LA JOLLA, Calif. - Kyle McCauley and Matt Palma of the University of California San Diego men's volleyball team have been named to the United States squad that will take part in the upcoming NORCECA Pan-American Cup in the Dominican Republic.

The Pan-Am Cup, which serves as a qualifier for the Pan-American Games, runs Sept. 3-9 in Santo Domingo. The United States will play Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Suriname, and Canada in round robin play prior to the semifinal and final rounds.

A two-time AVCA All-American, McCauley is a senior outside hitter from Huntington Beach, Calif. He was tabbed the 2020 AVCA Newcomer of the Year and earned All-Big West Conference First Team accolades in 2020 and 2021. An urban studies and planning major, McCauley played at Orange Coast College in 2018 and 2019 before transferring to UC San Diego.

Palma is a senior libero out of Costa Mesa, Calif. As the Tritons' primary libero in 2021, he played in all 18 matches and 68 sets and led the team in digs. An economics major, Palma is a two-time Big West Conference All-Academic Team honoree.

In 2019, Cuba won the Pan-Am Cup in Colima City, Mexico. Argentina was the runner-up and Mexico placed third.

The United States last won a Pan-Am Cup in 2012, when the event was also held in Santo Domingo. The U.S. leads all countries with its five gold medals (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012). In total, the U.S. has collected seven medals (five gold, two silver). Argentina leads the overall medal count with nine (two gold, five silver, two bronze).

The men's volleyball Pan-Am Cup was first held in 2006, making the 2021 event the 15th. The event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021 Pan-American Cup Schedule and Results
September 3: USA 3, Mexico 0
September 4: USA 3, Puerto Rico 0
September 5: Dominican Republic 3, USA 2
September 6: USA 3, Suriname 0
September 7: USA 3, Canada 2
September 8: Mexico 3, United States 0 (semifinal)
September 9: USA 3, Dominican Republic 1 (bronze medal match)

------

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.