GUATEMALA, September 6, 2024 – Nicaragua claimed the Gold Medal at the First Central American Senior Men’s Final Four Championship by defeating Belize 3-2 with set scores of 20-25, 25-15, 25-18, 28-30, and 15-10.
Nicaragua outperformed Belize in attacks with a 62-60 advantage. Belize was stronger in blocks with a 15-12 lead, and both teams were tied in serves with 3 each. However, Belize committed 19 service errors compared to Nicaragua’s 7.
Once again, Axel Gutiérrez was Nicaragua’s top attacker, scoring 26 points, with Jonny Zeledón contributing 21 points, Emilio Andrews scoring 15 points, and Denis García adding 10 points.
For Belize, Karym Coleman scored 26 points, Francis Hauze contributed 17, Ernest Broaster added 15, and Kerwin Palacio scored 13.
Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua, stated, “We are very happy. We prepared for this tournament, and I selected players in whom I had confidence from the beginning. I am proud and dedicate this to my country, to the people who supported us, to those who were always with us. We won the Gold Medal, and we have to celebrate it”.
Yamill Herrera, assistant coach of Belize, said, “We played a very good first set with a strong offensive serve, which helped us win it. We slowed down a lot during the match but managed to win the fourth set. In the fifth set, we made errors that allowed Nicaragua to take the lead. When you face a team with good reception and a high level of attack, you have to take risks with the serve”.
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