Men Open 2024 Pan Am Cup with Tough Win over Puerto Rico

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 14, 2024) – The U.S. Men’s National Team began the 2024 NORCECA Men’s Senior Pan American Cup with a hard-fought 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 29-31, 25-18) win over Puerto Rico at the Professor Ricardo Gioriber Arias Volleyball Palace in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Sunday.

The U.S. returns to the court at 2 p.m. PT July 15, against Mexico, which defeated Chile in its first match.

U.S. vs. Puerto Rico Match Statistics (PDF)

The U.S. Men finished with advantages in kills (50-42), blocks (11-8) and service aces (12-1) though they committed 28 service errors compared to 18 for Puerto Rico.

Five U.S. players scored in double figures, led by opposite Gabi Garcia’s 19 points against the Puerto Rican National Team he competed for 2019-21. He finished with 13 kills, two blocks and four aces. Outside hitter Ethan Champlin led all players in kills with 16 and added a block to total 17 points.

Middle blocker Michael Marshman scored 12 points on eight kills with a .571 hitting efficiency percentage, three blocks and an ace. Outside Cooper Robinson and middle Patrick Gasman also reached double digits with 10 points. Robinson, making his U.S. Men’s National Team debut, registered six kills and equaled Garcia with a match-high four aces. Gasman posted a match-best four blocks to go with five kills and an ace.

Libero Mason Briggs, returning to the Pan Am Cup after playing in the championship in 2022, led all players with 14 successful receptions and 12 digs. Robinson finished with nine successful receptions, and setter Quinn Isaacson added seven digs and four points on two kills and a pair of aces.

Four players scored at least three points for the U.S. in the first set. Neither team led by more than two points until the U.S. went ahead 18-15. The two teams went back-and-forth for the next 12 points until a kill by Lawrence finished the set with the only four-point advantage. Garcia and Marshman each registered four kills with Champlin (three kills) and Gasman (one kill, one block and one ace) each adding three points.

Two Isaacson aces helped the U.S. take a 4-0 lead in the second set. Puerto Rico pulled within a point, 11-10, before the U.S. Men went on a 4-0 run with Champlin contributing a kill and a block. A block by outside hitter Nolan Flexen, making his U.S. National Team debut, extended the lead to eight points, the biggest of the set and match at 21-13. Champlin (four kills and the block) and Garcia (three kills, one block and an ace) led the team with five points in the set.

Puerto Rico trailed 10-9 in the third set before scoring the next five points to take a lead it held until the U.S. evened the set at 24-24. The U.S. staved off six set points before Puerto Rico notched back-to-back points to take the nearly 40-minute set, 31-29. After being outblocked 5-1 in the first two sets, Puerto Rico recorded a 6-2 block advantage in the third set. Garcia led the U.S. with six points on three kills, a block and two aces. Champlin, Marshman and Robinson scored four points apiece.

A Gasman block gave the U.S. the lead for good early in the fourth set, 3-2, and his kill extended the early lead to four points, 7-3. With the score 18-15, the U.S. scored three points in a row on a Champlin kill, a Marshman block and a Robinson ace for a six-point advantage. Kills by Champlin and Gasman finished the match. Champlin led the team with five kills in the set with Garcia (three kills and an ace) and Gasman (two kills and two blocks) adding four points.

U.S. Men’s Roster for the 2024 Pan American Cup

No. Name (Pos., Height, Hometown, School, USAV Region)
2 Cooper Robinson (OH, 6-7, Pacific Palisades, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
3 Gabi Garcia (OPP, 6-7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, BYU)
4 Merrick McHenry (MB, 6-7, Bedford, Texas, UCLA, North Texas)
6 Quinn Isaacson (S, 6-2, Plainfield, Ill., Ball State, Great Lakes)
7 Jacob Pasteur (OH, 6-4, Westminster, Md., Ohio State Univ., Chesapeake)
8 Nolan Flexen (OH, 6-9, Rio Rancho, New Mexico, UC-Irvine, Southern)
13 Patrick Gasman (MB, 6-10, Clovis, Calif., Univ. of Hawaii, Northern California)
15 Mason Briggs (L, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
22 Timothy McIntosh (L, 6-0, Miami, Fla., Sacred Heart, Florida)
24 Brett Wildman (OH, 6-5, Virginia Beach, Va., Penn State, Old Dominion)
25 Ethan Champlin (OH, 6-3, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
27 Michael Marshman (MB, 6-7, Glenmont, N.Y., St. Francis Univ., Excelsior Empire)
28 Nicholas Slight (S, 6-3, Storm Lake, Iowa, Grand Canyon Univ., Iowa)
30 Daniel Wetter (MB, 6-5, Camarillo, Calif., CSU-Northridge, Paris Volley)

Head Coach: Andy Read
Assistant Coach: Morteza Shiari
Assistant Coach: Jay Hosack
Physiotherapist: Rachel Kirkpatrick
Manager: Jimmy Kim

U.S. Men’s Schedule for the Pan American Cup
All Times PDT

U.S. Men’s Schedule for the Pan American Cup
All Times Pacific Daylight
Follow Live Stats for each match.

July 14 USA def. Puerto Rico, 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 29-31, 25-18)
July 15 at 2 p.m. USA vs Mexico
July 16 at 2 p.m. USA vs Canada
July 17 at 2 p.m. USA vs Chile
July 19 Playoffs for semifinals
July 20 Classification matches and semifinals
July 21 Classification matches and finals