SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, September 27, 2026.- In just its second appearance at the Men’s U23 Pan American Cup, the United States captured the title for the first time after defeating Costa Rica 3-1 (25-16, 23-25, 25-13, 25-17). Last year, the United States also reached the final, falling to the Dominican Republic.
Both teams entered the final undefeated and without having dropped a single set. The United States finished the tournament with a perfect 4-0 record, while Costa Rica closed with four wins and one loss, earning a historic silver medal.
The match started evenly, but the United States gradually took control and built a comfortable lead to win the first set. Costa Rica responded in the second, taking a three-point advantage and holding on to level the match at one set apiece.
In the third set, the United States regained control from the start and won comfortably. The fourth followed a similar pattern, with the Americans setting the pace and relying on opposite David Decker, who capped an outstanding performance with 30 points, including one block and two aces.
The United States dominated the team statistics with a 60-32 advantage in attacks, 13-6 in blocks and 8-1 in aces. Costa Rica was unable to capitalize on the Americans’ 32 unforced errors, many of them coming from missed serves.
Decker led all scorers with 30 points, followed by Trevor Herget with 16 and Ayden DesLauriers with 10. For Costa Rica, Stanley Grant led the offense with 14 points and Jhostin Varela added 12.
David Decker of the United States: “It feels amazing to win the tournament. I’m exhausted, but I’m very happy. We worked really hard to achieve this.”
Stanley Grant of Costa Rica: “We’re proud to have reached the final. Taking a set from the United States is incredible. I’m very happy to have made it this far and to win the silver medal.”