VNL 2026: winning debut and straight sets win for Poland, Brazil and hosts USA in last week in Chicago

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Article wrote by Ivan from Chicago for Volleytimes, please respect his job.

Third and last week of the Preliminary Phase of 2026 Volleyball Nations League started today in three cities, Osaka (Japan), Belgrade (Serbia) and here in Chicago (USA), with a total of 36 matches, which will determine the standings but also the other seven teams who will play the quarterfinals in Ningbo with hosts China.

Bulgaria started the third week of the Nations League with a heavy 0-3 (19:25, 17:25, 17:25) loss to world rankings leader Poland in the Hoffman Estates Arena in Chicago.
Thus, Gianlorenzo Blengini’s team remains with 5 wins, 4 losses, and 14 points after nine matches played, while the winners recorded their seventh success and, with 20 points, climbed to second place in the temporary standings of the competition.
Nikola Grbic could rely on Tomasz Fornal for the first time this international season, as he returned to play and formed a strong diagonal with Wilfredo Leon. The only absentees from Poland’s squad were Jakub Kochanowski and Jan Firlej.
Also statistics showed Poland’s supremacy, as they dominated in attack (33:26), blocking (13:6), serving (8:4 aces), and digs in defense (28:19).
For the winners, Bartłomiej Bołądź led the winners with 13 points, and Bartłomiej Lemański added 11 including 5 aces.
The most prolific players for Bulgaria were Alex Nikolov with just 8 points, and Asparuh Asparuhov who added 7.

Brazil also won in straight sets, defeating Olympic champion France 3-0 (25:23, 25:23, 25:19) and moving into seventh place, the last position that effectively grants a spot qualification for the final tournament.
Brazilian opposite Darlan Souza fired four of the team’s five aces also emerging with a match-high total of 13 points, while Outside hitter Adriano Cavalcante added another 11 points for the winners. The Olympic champions were led by outside hitter Mathis Henno with 12 points. Opposite Stephen Boyer also reached the double digits with 10 points for France, including two aces. Brazil overtook Bulgaria and Italy and entered the Finals zone of the table, in seventh place on a 6-3 win-loss record and 16 points.
Brazil managed to win a match in straight sets for the second time in this VNL.

The USA also continued without problems, beating China 3:0 (25:19, 25:13, 25:20). The Americans are now second with 22 points and can practically think about participating in the finals, while the Asian team is now stuck at the very bottom of the table, in 18th place on 1-8 and 4. The two US outside hitters – Cooper Robinson (three aces, two blocks) and Ethan Champlin (two aces) – shared the match top scorer honors with 14 points each, while 20-year-old opposite Cole Hartke added another 11 points, including two aces. China’s leading scorer – outside Li Lei – recorded 8 points all in attack.

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

— Wednesday | July 15, 2026—

| Pool 9 – Week 3 – Osaka 🇯🇵
• 12.00 (Local Time) | Canada – Argentina 2-3 (26:24, 25:22, 23:25, 13:25, 17:19)
• 15.30 (Local Time) | Belgium – Cuba 0-3 (23:25, 19:25, 20:25)
• 19.20 (Local Time) | Japan – Italy 3-2 (24:26, 25:19, 25:20, 23:25, 15:12)

| Pool 7 – Week 3 – Belgrade 🇷🇸
• 13.00 (Local Time) | Germany – Slovenia 1-3 (17:25, 17:25, 25:23, 26:28)
• 16.30 (Local Time) | Ukraine – Iran 3-1 (25:22, 25:21, 29:31, 25:19)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Serbia – Türkiye 0-3 (23:25, 19:25, 18:25)

👉🏼 Pool 8 – Week 3 – Chicago 🇺🇸
• 12.00 (Local Time) | Bulgaria – Poland 0-3 (19:25, 17:25, 17:25)
• 16.00 (Local Time) | France – Brazil 0-3 (23:25, 23:25, 19:25)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | USA – China 3-0 (25:19, 25:23, 25:20)

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🏐| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Japan 22
2. USA 22
3. Poland 20
4. Ukraine 19
5. Slovenia 17
6. Türkiye 17
7. Italy 17
8. Brazil 16
9. Bulgaria 14
10. Germany 12
11. Serbia 12
12. France 10
13. Argentina 9
14. Belgium 9
15. Iran 9
16. Canada 9
17. Cuba 5
18. China 4

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🏐| NEXT GAMES

— Thursday | July 16, 2026—

| Pool 9 – Week 3 – Osaka 🇯🇵
• 15.30 (Local Time) | Belgium – Italy
• 19.20 (Local Time) | Japan – Canada

| Pool 7 – Week 3 – Belgrade 🇷🇸
• 16.30 (Local Time) | Iran – Germany
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Serbia – Ukraine

| Pool 8 – Week 3 – Chicago 🇺🇸
• 16.00 (Local Time) | China – France
• 20.00 (Local Time) | USA – Brazil

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