U.S. Men Roll Past Canada to Win Gold at 2026 NORCECA Final Six

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 29, 2026) – The U.S. Men’s National Team completed its August sweep of gold medals with an incredible performance in the gold medal match at the 2026 NORCECA Final Six in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The U.S. defeated Canada, 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-21) on Saturday night to win the NORCECA Final Six after capturing the NORCECA Pan American Cup earlier this month.

The U.S., which won all seven of its matches in the tournament, dominated the match at the net with 16 blocks to only three for Canada. The U.S. also led in kills (31-27) and service aces (6-1).

Outside hitter Jacob Pasteur served three of the combined six aces in the match to go with 10 kills and a block to record a match-high 14 points. He also shared the team lead with five digs. Outside Sean Kelly was one of four U.S. players with multiple blocks, sharing match-high honors with four in addition to seven kills and an ace for 12 points.

Middle blocker Parker Tomkinson delivered kills on all six of his swings and added two blocks for eight points. Middle Cameron Thorne finished with three blocks and four kills for seven points. Setter Tread Rosenthal shared top blocking honors with four blocks, totaling six points with a kill and a block. He led the team to a .333 hitting efficiency percentage and joined Pasteur with five digs.

Libero Troy Gooch finished with 18 excellent receptions, seven more than the next highest total. Opposite Kainoa Wade scored four points on two kills, one block and an ace. Opposite Kyle Hobus entered the match in the third set, contributing a kill and a block.

The U.S. started the match on a 6-1 run. Kelly scored three points, two on kills and one on an ace, while also setting Rosenthal for a kill. A solo block by Pasteur sent Canada to a quick timeout down five. Kelly scored and then set Wade for a kill for a 9-4 lead. A Tomkinson block pushed the advantage to six points. A Wade block, a Pasteur ace off the tape, and an out-of-system hitting error off another tough Pasteur serve gave the U.S. a 13-5 lead and forced Canada to take its second timeout. Another hitting error and a Pasteur score on a pipe attack raised the margin to double digits, 15-5. Wade scored high off the block and Tomkinson followed with a block to give the U.S. an 18-8 lead. Thorne went to swing with his right hand but had to adjust and tip it with his left hand for a point and a 19-9 lead. Rosenthal recorded the fifth U.S. block of the set for an 11-point lead. Kelly’s block cover led to a Pasteur kill off the block and a 23-13 lead. A Tomkinson kill gave the U.S. set point and two points later, the set ended on a Canada hitting error. Pasteur scored five points on three kills, a block and an ace with Rosenthal (three blocks and an ace) and Kelly (three kills and an ace) each scoring four points.

The quick start in the second set belonged to Canada, which scored five of the first six points. A series of Canada errors and blocks from Thorne and Rosenthal evened the set 6-6. The score was tied four more times before Pasteur gave the U.S. its first lead of the set, 11-10. Pasteur found the floor on a crosscourt shot and Tomkinson put a ball down to put the U.S. up 14-12. Two more errors and a Rosenthal ace extended the lead to four points, 17-13. Pasteur crushed a serve for an ace and a 19-14 advantage. Pasteur soared past Tomkinson for a kill to make the score 20-15. Thorne put a ball down, Wade served an ace and the U.S. moved ahead 23-16 on a Kelly kill that ended a rally with two great ups from Gooch, including a one-handed stab at the first Canada attack of the point. The U.S. scored its final two points of the set on service errors to take a 2-0 set lead. Pasteur totaled six points on five kills and an ace in the set.

A Kelly block and Thorne kill helped the U.S. take a 3-1 lead to start the third set, but Canada used a 6-1 run to take a three-point lead. A Kelly kill capped a three-point U.S. spurt that tied the set at seven apiece. Canada regained its three-point advantage, 12-9, and eventually stretched the margin to five points, 15-10. Two Thorne blocks helped bring the U.S. within a pair, 15-13. A Tomkinson block cut the lead to one point, 16-15. Trailing 18-16, the U.S. regained the lead with three consecutive points with Pasteur tying the set on a back row attack and putting the U.S. ahead 19-18 with an ace that found the back of the court. Strong serves from Rogers kept Canada’s offense off guard and led to back-to-back Kelly blocks for a 22-19 U.S. lead. Yet another great Rogers serve had Canada unable to get off a good attack with a Thorne block ending the point to make it 23-19. The U.S. earned set point when Canada was finally able to put together a strong pass off Rogers only to have Hobus join the block party to set up match point. Canada saved two match points, the second on an ace, before a service error clinched the gold medal for the U.S. Kelly scored six points on three kills and three blocks with Thorne adding five points on three kills and a pair of blocks.

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 def, Canada, 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-21)