United States Rallies Past Canada in Five Sets to Remain Undefeated

PONCE, Puerto Rico, August 25, 2026.- The United States rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat Canada 3-2 (17-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-11), earning its third consecutive victory at the NORCECA Men’s Final Six at the Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium.

The United States remains undefeated with a 3-0 record, while Canada dropped to 1-2.

The United States held a slight advantage in attacks (55-54) and led in blocks (10-7), while Canada had the edge in aces (9-3). Canada committed 36 errors compared to 31 by the United States.

Jacob Pasteur led the United States with 17 points, followed by Sean Kelly with 15, Parker Tomkinson with 13, and Kyler Wade with 10.

Canada’s Daniil Hershtynovich led all scorers with 25 points, while Kaden Schmidt and Jordon Heppner added 11 points each.

After dropping the opening two sets, the United States began its comeback by taking the third 25-21. The Americans then forced a fifth set after pulling ahead 19-15 in the fourth on a right-side attack by Kyler Wade.

Leading 24-19, the United States benefited from a Canadian service error before closing the set on another Canadian error on a middle attack, completing the 25-19 win and sending the match to a decisive fifth set.

The United States carried the momentum into the tiebreaker and completed the comeback 15-11 to remain undefeated in the tournament.

Jacob Pasteur – United States

“It feels incredible to come from behind and win. I think hard-fought victories are always extremely valuable. We have a lot to learn, but what I’m most proud of is the character everyone showed on the court. We had people come in and make a huge difference with their energy, and I think the biggest factor was not losing faith.

“It’s a long tournament, with many matches in a row, so not everyone will be at 100% every game. That’s why having a team where anyone can step in and make a big impact was the most valuable thing for us tonight.”

The United States will face the Dominican Republic this Wednesday, while Canada will take on Mexico.