 25-23)
June 15 USA def. Cuba, 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 18-25, 25-23)