BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 24, 2025.- Belize was crowned undefeated champions at the 7th AFECAVOL U23 Central American Women’s Championship after defeating Guatemala 3-1 (25-9, 25-15, 21-25, 25-10) in the final match of the tournament.
This is Belize’s first-ever title in the U23 category, earned with a flawless 4-0 record. Guatemala secured second place with a 3-1 win-loss record.
Belize’s superior power made the difference, outscoring Guatemala in attacks 44-32 and dominating from the service line with a remarkable 17 aces to just 4 from their opponents. The Belizeans also led in blocks 12-8 and handled pressure better, conceding only 15 unforced errors compared to Guatemala’s 23.
Nissan Martínez led Belize’s offense with 20 points, supported by Khaya Gordon with 15. For Guatemala, María Santa Cruz was the top scorer with 15 points.
After the match, Belize head coach José Fontes said: “We’re very happy with this championship. We must acknowledge the quality of the Guatemalan team. The key to winning the title was our players’ focus and commitment to defense. We have strong offensive potential, a solid blocking system, and our service game was very effective.”
On the other side, Guatemala head coach William Fernández stated: “Congratulations to the Belize team. We struggled with our court reception, and that cost us the match. Without a doubt, Belize was the best team of the tournament. Second place is still a good result, we aimed to reach the final, we fought as hard as we could, but it wasn’t enough. Now we just have to work even harder for next time.”
English 
Spanish