Men's U21 Clinches Spot in 2025 Pan Am Cup Gold Medal Match

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 8, 2025) – The U.S. Men’s U21 National Team improved to 4-0 and clinched a spot in the 2025 NORCECA U21 Men’s Pan American Cup gold medal match with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 26-24) win over Mexico in Calgary, Canada. Even with one match remaining before the medal round, the U.S. has already earned a spot in the final.

The U.S. (4-0) completes Pan American Cup preliminary round play against Puerto Rico (2-2) tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 9 at 3:30 p.m. PT.

The U.S. finished with 50 kills to 32 for Mexico and also led in blocks (8-4). Mexico served three aces to two for the U.S.

Outside hitter Marek Turner totaled 20 kills, twice as many as the next-highest hitter in the match and added a block for 21 points. He led the team with 10 successful receptions and contributed six digs.

“It was a lot of fun out there. Mexico played well, but we executed the game plan we got before the match and it worked out,” Turner said.

Setter Trent Taliaferro ran the U.S. offense that hit .409 for the match (50 kills, 12 errors, 93 attacks), produced three kills, came up with a huge block late in the match and led the squad with nine digs.

Middle blocker Micah Gross scored nine points on six kills and three blocks, outside hitter Victor Loiola finished with eight points on seven kills and an ace, and middle Joshua Aruya added seven points on five kills and a pair of blocks. Libero Kellen Larson finished with nine successful receptions and four digs.

Opposite Kainoa Wade recorded four kills, while outside Sebastiano Sani (three kills) and middle Tre Jordan (two kills, one block) each scored three points.

After falling behind 8-5 to start the match, the U.S. went on a 9-3 to take a 14-11 lead. Goss scored four points on two kills and two blocks in that stretch. Mexico drew within a point, 17-16, before kills by Turner and Goss upped the lead back to three points. A Mexico timeout was unable to stifle the momentum as the U.S. scored the next four points for a 23-16 lead. A Goss block, Riggs Guy ace and Turner kill were followed by a Mexico hitting error.

A service error gave the U.S. set point at 24-17 and a hitting error ended the set. Goss scored six points on three kills and the only three blocks of the set. Turner registered five kills.

Mexico scored three points in a row to take an 8-7 lead in the second set and looked like the run would hit four points before a great dig by Larson led to a Turner kill off the block. Mexico responded with another three points to take an 11-8 lead and force a U.S. timeout.

The U.S. scored five of the next seven points to square the set at 13-13, but Mexico regained the lead with the next two points. The U.S. went on a 6-1 run to take a two-point lead, 19-16, capped by Loiola’s fifth kill of the set. The U.S. kept rolling after a U.S. timeout on a back row attack by Turner and a kill by Goss to raise the margin to five points. Turner’s eighth kill of the set made it 24-19 and he followed with a block to finish the set with nine points.

Mexico started the third set by doubling up the U.S. 10-5 early. The U.S. pulled within two points, 11-9, but a 5-1 run gave Mexico its biggest lead, 16-10. Still down five points (17-12), the U.S. went on a 6-2 run to pull within a point and prompt a timeout.

The U.S. saved two set points on back-to-back kills by Turner to even the set at 24. A Taliaferro block set up match point, which the U.S. converted on Turner’s 20th kill. He led all players with seven kills.

2025 Men’s U21 National Team

Name (Pos., Height, Hometown, School/Club, USAV Region)

1 Kellen Larson (L, 5-9, Irvine, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
5 Marek Turner (OH, 6-6, Long Beach, Calif., Team Rockstar, Southern California)
6 Victor Loiola (OH, 6-4, Manhattan Beach, Calif., N/A, Southern California)
7 Trent Taliaferro (S, 6-5, San Clemente, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
8 Jacob Little-Phillips (S, 6-2, Winter Park, Fla., Winter Park HS, Florida Region)
9 Tre Jordan (MB, 6-10, Mesa, Ariz., Grand Canyon, Arizona)
10 Johnny Dykstra (L, 6-2, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Univ. of Southern California, Southern California)
15 Joshua Aruya (MB, 6-9, Mission Viejo, Calif., UC Santa Barbara, Southern California)
17 Riggs Guy (OH, 6-3, Newport Beach, Calif., UC Santa Barbara, Southern California/Southern Nevada)
18 Kainoa Wade (OPP, 6-10, Kailua, Hawaii, Univ. of Hawaii, Aloha Region)
22 Sebastiano Sani (OH, 6-8, Aliso Viejo, Calif., Long Beach State, Chesapeake)
23 Micah Goss (MB, 6-6, Santa Barbara, Calif., UC Irvine, Southern California)

Alternates
2 Roan Alviar (L, 5-11, Hayward, Calif., Princeton, Northern California)
4 Aidan Klein (MB, 6-10, Evanston, Ill., Loyola Chicago, Great Lakes)
11 Finn Kearney (OH, 6-5, Phoenix, Ariz., Univ. of Hawaii, Arizona)
14 Justin Todd (MB, 6-7, Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Hawaii, Aloha)
19 Grayson Bradford (OPP, 6-11, Redondo Beach, Calif., Mira Costa HS, Southern California)
24 Kahale Clini (OH, 6-3, Honolulu, Hawaii, UCLA, Aloha)

Coaches
Head Coach: John Hawks (UCLA)
Assistant Coach: Donan Cruz (Ball State)
Assistant Coach: Matthew Pollock (Pepperdine)
Performance Analyst: Thomas Shaffer (Loyola Chicago)
Athletic Trainer: Hazel Peterson (USOPTC)
Team Lead: Brandon Oswald (NTDP)

Schedule

All times Pacific

Aug. 5: USA def. Chile, 3-0 (25-15 25-14, 25-15)
Aug. 6: USA def. Barbados, 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-14)
Aug. 7: USA def. Canada, 3-1 (25-11, 25-22, 23-25, 25-22)
Aug. 8: USA def. Mexico, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 26-24)
Aug. 9: USA vs. Puerto Rico, 3:30 p.m.
Aug. 10: Gold Medal Match: USA vs. TBA, 3:30 p.m.