The United States secured mathematical qualification for the Men's Volleyball Nations League 2026 Finals after sweeping Brazil 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-19) in front of a home crowd in Chicago. TJ Defalco was the standout performer with 18 points — 7 kills, 7 aces, and 4 blocks — setting the VNL record for most aces in a three-set match.
With their eighth win in ten Preliminary Phase matches, the Americans reached 25 points in the standings, cementing second place and qualification for the Finals scheduled in Macao from July 29 to August 2.
"These two teams have had many battles since the 60s," Defalco told Volleyball World. "We came in with the idea that we needed to stop them as much as we could, and we did an incredible job. It was one of the better serving nights in my career, and hopefully we can take that momentum forward."
The outside hitter recorded seven aces — the fifth-best mark in VNL history and the highest ever in a three-set match. His impact from the service line was devastating, consistently putting Brazil's reception under pressure.
Contributing to Defalco's efforts were fellow outside hitter Matt Anderson and opposite Jake Hanes, who delivered 13 points each. For Brazil, opposite Darlan Souza finished with 17 points (12 kills, 4 aces, 1 block), while middle blockers Flávio Gualberto and Matheus Pinta added 7 points apiece.
Brazil captain Ricardo Lucarelli acknowledged the opponents' superiority: "I think we did well at handling France's pressure in serve-receive yesterday, but today we couldn't do the same. They served amazingly well today, and we didn't have the patience to play and earn the points."
With this result, Brazil remains in eighth place with six wins and 16 points, outside the qualification zone. The South Americans face defending champions Poland on Friday in a crucial showdown, while the United States return to action on Saturday against Bulgaria.
Sources
- Volleyball World: Defalco on fire as USA make VNL Finals after sweeping Brazil (https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/volleyball-nations-league/news/defalco-on-fire-usa-make-vnl-finals-after-sweeping-brazil)
