The U.S. men’s volleyball team pulled off a thrilling semifinal win over undefeated Japan in Ningbo Beilun, China, booking a spot in the 2026 Volleyball Nations League final with a 3-2 (25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-13) decision.
Japan led for most of the match, taking the second and third sets. But the Americans used a dominant fourth set and a tight finish in the fifth to close the deal.
Matt Anderson and Jake Hanes led the U.S. attack, each scoring 24 points. Anderson tallied 21 kills, two blocks, and an ace. Hanes added 20 kills, three aces, and a block. Erik Shoji recorded a match-high 14 digs on defense, helping the U.S. outperform Japan in kills, blocks, and aces.
Yuji Nishida led Japan with 19 points, while Yuki Ishikawa added 18 and Ran Takahashi had 13. Japan controlled the middle of the match, but the Americans surged in the fourth and won a tense fifth.
The decisive set saw multiple lead changes, with Japan briefly ahead 12-11. Ethan Champlin answered with an ace, Cooper Robinson scored match point, and Anderson finished with the winning kill.
The U.S. now plays Poland in the gold medal match. Poland, the 2023 champion, is the defending VNL titleholder. Japan will compete for bronze against Slovenia after their first loss of the tournament.
Sunday’s medal matches begin at 07:40 UTC with the bronze medal match between Japan and Slovenia. The U.S. faces Poland at 11:30 UTC for the gold.