BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 22, 2025.- Guatemala came out on top of a fierce five-set battle against Honduras with a 3-2 (25-11, 25-27, 22-25, 28-26, 15-13) victory that keeps their hopes alive for a top-podium finish at the VII AFECAVOL Central American U23 Women’s Championship.
The match could have gone either way, with Guatemala leaning on the experience of its players to prevail under pressure against a resilient Honduran team that never backed down.
Guatemala’s stronger service game made a difference, outscoring Honduras 16-6 in aces. They also led in attack points 53-51. Honduras had the edge in blocking 13-10 but gave up more points on unforced errors, 36 to 32.
María Santa Cruz led the Guatemalan offense with 24 points, including 10 aces, 12 kills, and 2 blocks. Dulce Trigueño added 17 points, and Annika Graniolati contributed 10.
For Honduras, Sasha Kawas scored 22 points, Dazly Durán had 15, and Shantte Siliezar finished with 13.
Guatemala now holds a 2-0 record and will next face Panama. Honduras stands at 1-1 and will take on Belize in their upcoming match.
Commenting on the win, Guatemala’s head coach William Fernández said, “It was a very tough battle for both teams, the match was decided in the final set by just two points. Both teams made adjustments that paid off at different moments, but I must congratulate Honduras for never giving up, even after a difficult first set. Above all, I applaud our team for finishing the match with grit. We had to rely on the character and experience of our players to win those crucial points.”
Honduras coach Marvin Ulloa added, “I always tell our players that we’re not only here to win, but also to put on a show. If we play good volleyball, we can win as well. Against Guatemala, it was a great match that added a lot to the event. In the end, nerves and a lack of experience from some of our players may have affected us a bit.”
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