Led by Gabi Garcia, the American team secured a challenging straight-sets win against their neighbors Canada.
The USA men`s team earned their third consecutive victory, and fourth overall, in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League. Playing in front of their home fans in Chicago, they remain undefeated there this week. Their hard-fought straight-sets victory against Canada in Thursday`s final match propelled them to sixth place in the VNL standings with a 4-2 record and 10 points. Canada, on the other hand, suffered their second straight-sets defeat in Chicago, dropping to a 2-4 record and 7 points, placing them in 15th position.
The North American derby featured competitive play in all three sets, with the lead frequently changing hands. The third set went deep into overtime, and Canada had opportunities with several set points before the home team finally secured the 3-0 victory with set scores of 25-23, 25-22, and a hard-fought 30-28 in the third.
Match statistics reveal an equal number of attack points for both teams (41-41). Canada held an advantage in blocks (7-3), while the USA led in aces (6-2). The crucial difference came from unforced errors: the home side made 23, compared to Canada`s 30.
Opposite hitter Gabriel Garcia was the top scorer with 19 points, including three of the USA`s six aces, one block, and an impressive 68% attack efficiency. 22-year-old outside hitter Cooper Robinson contributed 13 points, including two aces. A setback occurred in the third set when, with Canada leading 11-9, USA middle blocker Shane Holdaway suffered an injury and left the game. For Canada, middle blocker and captain Fynnian Lionel McCarthy led his team`s scoring with 13 points, including four blocks and an ace.
After the match, Gabi Garcia commented, “I am just trying to have fun out there. It’s a fun sport to play.” He also expressed concern for his teammate: “But first of all, I want to say: ‘Shane, we are thinking about you, man! Get back stronger than ever.’ So, a lot of love and strength for Shane! He’s going to come back. We are a team of fighters. We were there all the time. We didn’t give up… I think as long as we keep fighting and have that fire in our eyes, it is going to be a nice VNL for us.”
The Volleyball Nations League continues with six more matches scheduled for Friday. The action will once again begin in Burgas, featuring Ukraine against Japan at 15:00 local time (12:00 UTC).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick