Nothing was getting in the way of outside attacker Patrick Rogers winning a gold medal for the United States.
Rogers finished with a match-high 11 kills on a .667 attack percentage as the United States swept the host nation Puerto Rico 27-25, 25-20, 25-21 in the gold-medal match of the NORCECA Final Six on Sunday.
The Ball State pin-hitter after having an attack error three points into the opening game did not commit an error the rest of the match. Rogers also led all players with six kills in the final game to help the United States secure the gold medal.
This was the fifth match that Rogers had double-digit kills. The All-MIVA outside attacker ended the international tournament leading the United States and sixth among all players with 70 kills.
McKendree setter Nate Flayter guided the U.S. offense to out-hit Puerto Rico .302 to .211.
Penn State middle attacker Owen Rose had five kills and zero errors on a .625 attack percentage, including the game-winning kill in the first-game overtime. Hawai’i opposite Kainoa Wade and UC San Diego outside attacker Sebastiano each contributed five kills.
Along with the offensive performance, Wade had a match-high four aces with three of those aces in the final game.
Fairleigh Dickinson opposite Jamal Ellis Carballo in the loss finished with 11 kills on a .300 attack percentage. Carballo, though, was the only Puerto Rican player to have more than five kills and hit more than .200.