A Sweep for Men's National Team to Start Play at 2026 Continental Championship

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 11, 2026) – The U.S. Men’s National Team opened play at the 2026 NORCECA Continental Volleyball Championship in Canada with a dominating 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-11) victory over Guatemala.

The NORCECA Continental Championship is a qualifier for both the 2027 Men’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games, and the U.S. brought most of its top squad to help secure one of three World Cup berths available. As the host country for the Olympics, the U.S. will conclude play in Canada on Sept. 16 after the finals. The top four teams in the competition (excluding the U.S.) will stay for a semifinal and final event to determine Olympic qualification.

Next up for the U.S. Men is the Dominican Republic on Sept. 12 at 12:30 p.m. PT.

The U.S. led Guatemala in kills (43-24), blocks (4-0) and aces (13-1).

Patrick Rogers had a match-high 20 points with 12 kills, one block, and more than half of the U.S. aces (7). Jacob Pasteur hit double figures with 12 points on 10 kills and two aces, and Cole Hartke collected 11 kills. Mike Marshman had six kills and two blocks for eight points, and Matt Knigge had four kills, a block and two aces.

Andrew Rowan led the offense to a .597 hitting efficience while also notching two aces. Libero Mason Briggs had 14 digs.

Rogers led the way in set one with seven points overall. Guatemala scored the first point of the set off a kill, but the U.S. scored five straight, including a kill and a block from Marshman and a Pasteur kill. The U.S. slowly increased the lead, going up by eight at 18-10 on a Rogers ace. Seven of the final nine points went to the U.S. for the win.

Guatemala was within two of the U.S. in the second set, 7-5, but the Americans ran off nine straight on Rogers’ serve for a 16-5 lead. Guatemala chipped away with a point here and there but couldn’t close the gap in the second loss. Rogers again led the team with seven points, including three aces.

The two teams stayed close early on in set three, tied at four until a Pasteur kill, Rogers ace and Hartke kill opened up a three-point U.S. lead. Guatemala called a timeout and came back for one point, but the U.S. reeled off another four straight for an 11-6 lead. The U.S. extended the lead to 11 at 18-7 and to 12 at 23-11 with a Pasteur kill. Marshman gave the U.S. match point with a kill, and Rogers closed it out with his 12th kill of the match.

2026 NORCECA Continental Championship Roster

No., Name (Pos., Height, Hometown, College, USAV Region)
1 Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State, Western Empire)
3 Mason Briggs (L, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California Southern Nevada)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Chicago, Great Lakes)
7 Jacob Pasteur (OH, 6-4, Westminster, Md., Ohio State, Chesapeake)
8 Patrick Rogers (OH, 6-7, Rutherford, N.J., Ball State, Garden Empire)
12 Michael Marshman (MB, 6-7, Glenmont, N.Y., St. Francis Univ., Excelsior Empire)
14 Micah Ma’a (S, 6-3, Kaneohe, Hawaii, UCLA, Aloha)
15 Andrew Rowan (S, 6-7, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., UCLA, Southern California Southern Nevada)
17 Jake Hanes (OPP, 6-10, Orland Park, Ill., Ohio State Univ., Great Lakes)
18 Cole Hartke (OPP, 7-0, Barrington, Ill., Pepperdine, Great Lakes)
22 Erik Shoji (L, 6-0, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford Univ., Aloha)
24 Merrick McHenry (MB, 6-7, Bedford, Texas, UCLA, North Texas)
26 Matthew Knigge (MB, 6-7, New Egypt, N.J., Vassar, Garden Empire)
29 Jordan Ewert (OH, 6-5, Antioch, Calif., Stanford, Northern California)

Head Coach:  Karch Kiraly
Assistant Coach: Luka Slabe
Assistant Coach: Javier Weber
Performance Analyst/Team Manager: Nate Ngo
Physiotherapist: Aaron Brock
Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach: Tim Pelot
Statistician: Kailani Wang

Schedule

All times Pacific
Sept. 11: USA def. Guatemala, 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-11)
Sept. 12: USA vs. Dominican Republic, 12:30 p.m.
Sept. 13: USA vs. Cuba, 12:30 p.m.
Sept. 14: Quarterfinals and Classification
Sept. 15: Semifinals
Sept. 16: Finals