Puerto Rico claims silver medal at 2026 Men’s Pan American Cup
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
By THE STAR STAFF
The United States was crowned champion of the 19th Men’s Pan American Cup after defeating Puerto Rico 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-19) on Sunday at the Poliforum 2 of the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos in Mexico.
Puerto Rico took the silver medal in defiance of expectations after an 0-2 start in the preliminary round.
“I am extremely proud of the guys,” Puerto Rico head coach Jamille Torres said. “Given how we started the tournament, no one would have thought we’d win this medal. … You can’t just come from behind against teams of that caliber; you have to play point-for-point.”
The U.S. finished the competition with a 6-1 record and won its sixth gold medal in Pan American Cup history, ending a 14-year wait since its last title in 2012. The Americans also hold three silver medals and one bronze.
It was the United States’ second victory over Puerto Rico in the tournament, following a straight-sets win during the preliminary round.
Puerto Rico, playing in its first Pan American Cup final since 2017, finished 4-3 and claimed its third silver medal in the competition’s history.
Puerto Rico got off to a strong start, taking the first set 25-22, but the United States dug in in the second set, winning 25-16 to even the match.
The third set proved pivotal. After several ties in the latter half of the set, the U.S. managed to pull ahead, reaching the closing stages with a 24-21 lead. Puerto Rico saved two set points to narrow the gap to 24-23, before Patrick Rogers scored the decisive point -- a block -- for the U.S. to make it 25-23 and put the Americans up 2-1.
The U.S. stayed in control in the fourth set, ultimately sealing the championship with a 25-19 win following an attack by Kyle Hobus.
Blocking was a decisive factor for the U.S., which outperformed Puerto Rico 11-5 in that category. The champions also held a 53-50 advantage in attacks and committed fewer errors (25 compared to 31). Puerto Rico led 3-2 in service points.
Jacob Pasteur led the U.S. with 17 points, followed by Hobus with 16 points and Rogers with 13.
Pelegrin Vargas led Puerto Rico with 15 points, Klistan Lawrence scored 14 points and Ismael Alomar finished with 11.
“I think they were two teams that gave everything they had at the end of a demanding tournament and offered a great effort to the public, who appreciated it,” U.S. coach Andy Reid said. “The fans were a little more with Puerto Rico, but that’s okay. We earned their respect with our play. I really appreciate how hard my boys played; practically everyone contributed to carry this game forward and win the gold.”
PR’s Molina named tournament’s top receiver
Puerto Rico’s Pedro Molina earned Best Receiver honors at the conclusion of the tournament.
“Pedro has demonstrated extraordinary competitive maturity,” the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation stated in a press release. “His recognition as Best Receiver confirms the work he has been putting in and the level he can reach while representing Puerto Rico.”
Other awards
Outside hitter Patrick Rogers of the United States was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament. A key figure in the United States’ gold-medal victory, Rogers also received the award for Second Best Attacker.
The U.S. earned two additional individual honors. Parker Tomkinson was named First Best Blocker and Michael Wright was named Best Setter.
Franky Hernández of Mexico received two awards, First Best Attacker and Best Server, while Cuba’s Daniel Martínez was also a double award winner: Best Opposite and Top Scorer.
Canada’s Darian Picklyk was named Best Libero and Best Defender, and Jeremy Venega of Costa Rica earned Second Best Blocker honors.
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