Team USA faces mountain to climb as VNL unfolds in Manila

VNL 2024 Schedule: Week 3 vs Manila, Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Team USA is gearing up for a tough fight to reach the top eight of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) with a crucial match in its first match of the third week in Manila.

With the Philippines hosting the prestigious world tournament for the third consecutive year, all eyes will be on the USA team playing at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“I’m happy to be here. This is my first time here this year. I’ve felt so much love from Filipino fans online and on social media, so it’s really nice to finally be here and experience it in person,” U.S. captain Micah Christenson said. “I’m excited to experience it all.”

Christenson, the current VNL best setter, knows his team currently sits in 12th place with a 3-5 record and faces a tough task in making the top eight.

“I think we’re just looking to improve and get better. We have a bit of a mountain to climb to get to the finals,” he said, “but we’ve brought the climbing gear and we’re going to do everything we can to get there.”

READ: ‘High expectations’ for Japan in VNL Manila match

Meanwhile, U.S. coach John Speraw said he is in awe of finally experiencing the popularity of Philippine volleyball in Manila, which will also host the FIVB Men’s World Championship next year.

“We said we never had the chance to come to the Philippines but we were looking forward to that day. Now that we’re here, we’re excited to be here and we’re grateful for the opportunity to experience it,” Sperow said.

“I heard a lot about the support of the Filipino fans and how much volleyball has grown in the country. And it definitely bodes well for next year’s World Championships.”

Team USA and Micah Christenson will compete in the VNL in Manila. #VNL2024 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/yhfsxRVqD1

— Lance Agcaoil (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) June 17, 2024

The U.S. is scheduled to make its debut against Iran in Manila at 7 p.m. on Wednesday after the France-Germany match at 3 p.m.

“We’re having a great week this summer in the VNL, striving to play our best volleyball and continue to get better with the ultimate goal in mind. We can’t wait to go out there and compete and meet our fans,” the U.S. coach said.

The top eight teams will advance to the VNL Final Round in Poland, which is also the last volleyball tournament before the Paris Olympics, with five tickets up for grabs based on the FIVB world rankings.

Only seven countries have ever qualified for the Olympics: the United States, host country France, Germany, Brazil, Japan, Poland and Canada.

The Netherlands and Brazil will kick off the third VNL match on Tuesday at 5pm, followed by the main game between Japan and Canada at 8:30pm.