Category: Volleyball

DAVID, Panama, September 19, 2023 – The sixth edition of the AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship will be held at the Centro Deportivo La Basita in David, the capital of Chiriquí, Panama, from September 24 to September 30.

The seven Central American countries will arrive in David on Friday, September 22, and undergo preliminary inspection on Saturday, September 23. The round-robin competition will kick off on Sunday, September 24, with three daily matches.

Guatemala has dominated the event since its inception in 2012, having won four consecutive gold medals (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018). Guatemala lost the title to the current champion, Nicaragua, who won the gold medal in the last edition in San Salvador. Guatemala finished in second place, and El Salvador in third.

In addition to a gold medal, Nicaragua has one silver medal. Costa Rica has a total of three medals, two silver and one bronze, El Salvador has two bronze medals, and Honduras has one bronze.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

Competition Schedule

Sunday, September 24

2:00 pm Costa Rica vs Belize

4:30 pm El Salvador vs Nicaragua

7:00 pm Opening Ceremony

7:30 pm Panama vs Honduras

Monday, September 25

2:30 pm Belize vs El Salvador

5:00 pm Honduras vs Costa Rica

7:30 pm Nicaragua vs Guatemala

Tuesday, September 26

2:30 pm El Salvador vs Honduras

5:00 pm Guatemala vs Belize

7:30 pm Costa Rica vs Panama

Wednesday, September 27

2:30 pm Guatemala vs El Salvador

5:00 pm Nicaragua vs Costa Rica

7:30 pm Belize vs Panama

Thursday, September 28

2:30 pm Costa Rica vs Guatemala

5:00 pm Honduras vs Belize

7:30 pm Panama vs Nicaragua

Friday, September 29

2:30 pm El Salvador vs Costa Rica

5:00 pm Nicaragua vs Honduras

7:30 pm Guatemala vs Panama

Saturday, September 30

2:30 pm Belize vs Nicaragua

5:00 pm Honduras vs Guatemala

7:30 pm Panama vs El Salvador

Medalists year by year:

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze
2012	GUA	CRC	HON
2014	GUA	CRC	ESA
2016	GUA	PAN	CRC
2018	GUA	NCA	PAN
2022	NCA	GUA	ESA

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 12, 2023 – Marcela Araya, team captain of Costa Rica was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup, which concluded on Tuesday at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

Araya played a crucial role in helping Costa Rica win its 19th title in the history of this tournament, with 16 of them in a row. Araya also received the award for Best Outside Hitter. Her teammate, María José Castro, received recognition as the Best Defese and Best Libero.

The Best Service award went to María Andrea Santa Cruz from Guatemala, the Best Receiver award was given to Carmen Chávez from El Salvador, and her teammate Daniela Sánchez was awarded Best Setter.

From Belize, Nelissa Ramírez was named the second Best Outside Hitter, and Nissan Martínez was the second Best Blocker.

The awards for Best Blocker and Best Scorer went to Ana Gabriela Marcelín from Honduras.

The Best Opposite award was presented to Lolette Rodríguez from Nicaragua.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA 

After receiving the recognition as the Most Valuable Player of the event, Marcela Araya said, “It’s truly a night filled with many emotions. Thank God we were able to finish strong despite that first set we had. I am infinitely thankful to God for my health, for allowing me to play for almost 17 years with the national team, which makes me proud. I am happy to have ended my indoor volleyball career with this group of warriors; that’s what they are, and now it’s time to celebrate”.

She added, “I also want to thank the coaching staff, each and every person who supports us, and the girls for their commitment, which is reflected on the court, but it’s the result of what we have cultivated during our training”.

Costa Rica’s coach, Pablo Acuña, praised Marcela, saying, “She is a player who is prepared to be the best in every game, with an exemplary work ethic. Today, she bids farewell to the National Team; it was her last game, and she deserves all the highest honors as the best player of the event”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 12, 2023 – Costa Rica defeated Honduras 3-1 (17-25, 25-17, 25-12, 25-18) on the final day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Championship at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex adding another title to their collection that began in 1977

Costa Rica clinched their 19th title, their 16th in a row since 1993. Besides Costa Rica, only Panama and Honduras have claimed the Central American title; Panama twice (1974, 1976) and Honduras once in 1991.

This is the second silver medal for Honduras, their first was in 1997, and they hadn’t reached the Central American podium since then.

After losing the first set, coach Pablo Acuña adjusted, bringing in Tannia Carazo and Angélica Rodríguez, who contributed to their team’s strong control of the game.

Costa Rica dominated in attacks 49-31, blocks 9-4, and serves 9-6, while committing 31 unforced errors (mostly in the first set) compared to Honduras’ 25.

Tatiana Sayles was Costa Rica’s top scorer with 19 points, Tannia Carazo scored 16, and Marcela Araya contributed 13. Ana Marcelín was Honduras’ top scorer with 13 points.

Both Carazo and team captain Marcela Araya received a recognition from their teammates as they announced that this was their last match with the national team, concluding careers of over 15 years with the Costa Rican national team.

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QUOTES

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “The game was challenging; we knew Honduras would play a good game. They are a team that has been improving, with good players and coaching staff. I’m very pleased that all the players were able to contribute to the team as they did throughout the tournament. Against Nicaragua, it was Mónica, today it was Tannia, Tamara stood out in another match; that says a lot about their character and preparation”.

Tannia Carazo, outside hitter of Costa Rica: “I’m very happy to have contributed to my team. From the beginning of the tournament, I brought a mentality of fighting and helping my teammates, whether on or off the court. Today, I was given the opportunity, and I’m truly delighted because I came with a strong desire to contribute to my team; that was very clear to me. This is a day filled with many emotions. I’m very happy to say farewell in this way. It has been a beautiful and enriching journey as an athlete”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 12, 2023 – Nicaragua prevailed over Belize 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 26-24) to win the bronze medal at the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Championship at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex.

This is the ninth bronze medal for Nicaragua, they also have won seven silver medals, with the last four in 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2021.

Nicaragua staged a comeback from being down 20-24 in the third set, thanks to Juny Aguilera’s serves, which included a couple of aces and disrupted Belize’s attack, allowing them to turn the score around.

Lolette Rodríguez scored 16 points, and Erica Calero contributed 11 for Nicaragua, while Shantell Arnold scored 11 points for Belize. Nicaragua committed 18 unforced errors compared to 22 from Belize.

Nicaragua did better in attacks 43-24 and in serves 8-6, while Belize outperformed them in blocks 6-3.

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QUOTES

René Quintana, coach of Nicaragua: “The girls deserve all the recognition. Almost all of them train, work, or study, and some even have to take care of their children because they are already mothers, and all of that is a great sacrifice. We knew it would be a tough match, and they gave their all on the court with the support of this great crowd”.

Miriam Blandino, libero of Nicaragua: “I feel very happy because I’m retiring from the national team with a bronze medal. Maybe we wanted more, a medal of a different color, but we all made a great effort, and I think we deserve the medal. It has been a sporting life filled with sacrifices and a lot of effort, and here are the fruits of that”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 12, 2023 – El Salvador defeated Panama 3-1 (25-8, 25-19, 24-26, 25-9) to conclude the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Championship with three wins and three losses at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

El Salvador dropped the second set to a determined Panama to finish the event with a 3-3 record and 16 points, awaiting the result between Belize and Nicaragua to determine their final position.

El Salvador led in all aspects of the game, with a 46-29 advantage in attacks, a 10-6 lead in blocks, and an impressive 19-3 advantage in serves, including 6 aces from setter Daniela Sánchez. Both teams committed 24 unforced errors.

María Jiménez Hunter led El Salvador with 19 points, and Gabriela Funes contributed 11. Hashlyn Cuero finished with 16 points for Panama.

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QUOTES

Adriana Flores, captain of El Salvador: “We had the opportunity to win the game 3-0, but the coach wanted to give the girls who will be in the under 23 team in the coming months in El Salvador a chance and measure their level. Unfortunately, we couldn’t win that set, but in the next one, we managed to recover our rhythm. Obviously, you always want more, but overall, we had good matches and a good performance, especially considering it’s a young team with a bright future”.

Maria Jiménez Hunter, top scorer El Salvador: “I’m happy to contribute to my team’s victory and motivated for the next tournament. I think it was a good tournament; there were many surprises, teams that weren’t high in the rankings managed to stand out. It was quite an interesting tournament”.

Managua, Nicaragua, September 12, 2023 – Kevanna Sebastian, a player from Belize, has become an internet sensation due to her use of sunglasses during the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Central American Volleyball Cup in Nicaragua.

Born in 1998 (25 years old), has already played more than 40 matches with the Belize national team, but it’s during this competition that she has attracted attention for a particular accessory she uses while playing.

It’s her eye-catching sunglasses that she wears due to a vision problem, making the Belizean middle blocker the talk of volleyball forums and even on Volleyball World social media.

“I have a curve in my right eye. My left eye is stronger. My eyes are very sensitive to bright lights; they give me headaches that lead to migraines. I have trouble driving at night with bright car lights, and my glasses adjust to the light’s brightness to protect my eyes.”

“I started wearing glasses in 2018, but they were regular ones. My vision worsened, and my eyes are very sensitive. If I’m not wearing my glasses, I get a headache, and after that, it turns into a migraine, and then I can’t do anything. What my glasses do is remove the glare and bright light, simply.”

Due to this condition, the use of these glasses had to be evaluated by the event’s medical committee, and they approved their use during the Central American Championship, without imagining that this would set a precedent in the history of international volleyball.

“It’s not a luxury, they’re just glasses, but they are medical prescription. I received them a couple of months ago; before that, I only had glasses for bright light. About three months ago, I started using them. While I was playing, bright light used to affect me a lot; if it hit my eyes directly, I couldn’t see. But now I have no problems, and it doesn’t affect my play; they are comfortable, and there’s no issue in using them.”

Kevanna is aware of the effects of her condition, but that doesn’t stop her from representing her country and motivating the younger generations. Thanks to her new glasses, she can continue playing without any side effects.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 11, 2023 – María Andrea Santa Cruz with 12 aces led Guatemala over Panama 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 27-25), a tournament-high on points from serves at the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

Santa Cruz was unstoppable in her serves, and in addition to the 12 aces, she added five points on kills, for a total of 17 points in Guatemala’s final match in the event, finishing with a 1-5 record.

Hashlyn Cuero was Panama’s top scorer with 13 points, three of them also in serves.

Guatemala earned the victory thanks to a huge 16-7 advantage in service points, while Panama led 3-1 in blocks. Both teams scored 29 attacking points, with Guatemala committing fewer unforced errors (22-31).

Panama concludes the tournament against El Salvador at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

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QUOTES

William Fernández, coach of Guatemala: “Psychologically, it’s good to finish with a victory. We didn’t meet the goal we had set, without blaming the youth of the athletes, but it’s something to consider. If they stay together, they will achieve good results in the future. They worked well yesterday, as well as today. We had many sets where we didn’t close, like yesterday when we were leading 10-5 (against Nicaragua in the fifth set), but we lacked confidence”.

María Santa Cruz, outside hitter of Guatemala: “Honestly, I’m relieved. I was able to make my serve, but I didn’t have it at the beginning of the tournament until the game against Costa Rica, where I managed to figure out where and how to do it. I’m satisfied with myself and the work we’ve been doing. Also, I didn’t know I had made so many “aces”.  I think overall we were a bit unfocused and couldn’t come together, work as a team properly. It’s a shame that we only achieved it at the end, but we are satisfied with our performance”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 11, 2023 – El Salvador had no trouble defeating Belize 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-14)  to start the sixth day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

Both, El Salvador and Belize have a 2-3 win-loss record and 12 points.

El Salvador led in attacks 41-24, in service points 8-6, and Belize had a slim 3-2 advantage in blocking 3-2. El Salvador committed 15 unforced errors, while Belize totaled 24.

María Jiménez Hunter was the top scorer for El Salvador with 15 points, and for Belize, Nissan Martínez scored 13.

El Salvador will face Panama at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and Belize will take on Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.

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QUOTES

Adriana Flores, captain of El Salvador: “Each team is played differently, each one has a different strategy, and that’s the rhythm of the game. Today we were calmer, but always with that bittersweet taste because we expected a different result throughout the tournament, and right now it’s not a loss, it’s all about adding points, being calm and confident in what we are doing”.

María Jiménez Hunter, top scorer of El Salvador: “We came with the mindset of putting on a better performance than last time, trusting in our coaching staff and our abilities. I think we were prepared to do better, but something worked against us, I don’t know if it was nerves, pressure, something affected us, and for this match, we prepared on our day off, and things went well”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 10, 2023 – Nicaragua earned a thrilling five-set victory over Guatemala 3-2 (18-25, 25-20, 17-25, 25-14, 15-11) in the closing match of the fifth day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

The home team, supported by hundreds of fans, rallied from a 1-2 set deficit to win the fourth set and in the fifth set, trailing 5-10, mounted a comeback with 8 consecutive points, clinching the triumph.

Lolette Rodríguez once again played an important role in Nicaragua’s victory scoring 20 points, including seven in the fourth set to revive Nicaragua’s hopes, and closing the fifth set with five points, giving them a better chance at a medal. Josafat Díaz contributed 13 points and Erika Calero added 10.

Andrea Mendizabal led Guatemala with 19 points, María Santa Cruz scored 16, and Aury Alvarez contributed 11.

Nicaragua dominated in attacks 53-48, but Guatemala performed better in blocks 8-6 and serves 11-6. Nicaragua scored 35 points from Guatemala’s errors and gave up 28.

On Monday, Guatemala will face Panama at 4:00 p.m., and Nicaragua will play against Honduras at 6:00 p.m.

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QUOTES

René Quintana, coach of Nicaragua: “We knew that all the games in this round are tough; there are no small enemies here. But the good thing is that we achieved the victory, even when we were down by five points in the fifth set. The team knew how to do things, and all the credit goes to them. Our rookies have responded, and in the end, they did their job and fulfilled their role”.

Brisa Pérez, outside hitter of Nicaragua: “I’m very excited, very happy with this victory, with the adrenaline still at a hundred. I had the opportunity to come in, and thank God, I was able to do things right. I’m grateful to my coaches for the opportunity to be here”.

Andrea Mendizabal, middle blocker of Guatemala: “We’ve put in a lot of effort, even though we haven’t achieved the result we were pursuing, which we had back in  Guatemala. Since yesterday’s game, we’ve been playing well, putting in our courage and heart, and that’s what matters. As my dad says, one team must win, and unfortunately, this time it wasn’t us, but the spirit and heart are always there”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 10, 2023 – Honduras won a long battle against Belize 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-5) to remain undefeated and secure a place on the podium at the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

Honduras secured its fourth victory in over two hours of play, earning 17 points on the standings, ensuring at least the third-place finish.

The last medal won by Honduras in the Central American Cup was in 1995 when they finished in second place. In 1991, they won the gold medal.

Honduras did better in attacks 52-47 and in blocks 10-9 , while Belize was better in serves  10-8. Honduras committed 34 unforced errors, while Belize had 40.

Cecille Johnson was Honduras’ top scorer with 22 points, followed by Ana Gabriela Marcelín with 20. For Belize, Nelissa Ramírez finished with 14 points, and Nissan Martínez scored 13.

Belize will play against El Salvador at 1:30 p.m., while Honduras will face Nicaragua on Monday at 6:00 p.m.

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QUOTES

Cecille Johnson, Honduras’ top scorer: “We are very excited; it’s been years since we won a medal, and today we are very happy. More than 30 years without winning anything, and just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. Today the match was very tough; fatigue and the heat affected us, but we fought for every point to get the victory”.

Bessy Inestrosa, captain of Honduras: “Thanks to God, we managed to secure the medal. It was quite challenging; Belize is an excellent team, but we were able to overcome them. We lost a bit of focus in the game, and some fatigue affected us because several matches have been demanding, and the body takes its toll, but we always have high spirits”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 10, 2023 – Costa Rica had no trouble defeating Panama 3-0 (25-13, 25-10, 25-18) on the fifth day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

It was Costa Rica’s fifth consecutive victory, as they took an early lead in each set, thanks to their serving that troubled Panama’s reception and reduced their attack.

Costa Rica led 40-17 in attacks, 4-3 in blocks, and both teams scored 5 service points. Costa Rica scored 26 points from Panama’s errors and gave away 16.

Tamara Rodríguez and Marcela Araya each scored 12 points for Costa Rica, while Hashlyn Cuero scored nine for Panama.

Costa Rica will rest on Monday, and Panama will face Guatemala at 4:00 p.m.

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QUOTES

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “Satisfied with this match, we told the players that it was a match to minimize errors and capitalize on our strengths, and fortunately, they were very focused on that. Now, we have the final push, and we are prepared for that last match”.

María José Castro, libero for Costa Rica: “We are happy; every match is tough, and every team has its strengths, and we must get stronger each time for the goal. We must stay very focused because it can slip away from us by a small margin. We have players from different generations, and we are quite united both on and off the court; we support each other, and together we all play well”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 9, 2023 – Honduras had to push themselves to the limit to overcome Panama 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 28-26) on the fourth day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Central American Cup.

Honduras, with a 3-0 win-loss record started each set coming from behind. In the second set, Honduras bounced back from a 15-20 deficit with an eight-point streak that Panama couldn’t control. Panama couldn’t finish strong, and their opponents capitalized on the experience of their players to win the match.

In the third set, Panama had two set points, but Honduras responded with strong defense and attacks from one of their best players, Ana Gabriela Marcelín, who finished with 17 points, including four blocks, and Cecille Johnson with 10. For Panama, Hashlyn Cuero scored 11 points.

Panama outperformed Honduras in attacks 32-20 and service points 9-7 but was down 3-7 in blocks, however, Panama committed 34 unforced errors compared to Honduras’ 28.

On Sunday, Panama faces Costa Rica at 1:30 p.m., and Honduras takes on Belize at 4:00 p.m.

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QUOTES

Marcos Sugiyama, coach of Honduras: “Panama’s approach is very strong, and we let our guard down, which is something we cannot do. We were playing at a high level of volleyball, and we let our guard down, which caused us many problems. It’s necessary to fight, despite fatigue, and we got the victory. Tomorrow, we face another battle, and the truth is that every day feels like a final. The girls’ reaction today was good because it’s not easy to always play from behind on the scoreboard and come back to win”.

Andrea Zuñiga, libero of Honduras: “I think we came in a bit overconfident; it was noticeable that Panama was eager to win. They played a great game, defending and attacking everything. I think it was a very tough game, and I felt bad at one point due to the heat and pressure, but my teammate came in and did a great job as well. Today’s lesson was not to be overconfident and not underestimate any team”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 9, 2023 – Costa Rica’s national team secured their fourth consecutive victory as after defeating Guatemala 3-0 (25-17, 30-28, 25-19) on Saturday at the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Central American Cup.

For Guatemala, it was their fourth consecutive defeat, still without any wins, despite putting up a fight in all sets, as seen in the second set where they had three set points. However, Costa Rica managed to finish strong and take the set, which gave them greater confidence heading into the third.

Marcela Araya continues to be a key player for the Costa Rican team, this time scoring 13 points, and Tatiana Sayles added 10. For Guatemala, María García contributed 13 points.

Costa Rica led in attacks 38-30, blocks 8-5, and service points 5-3. Additionally, they benefited from 29 unforced errors by their opponents while committing 26 themselves.

On Sunday, Costa Rica will face Panama at 1:30 p.m., and Guatemala will go up against Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.

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QUOTES

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “When it’s Central America, it’s a different tournament for Costa Rica. All the opponents prepare to beat us, and we take it as a big challenge. We prepare so that each player is ready to play her role, and today, what I appreciate is that we had a better start than in the previous match”.

Julissa Rodríguez, middle blocker of Costa Rica: “We are super happy, but it’s thanks to the teamwork that both the coaching staff and we have been doing. In reality, we haven’t won anything yet; we still have games to go, and we need to keep working as we have been and show what we know how to do with the goal we’ve set for ourselves”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 8, 2023 – Belize struggled to defeat Panama 3-0 (25-19, 28-26, 25-21) and secure their second victory in the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup.

Panama fought hard in each set but failed to finish strongly, and Belize capitalized on their strong serving and net presence to secure the result, also taking advantage of their opponents’ errors.

Panama led in attacks 42-30 and in serves 7-6, but they committed 37 unforced errors, while Belize committed 15 and led in blocks 5-2.

Nelissa Ramírez was Belize’s top scorer with 11 points, while Hashlyn Cuero scored 12 for Panama.

On Saturday, Panama (0-2) faces Honduras (2-0) at 4:00 p.m., and Belize (2-1) has the day off.

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QUOTES

José Fontes, coach of Belize: “To be honest, I’m not very happy with the game; there are things we need to improve, and today we weren’t very effective. We also gave playing time to some non-regular players; our main setter is injured, and we wanted to see if she was fit to continue in the tournament. We need to keep improving to have more options in the tournament”.

Clara Sabal, libero of Belize: “I feel like we fought hard, and I’m glad that we were able to close the match in the end. We made many minor mistakes between the sets, but I’m glad that our team could come together and finish with the victory. I think we underestimated Panama, and that tends to happen a lot, so it was good that we decided to work hard, and I think our defense and reception were the best”.

Jenny Madrid, coach of Panama: “This is a process in which we go step by step, and we have made progress. We lack preparation and exposure, and as we progress in the tournament, we will improve. Today, we made some adjustments, and they worked; we kept the opponent under control, but in the closings, we couldn’t make the points”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 8, 2023 – Costa Rica had to use its best weapons to defeat El Salvador 3-1 (27-29, 25-18, 25-22, 25-19) and maintain its undefeated record in three matches at the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup.

Led by an effective Marcela Araya with 22 points, Costa Rica bounced back after losing the first set to a resilient Salvadoran team that showed great defense.

For the rest of the match, Araya was joined by Tamara Espinoza and Tatiana Sayles, who scored 14 and 10 points respectively, to lead Costa Rica 54-37 in attacks and 9-3 in blocks, five of them by María Alfaro.

For El Salvador, Gabriela Funes scored 14 points, and María Jiménez Hunter added 10. El Salvador was better in service 6-4 but conceded 35 points on errors, while Costa Rica committed 42.

On Saturday, Costa Rica (3-0) plays against Guatemala (0-3) at 1:30 p.m., and El Salvador (1-2) will face Nicaragua (1-1) at 6:30 p.m.

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QUOTES

Tamara Espinoza, standout player for Costa Rica: “I’m very happy to contribute to my team; we are quite united. All the effort is not luck, it’s not a coincidence; it’s pure determination and effort that we’ve given throughout the year. I hope to keep improving for my team and because of my team. We are fortunate to have several players who, no matter what, will contribute on the court”.

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “The good thing about a team is that we all complement each other, and everyone adds to the team, but it was a very difficult match. El Salvador played very well; they taught us not to enter passively against any opponent. If there was something we had to learn today, it is very clear to us”.

Carmen Chávez, libero of El Salvador: “We always play with our hearts; every game we go in with the expectation of winning it. We put in the effort to obtain each victory, and that leads us to improve our attitude and show determination. We all contribute together, and each one does what we must do on the court. For us, losing 1-3 doesn’t disappoint us that much because Costa Rica is a great rival, and we hadn’t won a set against them in a long time”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 8, 2023 – Honduras secured their second victory of the tournament by defeating Guatemala 3-0 (25-11, 25-23, 25-19) to tart the third day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup.

Cecille Johnson led Honduras to victory with 12 points, scoring eight in the first set and four in the second when she had to leave the match due to a knee injury. However, middle blocker Ana Gabriela Marcelín contributed 9 points, and opposite hitter Dazly Durán added eight. For Guatemala, outside hitter María Santa Cruz scored 10 points.

Honduras held the advantage with a 30-26 lead in attacks, 7-4 in blocks, and 5-3 in service, with 33 points from unforced errors by their opponents compared to 20 committed.

On Saturday, Guatemala, that has no wins in three outings, faces Costa Rica at 1:30 p.m., and Honduras takes on Panama at 4:00 p.m.

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QUOTES

Dazly Durán, standout player for Honduras: “We feel excited, euphoric because we have two consecutive victories, and we hope to get into form for the upcoming tough matches. We must improve; we have the toughest games at the end, that’s why these early matches should help us fine-tune our team play. In the third set, we felt a bit discouraged due to Cecille’s (Johnson) injury, but we hope to have her back tomorrow”.

María Alvarez, captain of Guatemala: “Honestly, it has been a quite challenging tournament for us. We don’t know what’s happening; we didn’t expect these results in these matches. We came well-prepared, but I think fear of making mistakes got to us. We’ve been there, we’ve been close to winning sets, but they slipped away from us. We’re still standing, and we must keep going. We trained a lot for this, for a whole year, put in a great effort, the sets are there, but we need that final push”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 7, 2023 – Costa Rica prevailed over Nicaragua 3-1 (25-22, 16-25, 25-16, 25-23) to secure their second victory in the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup.

In a highly significant match to reach the top spot in the tournament and a rivalry from many years, both teams came out determined, but it was Costa Rica who took the first step by gaining an advantage thanks to their excellent serving and blocking, especially against Nicaragua’s outside hitters.

Costa Rica was better in blocking with an 8-2 advantage, while Nicaragua took the lead in attacks with 51-48. They tied in 5 blocking points, but Nicaragua conceded 30 points on unforced errors, compared to 26 from Costa Rica.

Opposite hitter Tatiana Sayles led Costa Rica with 19 points, including 15 attacks, three blocks, and one ace, while Marcela Araya contributed 15 points, including 14 attacks and one block. For Nicaragua, Lolette Rodríguez scored 14 points, with 12 attacks, one block, and one ace, joined by Juny Aguilera with 13 points, including 12 attacks and one direct serve.

On Friday, Costa Rica will face El Salvador at 4:00 p.m., and Nicaragua has a break.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “We knew Nicaragua wanted the victory just like us; the matches are always very tough. This game felt like a five-setter because it was so intense. They came out to give it their all, but we also have experience, determination, and the tactical plan to stand our ground”.

Tatiana Sayles, top scorer of Costa Rica: “All games are important, but this one is even more so because Nicaragua thrives when they play at home, their fans support them a lot, and they are very tenacious. We wanted to come and give our best, and we achieved this crucial win”.

René Quintana, coach of Nicaragua: “I am proud of the girls’ efforts. Sometimes, the winner isn’t necessarily the one who plays better or does things better, but the one who is luckier, and today, Costa Rica had luck on their side”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 7, 2023 – Honduras recovered from losing the first set to defeat El Salvador 3-1 (19-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-23) with a victorious debut in the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup.

El Salvador started strong and confidently, taking the lead from the beginning against an unadjusted Honduras. But in the second set, Honduras regrouped and based on tactical work with their serves and effective blocking, turned the game around despite the efforts of their opponents.

Honduras led in attacks 40-39, blocks 7-3, and serves 10-6. Honduras made 34 errors compared to El Salvador’s 37.

Cecille Johnson was Honduras’ top scorer with 17 points, Ana Gabriela Marcelin scored 15, and Dazly Durán added 11. For El Salvador, Adriana Flores contributed 16 points, and María Jiménez Hunter finished with 12.

On Friday, Honduras will face Guatemala at 1:30 p.m., and El Salvador will take on Costa Rica at 4:00 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

Marcos Sugiyama, coach of Honduras: “The decision-making to change the attitude after the first set was important, we were very dry in the beginning, but things settled down, and from there, we could see that we could grow. The basics worked, and what we trained paid off”.

Bessy Inestrosa, captain of Honduras: “El Salvador is a very tenacious team, and it was a very complicated game, but thank God it went in our favor. The spirit played an important role in our comeback”.

Andrea Genova, coach of El Salvador: “In the morning, we had the injury of our starting libero, which forced us to make adjustments that didn’t work out in the end. It also affected us that we won the first set and then relaxed; I think that was crucial. We lost some discipline due to overconfidence, but tomorrow we have a tougher match, and we need to focus”.  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 7, 2023 – Belize defeated Guatemala 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-22), securing their first victory after a loss in the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex.

For both teams, a win was crucial after losing on day one of the competition, and a second defeat would reduce their podium chances; it was team Belize who took advantage of the opportunities, especially with Nelissa Ramírez scoring 18 points and Nisaan Martínez with 10. María Santa Cruz was the top scorer for Guatemala with 14 points.

In the third set, with the score at 20-18 in favor of Guatemala, starting setter Avianka Ávila suffered an ankle injury that forced her out of the game, and Ayana Godfrey had to step in. Together with her teammates, they rallied to turn the score around and secure the set and the match.

Belize was better in attacks (35-30) and blocks 8-1 (with three from Martínez), while Guatemala led in service points (5-4). Both teams made 28 unforced errors.

On Friday, Guatemala, with two losses, will face Honduras at 1:30 p.m., and Belize will take on Panama at 6:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

José Fontes, coach of Belize: “After Guatemala’s defeat yesterday against El Salvador and despite some of our players having little preparation, we told them that we had to step onto the court with character and determination, with the desire to win because it was within reach. In the end, we had the situation with the setter, but the substitute player did the job, and we achieved an important victory that makes us think about bigger things”.

Avianka Avila, setter of Belize: “I am very proud of my team. We really worked hard, and it was a great improvement from yesterday. They really managed to take Guatemala out of the game. After the injury, the last two points were very exciting. I was frustrated because this was not the time to get injured, but I am very happy that my team had my support from the bench and could pull away on the scoreboard”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 6, 2023 – Nicaragua showed dominance in their debut by defeating Panama 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-15) in the conclusion of the first day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex.

Nicaragua led in attacks 41-16 and blocks 5-3, with Panama taking the advantage in serves 6-2, but committed 27 unforced errors compared to 23 by their opponents.

Lolette Rodríguez and Fernanda Campos each scored 7 points for Nicaragua, while Hashlyn Cuero contributed 7 points for Panama.

On Thursday, Nicaragua will face Costa Rica at 6:30 p.m., while Panama has a rest day.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

René Quintana, coach of Nicaragua: “It’s always good to start with a win. We played against a Panama team that pushed us to tighten up at times, but the important thing is that we came out with the victory. I believe that in some parts of the game, the girls adapted to the opponent’s style of play, and that’s not good. We used the technical timeouts to make some adjustments, and they reacted positively”.

Erica Calero, captain of Nicaragua: “I think there are many things to tune up as the tournament progresses, but tomorrow, we have a tougher match (against Costa Rica). One key is to communicate a bit more because sometimes during the game, we lack that support and encouragement that we all need to give each other”.

Jenny Madrid, coach of Panama: “This is a team that is starting a process with a mix of veterans and under-23 juniors, and it will take some time to blend and achieve our objectives. It has been a couple of long days, and the idea is that as the tournament goes on, we will improve, especially in the technical aspect”.

Hashlyn Cuero, captain of Panama: “It was a long journey we made, but despite that, we came here very willing to compete. We are clear about the work we came to do here. As the days go by, we hope to improve because it’s a young team, and we have some experienced players”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 6, 2023 – El Salvador showed its strength in its debut by defeating Guatemala 3-0 (25-14, 26-24, 25-15) in the second match of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex.

After being dominant in the first set, El Salvador recovered from a deficit of up to 4 points at the start of the second set and fought until the end when they won the set 26-24 thanks to their counterattacks on a solid defense. In the third set, it was a complete dominance that allowed them to add five points to their standings.

El Salvador led in attacks 20-14 and serves 6-4, while both teams 5 points on blocks. Guatemala committed 45 errors compared to the winners’ 30.

María Hunter, Gabriela Funes, and Marcela Soriano each finished with 7 points for El Salvador. For Guatemala, María García scored 5 points.

This Thursday, Guatemala will face Belize at 1:30 p.m., and El Salvador will play against Honduras at 4:00 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

Andrea Genova, coach of El Salvador: “We started with a good match; Guatemala is a strong opponent who wanted to start well, and it turned out to be a good match. We managed to execute everything we practiced in the final phase of our preparation for this tournament. We need to improve our rest management since it’s a long tournament, and we must pace ourselves well. The team that is better physically prepared will excel in the crucial final games”.

Adriana Flores, captain of El Salvador: “We have been preparing for a year and a half, and this tournament was our main goal. We have a team that has been playing together for several years, and team synergy helped us a lot today. We knew how to play against Guatemala; we implemented the strategies planned by our coaches, and that helped us secure a convincing 3-0 win”.

Julio Dominguez, Guatemala’s assistant coach: “We faced a very strong and experienced opponent today, and our team didn’t come out with the right attitude. Our tactics and strategy didn’t produce any results, so we hope to transform what happened today. In these short tournaments, anything can happen”.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 6, 2023 – Costa Rica began the defense of their title with a strong start, defeating Belize 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-21) in the opening match of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex.

Marcela Araya was Costa Rica’s top scorer with 18 points, while Tatiana Sayles finished with 11. Nelissa Ramírez contributed 13 points and Nisaan Martínez added 8 for Belize.

Costa Rica dominated in attacks 37-22, blocks 6-3, and serves 8-4, while conceding 33 points due to errors that Belize couldn’t capitalize on, while they committed 24.

On Thursday, Belize will face Guatemala at 1:30 p.m., and Costa Rica will play against Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “It was a tough start, we had a long trip yesterday, we didn’t find our rhythm as we arrived a bit late, so it was normal for them to start a bit timid, out of sync, somewhat inconsistent. But with each set, we improved, and the bench players, the best ones, started to adapt and did very well”.

Marcela Araya, captain of Costa Rica: “First of all, I want to thank God for the opportunity to be here. I’m very happy to be with my teammates. I think it was a very good game. It’s always challenging to adjust in the first match, to break the ice. I feel good, happy, and I believe the team did a good job, both the players on the court and those on the bench did very well, and that was crucial because we all are important for winning”.

José Fontes, coach of Belize: “In a way, I’m satisfied because the first game is always complicated, especially against a team like Costa Rica. Although they made too many unforced errors, it allowed us to maintain some balance until point 16. However, we couldn’t close out the match, and they deserved the victory”.

Nelissa Ramírez, captain of Belize: “I feel good. I think the first part was challenging because we had to break the ice, and the girls were nervous. I feel we played very hard, fought, and towards the end we lost energy, but at some point, we could have regained our momentum, but it didn’t happen”.