Belize City, Belize, July 20, 2024. – Belize claimed the crown of the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship in perfect fashion by defeating Guatemala 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-18) in the event’s final match. They concluded the competition with four victories and no defeats, without losing a single set on their way to glory.
This is the first gold medal in Belize’s history in any AFECAVOL event. In the U21 category, Belize had only achieved a silver medal in the 2022 edition, held at home, where Guatemala won the title.
This time, Belize did not falter, imposing their superior blocking against Guatemala and effectively executing all their attacks to secure a solid victory that assured them their first title in this category.
With the loss, Guatemala finished with a 2-2 record, placing them in third, while Nicaragua, with a 3-1 record, took second place.
For Belize, Nisaan Martínez was the best attacker with 18 points, 14 on attacks, three on blocks, and one from a serve.
For Guatemala, María Santa Cruz was the top scorer with 15 points, 12 on attacks, one block, and two from serves.
Belize led in points from attacks (36-27) and blocks (9-2), while Guatemala had a slight advantage in serves (6-5) but fell behind in unforced errors (25-18).
Regarding the victory, Belize coach José Fontes said: “This is our first gold medal. We finally achieved this long-desired medal for the people of Belize, and we did it undefeated. The athletes rose to the occasion. Winning a tournament undefeated is not easy”.
Guatemala coach William Fernández added: “Central American events are now very tough, with medals being contested until the very last moment. I can only congratulate Belize; their quality in this tournament was undeniable”.
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