MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 26, 2024.- Costa Rica (3-0) pushed to the limit to defeat a fierce Guatemala (1-2) with a 3-1 victory (25-17, 17-25, 25-23, 25-23) at the start of the third day of the inaugural AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
Costa Rica’s unbeaten streak was in jeopardy due to Guatemala’s intensity, as they fought and pressured throughout the match. However, Costa Rica’s focus and ability to win key points once again secured them the victory.
Amanda Campos with 11 points, along with Luciana Vargas and Nicole Leiva with 9 points each, were the best performers for Costa Rica. For Guatemala, Melissa Guerra and Regina Porres led with 13 points each, followed by Natalia Pérez with 12 points.
Costa Rica capitalized on 41 points from opponent errors, while committing 23. They also outperformed in blocking, 6-4. Guatemala led in attacks, 49-41, and in serving, 12-4.
On Friday, during the fourth day of competition, Guatemala will face El Salvador at 1:30 p.m. and Costa Rica will take on Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.
Amanda Campos Monge, Costa Rica’s top scorer: “We knew it wouldn’t be an easy match, we were mentally prepared for that. We worked on it for several days and handled it very well. Guatemala played excellently, they complicated things for us in the second set, but we stayed mentally strong and managed to secure the victory. It’s a great feeling to look at the stands and see our families supporting us. It’s incredibly satisfying to know they will always be there for us through thick and thin”.
Regina Porres Garrido, Guatemala’s captain: “We had this match in our sights, and we’ve been working hard because we knew its importance. We gave it our all, with a lot of energy and everything we had, but unfortunately, we couldn’t get the victory. Losses teach us a lot, and we will always keep moving forward”.
English 
Spanish