This paper describes a multiresidual approximation method for scattered volumetric data modeling. The approximation method employs a volumetric NURBS or VNURBS as a data interpolating function and proposes two multiresidual methods as a data modeling algorithm. One is called as the residual series method that constructs a sequence of VNURBS functions and their algebraic summation produces the desired approximation. The other is the residual merging method that merges all the VNURBS functions mentioned above into one equivalent function. The first one is designed to construct wavelet-type multiresolution models and also to achieve more accurate approximation. And the second is focused on its improvement of computational performance with the save fitting accuracy for more practical applications. The performance results of numerical examples demonstrate the usefulness of VNURBS approximation and the effectiveness of multiresidual methods. In addition, several graphical examples suggest that the VNURBS approximation is applicable to various applications such as surface modeling and fitting problems.