Belize City, Belize, July 16, 2024. – Belize earned an important first victory over Nicaragua, winning 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-20) in the closing match of the opening day of the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship.
Belize did not disappoint their fans at the Belize Civic Center, delivering a strong performance against Nicaragua, which could not do much against their opponent’s momentum.
Individually, Belize found their best offensive player in Nissan Martínez, who scored 22 points, with 18 from attacks, two from blocks, and two from service, supported by Gareth Bruce, who scored 17 points, 15 from attacks, one from blocking, and one from service.
For Nicaragua, María José Rivera scored a total of 10 points, eight from attacks and two from blocks. Samantha Vargas also stood out with eight points, five from attacks, one from blocking, and two from service.
As a team, Belize led in attacks 41-27, in service points 8-5, and committed fewer unforced errors 19-24. Both teams were even in blocking points, with seven each.
After their first victory, Belize’s coach José Fontes mentioned: “It was a very tense match despite the 3-0 score. We know the quality of Nicaragua; they never gave up during the match and always stayed close on the scoreboard. For us, this is a very important victory that gives us a lot of confidence for the upcoming matches”.
On the other hand, Nicaragua’s coach Claudia Noguera stated: “Belize is a very difficult team with very tall players, many of whom already have knowledge about our team. The key is not to lower our heads; the tournament is just beginning, and we can still make a difference”.
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