UCLA outside attacker Sean Kelly delivered in the biggest spot from the service line.
Kelly had back-to-back aces to cap off a 8-3 run that opened the decisive fifth game as the United States rallied to beat Canada 17-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-11 at the NORCECA Final Six on Wednesday in Puerto Rico.
Kelly added two kills during the fifth-game run to help the United States complete its pool-play comeback victory. The outside attacker coming off the bench early in the second game finished with 13 kills on a .611 attack percentage.
The United States out-hit Canada .297 to .238, including having a .429 attack percentage in the fourth game to help force a fifth game.
Along with Kelly, former Ohio State outside attacker Jacob Pasteur had a team-high 17 kills. Both Hawai’i opposite Kainoa Wade and former UCLA middle attacker Cameron Thorne also contributed eight kills.
Wade helped jumpstart the U.S. comeback with a game-high six kills in the third game, while Thorne led all players with three kills in the fifth game.
USC middle attacker Parker Tomkinson finished with a match-high eight blocks. Tomkinson had six blocks in the final three games of the comeback highlighted with a block late in the fifth game.
Long Beach State opposite Daniil Hershtynovich in the loss led all players with 20 kills on a .381 attack percentage. Hershtynovich, though, was the only Canadian player to have double-digit kills against the United States.
The United States with this victory remains in first place in the six-team pool. The team can clinch a semifinals berth if it wins one of its two remaining pool-play matches.