UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men’s volleyball has two players heading to Puerto Rico with the U.S. National Team. Redshirt seniors Ryan Merk and Owen Rose are on the USA roster for the NORCECA Men’s Final Six, an event that includes Canada, Suriname, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic.
The event in Ponce, Puerto Rico includes four days of round robin play from Oct. 6-10. The semifinals are set for Oct. 11, while the championship match will be played on Oct. 12.
USA is the two-time defending champion of the NORCECA Final Six, which is entering its fifth year of existence. Mexico won the inaugural competition in 2021, followed by Cuba in 2022.
The USA team will be led by the national team staff, including Karch Kiraly as head coach. Kiraly previously coached the U.S Women’s National Team and led them to their first-ever Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Merk and Rose already teamed up together on Team USA this year. The pair won silver medals at the 2025 U23 Pan Am Cup in Guatemala.
Round-Robin Schedule
October 6
4:00pm Suriname vs Canada
6:00pm United States vs Mexico
8:00pm Puerto Rico vs Dominican Republic
October 7
4:00pm United States vs Canada
6:00pm Dominican Republic vs Suriname
8:00pm Puerto Rico vs Mexico
October 8
4:00pm United States vs Dominican Republic
6:00pm Canada vs Mexico
8:00pm Puerto Rico vs Suriname
October 9
4:00pm Dominican Republic vs Mexico
6:00pm United Satates vs Suriname
8:00pm Puerto Rico vs Canada
October 10
4:00pm Suriname vs Mexico
6:00pm Canada vs Dominican Republic
8:00pm Puerto Rico vs United Sates