MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 25, 2024.- Nicaragua needed four sets, 3-1 (25-6, 17-25, 25-11, 25-15), to defeat a battling Honduras in the closing match of the second day of the First AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
After a dominant first set for Nicaragua, 25-6, Honduras started the second set strong, leading 7-1 thanks to their effective serving, which disrupted the defense and attack of the home team. Honduras’ lead was enough to survive several comebacks from the Nicaraguan side, who fell short and lost the set 17-25.
In the third and fourth sets, Nicaragua regained their strength, particularly with their serving, achieving double digits in aces (outscoring Honduras 18-6 in serves) for the second consecutive match, while also leading in attacks 35-19 and blocks 8-4.
The top scorer was Nicaragua’s Lucía Columna with 15 points, followed by Emely Gutiérrez with 13 (including six aces) and María Ebank with 10 (five blocks). For Honduras, Luna Janania had 7 points and Virginia Herdocia 6.
On Thursday, on day three, Honduras will play El Salvador at 4:00 p.m., and Nicaragua will face Belize at 6:30 p.m.
Denixa Zeledón, captain of Nicaragua: “I’m very satisfied with the work we did. It was a tough match because Honduras has strong defense and attack, which made things difficult for us, but we were able to get the result. We’ve improved a lot in reception and defense thanks to our coaches”.
Claudia Noguera, Head coach of Nicaragua: “It was a good win, and it’s important to secure victory even if we lose a set. I think the girls became anxious and lost concentration, but in the end, we regained the rhythm of the game. We’ve been focusing on our serving, which is fundamental in this sport, and things are going well”.
Cistiam Rodríguez, Head coach of Honduras: “Today’s match was very satisfying; we played better than yesterday, won a set, but unfortunately didn’t secure the victory. However, I think it shows progress as a team despite missing a key player. The level of competition in this tournament is high, and sometimes the girls can’t control their emotions because they’re so young, but it’s gratifying to see them improve with each match”.
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