U.S. men’s volleyball team returning to Hoffman Estates

A year after falling short of a Volleyball Nations League Finals berth, the U.S. men's volleyball team returns to the Chicago area with another opportunity to run it back.

Led by coach Karch Kiraly, the United States sits second in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League standings with a 6-2 record. The U.S. is set to host Week 3 of the VNL preliminary round from July 15-19 at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, where they will face a slate of powerhouses including world No. 1 Poland, No. 3 Brazil, No. 8 Bulgaria and China.

The five-day tournament will determine which teams advance to the VNL Finals.

“We got some work to do to grab some more wins to qualify for finals, and really see how we measure up against the best teams in the world,” Kiraly said.

The momentum stands in sharp contrast to last season, when the U.S. finished 6-6 — including a 2-2 showing at last year’s Chicago stop — and failed to qualify for the finals. Kiraly explained that many key veterans, such as Micah Christenson, Matt Anderson and TJ DeFalco, took that year off following the Paris Olympics, opening the door for younger players to develop within the program during his first season at the helm.

Those returning veterans are blending with the emerging younger players from last year.

“Last year was a lot about learning and opportunity,” Kiraly said. “This year is now taking a number of those young guys, and molding them together with the veterans and seeing how it fits together.”

Bringing the tournament back to Chicago offers a home-court advantage, but Kiraly also expects a heavy international flavor in the stands that could make NOW Arena feel like an away court.

“We are going to have a lot of people here cheering Brazil and Poland on. There are a lot of people who have heritage from those countries,” Kiraly said.

Local fans will have a hometown hero to rally behind. U.S. middle blocker Jeff Jendryk, a Wheaton native and St. Francis alum, is expected to draw local supporters.

“I think it’s really good for our USA team that we have representatives from all around the country,” Kiraly said while mentioning Jendryk. “It’s just a sign of how the sport has grown both for participation and for fans.”

Taking on challenges is what Kiraly thrives on, even after winning at every level. As a player, he led UCLA to a 124-5 record and three NCAA titles before winning three Olympic gold medals. As a coach, he cemented his legacy on the women's side, leading the team to a 2014 World Championship. In the Olympics, he guided the women's program to gold in Tokyo 2020, silver in Paris 2024 and bronze in Rio 2016.

Now appointed to lead the men's side through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Kiraly views this tournament as part of that larger preparation.

“We got a lot of momentum (this year), and trying to build on that momentum for the next couple of years with some big tournaments coming up,” Kiraly said. “I love doing incredibly difficult things. (Winning an Olympic Games) is nearly impossible. We learn about ourselves through that challenge, and through the struggle, and the sacrifice, and it's, to me, a worthy goal to strive for.”