Karch Kiraly arrived in Honolulu expecting a lively atmosphere at the Stan Sheriff Center and a test for the United States women’s volleyball team.

A third straight win over the world’s top-ranked team would be pretty sweet as well.

He checked off all three on the wish list in a five-set win over Brazil in the USA Volleyball Cup on Friday.

A Sheriff Center crowd of about 5,000 accustomed to quality volleyball was treated to a five-set duel between the top two teams in the world with the second-ranked U.S. winning for the third time in the four-match series 25-19, 22-25, 27-25, 25-27, 15-11.

"It was a heck of a match. I’m really happy the fans here in Honolulu got to see international volleyball and a great battle," Kiraly said.

"We responded to lots of challenges, Brazil certainly responded. We came out hard at them and they came out hard at us in Game 2. It was an awesome back and forth."

Kelly Murphy and Kelsey Robinson led the U.S. with 21 points each. Murphy finished with a match-high 20 kills, while Robinson and Foluke Akinradewo had 16 each.

"(Robinson) and Tori Dixon (six blocks) were really solid for us tonight and they just finished their college careers last December," Kiraly said. "That is really impressive to come out of college and come out strong like that."

The U.S. won the first two matches of the series against the two-time Olympic gold medalists last weekend in Southern California and ran its string of set wins to six by taking the early advantage on Friday.

Former Penn State All-American Alisha Glass orchestrated a quick attack, twice giving Murphy one-on-one swings on the outside as the U.S. jumped ahead early and Team USA built a 20-14 lead to force Brazil coach Jose Roberto Guimaraes to take his second timeout of the set.

Robinson, who had 13 kills in Team USA’s sweep on Sunday, closed out the first set with her fifth kill of Friday’s match.

The U.S. block showed up early in the second set with Dixon in on back-to-back blocks and Robinson’s block gave the U.S. an 8-6 lead.

A shaky stretch for the U.S. helped Brazil reel off a six-point run with middle blocker Thaisa Menezes –one of four two-time gold medalists on the Brazil roster — serving consecutive aces followed by two more kills for Fernanda Rodrigues giving Brazil a 16-11 lead at the second technical timeout of the set.

The U.S. closed to 22-20 on a Murphy ace, but Brazil came out of a timeout with a kill by Sheilla Castro and closed the set on a kill middle by Fabiana Claudino.

The teams took turns in the lead in the third set, with Brazil taking a 20-18 lead. The U.S. went on a 6-2 run and had set point after a block by Robinson and Dixon.

Brazil fought off three set points before a service error gave the U.S. a 26-25 lead.

Both teams stubbornly kept the ball off the floor and a dig off Dixon’s leg extended a rally that Jordan Larson-Burbach ended with a kill from the right side.

The U.S. rolled the momentum into a 13-8 lead in the fourth set and went up 20-16 on Robinson’s solo block. Brazil rallied for the next three points and the crowd hushed when Larson-Burbach went down with an ankle injury.

The U.S. had two swings for the match, but Brazil fought off both, extending the set on a kill in the middle by Claudino. She then served up an ace and the match went to a fifth set when Kim Hill’s attack landed wide.

The U.S. jumped ahead 6-2 in the fifth set and stayed in front late into the set, leading 13-10 after Dixon’s block in the middle. A kill by Hill gave the U.S. match point and Murphy and Foluke Akinradewo combined on a block to end the match.

Menezes led Brazil with 21 points on 13 kills, five blocks and three aces.

"We definitely prepared for them to come in a lot stronger. The crowd was amazing," said Robinson, one of three former Nebraska standouts on the U.S. roster. "It’s awesome to play in Hawaii. The crowd is so supportive. I think we prepared well, they fought hard and they came back and it was a great win."