COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 11, 2026. – Ainhoa Molleja delivered the highest scoring performance of the tournament, exploding for 39 points to lead Venezuela to a hard-fought 3-2 (25-19, 27-29, 26-24, 21-25, 15-11) victory over Belize in the 5-8 classification round of the 2026 NORCECA U21 Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup in Columbus, Ohio.
The victory sends Venezuela into Sunday’s fifth-place match against Costa Rica, while Belize will face the U. S. Virgin Islands for seventh place.
Molleja surpassed the tournament’s previous highest scoring mark with her 39-point performance, repeatedly coming through in crucial moments for Venezuela. She received support from Anarela Mejías, who added 10 points, while Verónica Fumero and Victoria Urizar contributed 9 and 7 points, respectively.
Belize pushed Venezuela to the limit behind another outstanding performance from Nisaan Martínez, who finished with 32 points. Akili Jones added 15 points and Kaylee Godfrey chipped in with 6.
After splitting the opening four sets, Venezuela gained control midway through the decisive fifth set behind Molleja’s relentless offense to secure the victory.
Iván Márquez, Venezuela head coach: “A win is a win. The girls had their ups and downs throughout the match, and it was a very close contest. In the end, we made the necessary adjustments and showed our fighting spirit to close it out.”
Nelissa Ramírez, Belize head coach: “We knew it would be a difficult match because Venezuela is a taller team that presents a stronger presence at the net. I’m satisfied with the work the girls have done because throughout the tournament they have shown that we are making progress.”
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