Team Effort Brings U.S. Gold at 2026 Men's Pan American Cup

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 16, 2026) – The U.S. Men’s National Team won the gold medal at the 2026 NORCECA Pan American Cup with a 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-19) victory over Puerto Rico on Sunday night in Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico. Eight U.S. players, including four middle blockers, scored to keep Puerto Rico off balance after the silver medalists took the first set. 

The U.S. held a slight edge in kills (53-50) and blocks (11-5) while making six fewer errors (31-25). Puerto Rico served one more ace (3-2).

Outside hitter Jacob Pasteur recorded a match-high 17 kills and opposite Kyle Hobus scored 16 points on 15 kills and a block with a .684 hitting percentage. Outside Patrick Rogers also reached double digits with 13 points on 11 kills and two blocks. Middle blockers Micah Wong Diallo and Jackson Cryst came off the bench to combine for five blocks and 12 points with six kills and no errors in eight attacks. Wong Diallo finished with four kills, two blocks and an ace, while Cryst contributed three blocks and two kills.

Setter Michael Wright led the U.S. offense to a .443 hitting efficiency percentage. After six hitting errors in the opening set, the U.S. totaled only eight in the final three sets. Wright also scored three points with one kill, block and ace each, and finished second on the team with seven digs. Middle Cameron Thorne scored three points on two kills and a block, and Parker Tomkinson added a kill and block. Libero Troy Gooch led all players with 12 excellent receptions and led the U.S. with eight digs.

Rogers was named MVP and Second Best Attacker. Tomkinson earned Best Blocker and Michael Wright was Best Setter.

The U.S. scored three points in a row to take its first lead of the match, 10-9, on a Thorne block. The set went back and forth with neither team leading by more than a point until Puerto Rico moved ahead 18-16. After a U.S. timeout, a lift call nullified a U.S. point, and the U.S. was unable to draw closer than two points. Pasteur and Hobus led the U.S. with three kills apiece. Each team committed 11 errors in the set.

Back-to-back Rogers kills and a Thorne floating ace gave the U.S. a 7-4 lead in the second set. A Thorne kill extended the lead to four points, 9-5. The teams exchanged the next 12 points before a Rogers kill gave the U.S. a 16-11 lead. Out of a Puerto Rico timeout, Hobus knocked a defender over with an attack and then set Rogers for a kill on the next play to extend the margin to seven points. Thorne put a ball down and on the following rally, Wright faked he was going to attack a second ball, drawing the middle blocker, and instead fed Pasteur for a kill. With a 20-12 advantage, the U.S. moved the lead to nine when Wright did score on a set from Gooch. A Thorne kill gave the U.S. set point at 24-15 and two points later, a Puerto Rico serving error evened the match at one set each. Rogers and Pasteur each delivered four kills with Rogers adding a block.

Hobus scored three points in a row with two kills and a block to give the U.S. a 5-2 lead early in the third set. Wong Diallo followed with a block for a four-point advantage. Another Hobus kill put the U.S. up 10-6. A block capped a 5-2 Puerto Rico run that cut the deficit to one before a Wong Diallo kill. A great up by Gooch led to a Rogers kill and a 14-12 U.S. lead. Puerto Rico scored the next two points to tie the set and prompt a U.S. timeout. The teams split the next eight points before a Pasteur kill and a misfire by Puerto Rico put the U.S. up by two, 20-18. Pasteur scored again for a 22-20 lead, Wong Diallo delivered a kill for a 23-21 advantage and Cryst came up with a key block to give U.S. set point at 24-21. Puerto Rico saved two set points, pulling within one on an ace, but a Rogers block ended the set. Hobus scored six points on five kills and a block to pace the U.S.

The U.S. used a three-point run to take the first two-point lead of the fourth set by either team, 13-11. A Rogers kill put the U.S. ahead and a Puerto Rico error made it a two-point set. Another Rogers kill and a Cryst block extended the lead to three points, 15-12. A Pasteur kill put the U.S. up 16-13 and a Cryst kill made the score 17-14. Puerto Rico, trying to hit over the big block of Tomkinson, hit the ball long to push the margin to four points. Another hitting error after a Puerto Rico timeout put the U.S. ahead 19-14.

A block pulled Puerto Rico within three points, 21-18. A Pasteur kill pushed the lead back to four. A Cryst block gave the U.S. match point at 24-18. Puerto Rico saved one match point before the U.S. clinched the championship on a Gooch up, a set by Wright off the net and a Hobus kill. Pasteur recorded six kills in the set and Hobus added five.

U.S. Men’s Pan Am Cup Roster

No., Name (Pos., Height, Hometown, College, USAV Region)
1 Jackson Cryst (MB, 6-10, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California Southern Nevada)
2 Kainoa Wade (OPP, 6-9, Kailua, Hawai’i, Hawai’i, Aloha)
3 Michael Wright (S, 6-4, Richmond, Va., Ohio State, Old Dominion)
6 Jacob Reilly (L, 6-2. Cypress, Texas, Pepperdine, Lone Star)
7 Jacob Pasteur (OH, 6-4, Westminster, Md., Ohio State, Chesapeake)
8 Patrick Rogers (OH, 6-7, Rutherford, N.J., Ball State, Garden Empire)
9 Sterling Foley (OH, 6-6, Los Angeles, Calif., USC, Southern California Southern Nevada)
12 Micah Wong Diallo (MB, 6-9, Los Angeles, Calif., UCLA, Southern California Southern Nevada)
15 Kyle Hobus (OPP, 6-7, San Pedro, Calif., CSUN, Southern California Southern Nevada)
16 Cameron Thorne (MB, 6-4, Hollywood, Calif., UCLA, Florida)
25 Troy Gooch (L, 6-0, Buffalo, N.Y., UCLA, Western Empire)
27 Parker Tomkinson (MB, 7-0, Carlsbad, Calif., USC, Southern California Southern Nevada)
28 Tread Rosenthal (S, 6-9, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Univ. of Hawai’i, Southern California Southern Nevada)
30 Sean Kelly (OH, 6-7, Manhattan Beach, Calif., UCLA, Southern California Southern Nevada)

Head Coach: Andy Read
Assistant Coach: David Lee
Assistant Coach: Reid Priddy
Performance Analyst/Team Manager:  Ethan Jenkins
Physiotherapist: Emma Stratmoen

2026 Pan Am Cup Schedule
(All times PDT)

Aug. 9: USA def. Costa Rica, 3-0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-14)
Aug. 11: USA def. Puerto Rico, 3-0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-18)
Aug. 12: USA def. Trinidad and Tobago, 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-14)
Aug. 13: Canada def. USA, 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 34-32)
Aug. 14: Quarterfinals:  USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-13)
Aug. 15: Semifinals: USA def. Mexico, 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-16)
Aug. 16: Gold Medal Match: USA def. Puerto Rico, 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-19)