VNL 2026 : Japan the only team undefeated! USA sweep Cuba, second win for hosts France in Orléans

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Article wrote by Danilo from Orléans for Volleytimes, please respect his job.

The second competition week in the Volleyball Nations League 2026 started today with three cities in the European Union – Gliwice in Poland, Ljubljana in Slovenia and Orléans in France – hosting a total of 36 matches!

Japan stay perfect with an 1-3 (17:25, 15:25, 25:22, 16:25) win over Serbia, exending their unbeaten run improving to 5-0 in the competition!
The current tournament leaders controlled the match from the start, dominating the opening two sets, but Serbia replied strongly in the third one, claiming a 25-22 win after improving reception and putting pressure on the Japanese defense.
However, Japan quickly regained momentum in the fourth set to secure a clear 25-16 victory and collect all three points.
Japan outperformed Serbia in every major statistical category, finishing with a 49-41 advantage in attack points and an 8-7 edge in blocks. The Asian side also benefited from 36 rivals’ errors, compared to their 22.
Ran Takahashi led all scorers with 22 points to his name, while captain Yuki Ishikawa added 12 and Yuji Nishida also contributed with 10. Serbia was led by Veljko Masulović with 16 points and Lazar Marinovic with 14.

The day continues with The United States who moved to 4-1 with a clean straight-sets win over Cuba, 25:21, 25:21, 25:19.
The winners controlled the match with strong defense and blocking, finishing with a 10-4 edge in blocks while committing 12 fewer errors than their rivals.
Jake Hanes led the charge with 14 points to his name, while TJ DeFalco added 10 points in his return to national team action after nearly two years away, contributing also with one block and the team’s only ace. Cuba was led by Jose Masso with 10 points, followed by Javier Concepcion with nine and Marlon Yant with eight, while Miguel Lopez added seven.

In the evening, hosts France claimed their second victory with a hard-fought 3-2 (25:21, 23:25, 25:21, 24:26, 17:15) win over Iran.
The home team ended a three-match losing streak after surviving a thrilling five-set battle, saving a match point in the deciding set before sealing the victory. Mathis Henno, just today announced by italian powerhouse Perugia, led France with 24 points to his name, while italian expert Andrea Giani celebrated his 100th match as head coach with a win!
The result moves France up to 13th place in the standings ahead of upcoming matches against Cuba, Serbia and Japan.

IN PROGRESS

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🏐| FIVB Volleyball Nations League 2026 | Games of the day

— Wednesday | June 24, 2026—

| Pool 5 – Week 2 – Gliwice 🇵🇱
• 13.00 (Local Time) | China – Türkiye 0-3 (16:25, 19:25, 21:25)
• 16.30 (Local Time) | Argentina – Germany 3-2 (25:21, 15:25, 25:15, 18:25, 15:13)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Poland – Belgium 3-2 (21:25, 23:25, 25:19, 28:26, 15:13)

| Pool 6 – Week 2 – Ljubljana 🇸🇮
• 13.00 (Local Time) | Bulgaria – Italy 3-2 (18:25, 25:20, 25:23, 19:25, 15:9)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 16.30 (Local Time) | Ukraine – Brazil 3-1 (29:27, 22:25, 25:22, 25:21)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Canada 3-1 (25:23, 23:25, 25:20, 25:23)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

👉🏼 Pool 4 – Week 2 – Orléans 🇫🇷
• 13.30 (Local Time) | Serbia – Japan 1-3 (17:25, 15:25, 25:22, 16:25)
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Cuba – USA 0-3 (21:25, 21:25, 19:25)
• 20.30 (Local Time) | France – Iran 3-2 (25:21, 23:25, 25:21, 24:26, 17:15)

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🏐| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Japan 14
2. USA 12
3. Brazil 11
4. Italy 10
5. Ukraine 10
6. Slovenia 9
7. Poland 9
8. Serbia 9
9. Türkiye 8
10. Bulgaria 8
11. Belgium 6
12. Germany 6
13. Canada 6
14. Iran 5
15. France 4
16. China 4
17. Argentina 3
18. Cuba 1

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🏐| NEXT GAMES

— Thursday | June 25, 2026—

| Pool 5 – Week 2 – Gliwice 🇵🇱
• 16.30 (Local Time) | China – Belgium
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Poland – Türkiye

| Pool 6 – Week 2 – Ljubljana 🇸🇮
• 16.30 (Local Time) | Ukraine – Italy
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Bulgaria

| Pool 4 – Week 2 – Orléans 🇫🇷
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Iran – USA
• 20.30 (Local Time) | France – Cuba

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