One point separates the top two scorers – and neither currently holds a Finals qualification place. The tournament’s leading blocker plays for a team sitting 16th, while Ukraine lead the serving chart.
Player statistics through the end of Week 2 on 28 June 2026. Article updated 10 July 2026.
The VNL 2026 men’s standings after Week 2 belong to Japan. The individual leaderboards are spread across almost the entire field.
The leading scorer plays for eighth-placed Bulgaria. The top blocker represents a side sitting 16th. The ace leader plays for Ukraine. The setter with the most successful sets plays for a France team outside the qualification places. Two weeks into the competition, no single team owns the numbers.
Bulgaria’s position needs one important qualification. China are guaranteed a place in the Finals as hosts, so with China currently outside the top eight, only the seven highest-ranked other teams occupy the effective qualification zone. Bulgaria are eighth overall but currently just outside it.
Here are the players driving the men’s VNL 2026 scoring race, the category leaders and the most revealing numbers after the first eight matches.
Top Scorers – VNL 2026 Men After 8 Matches
| Rank | Player | Team | Points | Attack | Block | Serve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleksandar Nikolov | BUL | 194 | 174 | 8 | 12 |
| 2 | Ferre Reggers | BEL | 193 | 179 | 4 | 10 |
| 3 | Ran Takahashi | JPN | 159 | 134 | 12 | 13 |
| 4 | Nik Mujanović | SLO | 139 | 123 | 9 | 7 |
| 5 | Adis Lagumdzija | TUR | 134 | 104 | 17 | 13 |
| 6 | Mathis Henno | FRA | 131 | 114 | 9 | 8 |
| 7 | Luciano Vicentin | ARG | 125 | 110 | 10 | 5 |
| 8 | Stephen Boyer | FRA | 124 | 106 | 15 | 3 |
| 9 | Jake Hanes | USA | 116 | 93 | 14 | 9 |
| 10 | Vasyl Tupchii | UKR | 115 | 95 | 12 | 8 |
Points combine attack, block and serve.
Category Leaders at a Glance
| Category | Leader | Team | Figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total points | Aleksandar Nikolov | BUL | 194 |
| Attack points | Ferre Reggers | BEL | 179 |
| Blocks | Jackson Howe | CAN | 33 |
| Aces | Dmytro Yanchuk | UKR | 16 |
| Successful sets | Antoine Brizard | FRA | 284 |
| Digs | Gabriele Laurenzano | ITA | 80 |
| Successful receptions | Mathis Henno | FRA | 68 |
The Stories Behind the Numbers
The scoring race: one point, two different engines
Bulgaria’s Aleksandar Nikolov leads all scorers with 194 points. Belgium’s Ferre Reggers is one point behind on 193. Neither player currently represents a team in an effective Finals qualification place, which is a reminder that individual production and team position do not always move together.
The two players reach their totals in different ways. Reggers leads the tournament with 179 attack points, five more than Nikolov. Nikolov makes up the difference through a broader contribution from the service line and the block.
Their efficiency also separates them. Nikolov has converted his attacks at 54.21%, compared with Reggers’ 50.00%. Reggers has carried the larger attacking volume; Nikolov has been slightly more efficient and has added more points in the other scoring categories. One point is all that separates them.
Ran Takahashi does almost everything
Japan lead the team standings, and their leading scorer is Ran Takahashi rather than captain Yuki Ishikawa or opposite Yuji Nishida. Takahashi is third overall with 159 points after eight matches.
His value extends well beyond the scoring column. Takahashi is joint second in aces with 13, sixth in digs with 60 and eighth in successful receptions with 43. Few outside hitters combine such a large attacking role with that level of serving and back-court responsibility.
That all-round contribution helps explain why Japan have remained unbeaten even though four of their eight victories have gone to five sets. Takahashi is not only finishing rallies; he is helping Japan begin and extend them.
Ukraine’s specialists give the team different ways to win
Ukraine sit fifth in the standings, and their individual leaders show why the team are no longer dependent on one source of production.
Dmytro Yanchuk leads the entire competition with 16 aces – an average of two per match. Captain and middle blocker Yurii Semeniuk ranks third with 22 blocks, behind only Jackson Howe and Bedirhan Bülbül. Semeniuk is continuing the form that made him the leading blocker in the men’s VNL 2025, when he finished with 37 blocks.
Vasyl Tupchii is tenth in the scoring race with 115 points, while Oleh Plotnytskyi has contributed 67 after returning to the national-team lineup. Ukraine therefore have the tournament’s leading server, a top-three blocker, a top-10 scorer and additional experience on the wing.
The leading blocker plays for the team in 16th
Canada have a 1-7 record and sit 16th, but they also have the most productive blocker in the competition. Jackson Howe has recorded 33 blocks through eight matches, an average of 4.12 per match and ten more than second-placed Bedirhan Bülbül.
Canada’s record hides how competitive many of their matches have been. Five of their seven defeats came in five sets. Howe’s work at the net has been a major reason they have repeatedly stayed close, even when the final result has gone against them.
It is the clearest example in the current statistics of an elite individual number existing inside a struggling team campaign.
Brizard leads the setting chart, even as France struggle
Antoine Brizard, the 2024 VNL MVP, leads the official setting chart with 284 successful sets. Brazil’s Fernando Cachopa is second with 267.
By volume, no setter has produced more successful sets through the first two weeks. Cachopa has the higher success percentage, 46.76% to Brizard’s 42.84%, which shows why the category should not be reduced to a single number.
The wider context is uncomfortable for France. They sit 12th and outside the qualification places, yet Mathis Henno and Stephen Boyer are both inside the top eight scorers. Henno also leads the reception chart. The individual pieces are producing; the team results have not yet matched them.
The back line: Laurenzano and Henno carry heavy workloads
Italy’s libero Gabriele Laurenzano leads all players with 80 digs, exactly 10 per match. He also ranks second in successful receptions with 51, behind only Mathis Henno.
Henno’s workload is unusual because he combines reception responsibility with a major scoring role. He leads the tournament with 68 successful receptions and sits sixth overall with 131 points. Carrying both serve-receive and high attacking volume is demanding, especially for a France side playing under qualification pressure.
These categories do not receive the attention given to scoring, but they reveal which players are asked to keep rallies stable before the attack can begin.
A Bulgarian family connection runs through the attack
Aleksandar Nikolov’s scoring lead is closely connected to the work of his younger brother, setter Simeon Nikolov. Simeon ranks fifth in the setting chart with 219 successful sets and has also scored 11 aces.
The brothers occupy different roles but shape the same Bulgarian attack: Simeon creates the opportunities, while Aleksandar finishes more of them than any other player in the competition. Their connection is one of the defining individual stories of Bulgaria’s 2026 campaign.
What the Numbers Mean Before Week 3
These leaderboards are snapshots rather than final verdicts. Every team still has four Preliminary Phase matches, and the last week can change both the scoring race and the specialist rankings quickly.
Players on teams fighting for the Finals may carry even larger workloads. Others may lose volume as coaches rotate lineups or welcome back established starters. The most revealing question is not only who finishes first in each category, but which individual performances translate into qualification.
Our VNL 2026 Week 3 preview examines the schedule, the qualification scenarios and the matches most likely to reshape both the standings and these player leaderboards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the top scorer in the men’s VNL 2026 after Week 2?
Bulgaria’s Aleksandar Nikolov leads with 194 points after eight matches. Belgium’s Ferre Reggers is second with 193, while Japan’s Ran Takahashi is third with 159.
Who has the most attack points in VNL 2026?
Ferre Reggers of Belgium leads with 179 attack points. Aleksandar Nikolov is second with 174 but has the higher attack efficiency, 54.21% compared with Reggers’ 50.00%.
Who has the most aces in the men’s VNL 2026?
Ukraine’s Dmytro Yanchuk leads all servers with 16 aces through eight matches, an average of two per match.
Who has the most blocks in the men’s VNL 2026?
Canada’s Jackson Howe leads with 33 blocks, ten more than Türkiye’s Bedirhan Bülbül. Ukraine’s Yurii Semeniuk is third with 22.
Which setter has the most successful sets?
France’s Antoine Brizard leads the official setting chart with 284 successful sets. Brazil’s Fernando Cachopa is second with 267 and has the higher success percentage.
Who leads the digging and reception categories?
Italy’s Gabriele Laurenzano leads with 80 digs. France’s Mathis Henno leads with 68 successful receptions, with Laurenzano second on 51.
Is Oleh Plotnytskyi playing for Ukraine in VNL 2026?
Yes. Plotnytskyi is back in Ukraine’s national-team lineup and has scored 67 points through the first two weeks.
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