After skipping the Volleyball Nations League, USA captain Micah Christenson returned in style, guiding the Americans to a commanding 25-20, 25-21, 25-14 victory over Colombia in their 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship opener on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Americans set the tone early, cruising to a straight-set win in Pool D to claim their first three points of the tournament, while Colombia fell short in their World Championship debut.
Christenson orchestrated the offense with precision, tossing an efficient 36.76%.
Outside hitter Ethan Champlin finished with 17 points on 12 kills, three aces, and two blocks. Meanwhile, opposite Gabriel Garcia was pivotal in the attack, adding 12 points (eight kills, four aces).
Outside hitter Jordan Ewert contributed 11 (10 kills, one block).
“I thought it was a good start,” Christenson said. “It was the first time for a lot of our guys in a World Championship match, and I think we didn’t have many ups and downs. Colombia had some good moments during the match, and we showed some maturity to deal with them.”
The Americans dominated across all facets of the game. They outscored Colombia in kills (40-31), blocks (6-4), and aces (8-3), while committing fewer errors (17-21) en route to a clean sweep.
Colombia’s Miguel Ángel Amaranto led his side with 11 points, all from kills, while Juan Felipe Benavides added eight points.
Middle blocker and captain Leandro Ararat reflected on the team’s first World Championship outing.
“We came into this match knowing that their level was very high,” Ararat said. “It was the first World Championship match for Colombia, and I felt the team a little bit nervous at the beginning.
“We had good moments during the match, especially in transition, but it was hard to keep up with their level. Hopefully, we can win the next match.”
