SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, December 12, 2024.- In a hard-fought battle from start to finish, Costa Rica edged out Nicaragua 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 17-25, 25-14, 15-9) in a crucial match for both teams as they vie for a podium finish at the 15th AFECAVOL U19 Men’s Central American Volleyball Championship.
Costa Rica improved its record to four wins and one loss, while Nicaragua’s chances for a podium finish took a hit as they dropped to two wins and two losses. Nicaragua’s next matches are against Guatemala and host El Salvador, while Costa Rica will conclude its schedule on Friday against Belize.
Costa Rica performed better under pressure, which proved decisive in clinching the victory. They dominated Nicaragua in blocking (18-4), and also led in service points (6-3) and attacks (54-52). However, Costa Rica committed more unforced errors, with 37 compared to Nicaragua’s 24.
Ignacio Sánchez led Costa Rica’s offense with 22 points, supported by Jeremy Vanega with 15. For Nicaragua, Devin Hooker was the best player, scoring 24 points as the only Nicaraguan to surpass double digits.
After the match, Costa Rica’s coach Roberto Argüello commented: “We didn’t expect the match to be this challenging. Credit to Nicaragua, as they put us under a lot of pressure with their serves in the first and third sets, which made it difficult to set the ball through the middle. We reverted to our starting rotation from the match against Guatemala, and it worked better. Credit also goes to my players for staying calm and pulling through.”
Nicaragua’s coach Jorge Mena shared his thoughts: “We had the game in the second set, but our players couldn’t close it, and that’s where we lost the match. We managed to take the third set, but in the fourth and fifth, the team fell apart. Our attack weakened, and we couldn’t recover. All that’s left is to keep fighting because anything can happen.”
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