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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 28, 2026) – The U.S. Men’s National Team advanced to the gold medal match at the 2026 NORCECA Final Six with a hotly contested 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-23) victory over host Puerto Rico in Ponce. The win was the second for the U.S. over Pan American Cup silver medalists Puerto Rico in two nights. The teams played a combined seven sets in the two matches with no set decided by more than four points and four decided by two points.
The U.S. (6-0) will face Canada (4-2) tomorrow at 5 p.m. PT for the gold medal. The teams have split two matches this summer with Canada winning in straight sets in the preliminary round of the Pan American Cup, where the U.S. captured the gold medal. The teams met in an epic match in this tournament with the U.S. storming back from a two-set deficit to win.
The U.S. finished with a 46-39 advantage in kills, while holding slight edges in blocks (7-6) and service aces (3-2). Puerto Rico made one fewer error (20-19).
Outside hitter Sean Kelly led all players with 17 kills and 18 points, contributing an ace, six digs, and four excellent receptions. Outside Jacob Pasteur posted a match-high three blocks to go with 10 kills for 13 points, while leading the team with seven excellent receptions.
Opposite Kainoa Wade also reached double digits with 10 kills. Middle blockers Cameron Thorne and Parker Tomkinson each recorded two blocks with Thorne recording five attacks and Tomkinson four. Patrick Rogers and setter Tread Rosenthal each served an ace. Rosenthal led the offense to a .352 hitting efficiency percentage. Libero Troy Gooch shared match-high honors with 10 digs.
The teams alternated the first 10 points before Puerto Rico took the first two-point lead of the match, 7-5. Scrambling defense led to a Wade kill off a Pasteur set to square the set at 7-7. Puerto Rico responded with three points in a row, taking a 10-7 lead on a kill off an overpass and forcing a U.S. timeout. A kill from Kelly and block from Thorne cut the deficit to one point, 12-11. Kills by Thorne and Kelly again pulled the U.S. within one, 13-12 and 14-13, respectively. Pasteur cut the lead to one with a kill, 15-14. A Rogers ace following a Kelly kill evened the set at 16 apiece, the first tie since 7-7. Puerto Rico scored the next two points to regain its two-point advantage.
Trailing 19-17, the U.S. scored three points in a row to lead for the first time early in the set. Wade scored to pull the U.S. within one and then a Gooch dig helped set up a Pasteur kill off the block for a 19-19 tie. A Kelly serve forced an overpass and Thorne scored off the block as the U.S. took the lead and forced a Puerto Rico timeout. A one-handed up by Wade and a dig over the net by Pasteur kept a rally going that ended with a Puerto Rico hitting error that gave the U.S. its first two-point lead, 21-19. A Rosenthal one-handed set on a ball close to the net allowed Wade to put a free ball over and the U.S. defended an attack before Kelly scored on a back row attack for a 22-20 advantage. Tomkinson recorded a solo block on the next point to extend the lead to three. With the score 23-21, Puerto Rico defended a pipe attack but couldn’t stop Tomkinson on the next U.S. attack as he put a ball down for set point. Rosenthal finished the set with an ace. Kelly led the U.S. with six kills and Thorne added four points on three kills and a block.
The U.S. began the second set with a block from Thorne, a Wade kill off a bump set from Tomkinson and another Wade kill, this time against a triple block off a bump set from Pasteur. A Pasteur kill put the U.S. up 8-5. The lead was 14-11 on a Kelly kill before Puerto Rico scored twice to cut the lead to one. Pasteur pounded a ball down to the back court for a 15-13 U.S. lead, but Puerto Rico scored the next three points to take its first lead of the set and send the U.S. to a timeout. Kills from Kelly and Wade, who found the back court past the left back defender, put the U.S. back in front, 18-17.
After Puerto Rico scored the next point, a service error gave the U.S. the lead back and Pasteur drilled a ball to make it 20-18 and lead to a Puerto Rico timeout. A Pasteur block as part of a triple block and then a Tomkinson kill after a great Foley serve led to a free ball extended the U.S. margin to three points, 22-19. Another Pasteur kill gave the U.S. set point at 24-21. Puerto Rico scored the next two points and the U.S. called timeout. On the ensuing play, Gooch made a nice pass on a tough serve and Rosenthal fed Tomkinson on a quick to put the U.S. up two sets. Wade (five kills) and Pasteur (four kills, one block) each scored five points with Kelly adding four kills.
A Tomkinson block put the U.S. ahead 6-4 in the third set and after a hitting error on the next play, the lead reached three and led to a Puerto Rico timeout. Kelly scored off a back row set from Pasteur for a 9-6 U.S. advantage. The lead grew to five on two more Kelly kills, the second on an overpass after a great Wade serve. Another strong Wade serve forced Puerto Rico to put over a free ball that led to a Pasteur score on a back row attack that put the U.S. up 12-7. Thorne put the ball straight down on consecutive plays for a 14-8 lead that caused Puerto Rico to take its final timeout. With the score 16-9, Rosenthal sent an attack back across the net and on the next Puerto Rico swing, Pasteur recorded a block for a 17-9 lead. Wade scored for an 18-10 advantage before scored three points in a row to cut the deficit to five points. Kelly soared past Tomkinson from the back row to put a ball away and give the U.S. a 19-13 lead. Tomkinson scored for a 20-14 advantage, but Puerto Rico rattled off three consecutive points to cut the lead in half and prompt a U.S. timeout.
Taking a swing from off the net, Kelly was able to score off the block for a 21-17 lead. A Kelly ace pushed the lead to 23-18, and Kelly came up the middle to score off the block for match point at 24-19. After gaining the next point on a service error, Puerto Rico used an ace and back-to-back blocks to save four match points and force the U.S. to take a timeout. Puerto Rico put the next serve into the net to send the U.S. into the gold medal match. Kelly scored eight points on seven kills and an ace.
U.S. Men’s Final Six 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: Reid Priddy
Assistant Coach: David Lee
Assistant Coach: Jonathan Winder
Performance Analyst/Team Manager: Jesse Tupac
Physiotherapist: Mandolyn Peterson
2026 Final Six Schedule
(All times PDT)
Aug. 23: USA def. Mexico, 3-1 (32-30, 25-19, 22-25, 25-20)
Aug. 24: USA def. Guatemala, 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-16)
Aug. 25: USA vs. Canada, 3-2 (17-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-11)
Aug. 26: USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 25-16, 23-25, 15-11)
Aug. 27: USA def. Puerto Rico, 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-23, 25-21)
Aug. 28: Semifinals: USA def. Puerto Rico, 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-23)
Aug. 29: Gold Medal Match: USA vs. Canada, 5 p.m.
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