TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 12, 2026. – Costa Rica defeated Panama 3-0 (25-11, 25-13, 25-15) to finish pool play undefeated and secure a direct berth in the semifinals of the 21st AFECAVOL Central American U21 Women’s Volleyball Championship.
In a match dominated from start to finish by Costa Rica, Panama struggled to find answers and finished fourth in Pool B. Panama will now await the quarterfinal losers for the classification matches.
Costa Rica displayed clear offensive superiority, leading 43-18 in attacks, 4-2 in blocks, and 7-0 in aces, five of them delivered by Kristina Vargas.
With first place in Pool B already secured before the match, head coach Braulio Godínez took the opportunity to rotate his lineup and give playing time to athletes who had seen less action, keeping Saturday’s semifinals in mind. Costa Rica will have a rest day on Friday, when the quarterfinal matches take place.
Amanda Campos made the most of her opportunity, leading Costa Rica’s offense with 16 points, followed by captain Charlote Martínez with 12. For Panama, captain Anna Araúz was the leading scorer with nine points, while Keysi Fuentes contributed seven.
Braulio Godínez, Costa Rica’s head coach: “With the previous result (Nicaragua’s 3-1 win over Guatemala), we had already secured first place. So, we took the opportunity to rotate the girls, give some of them a little more rest, and help those who have played less get into rhythm. Tomorrow, we will have a good training session, knowing who has advanced to the semifinals and looking at who we might face. We will focus on some light tactical work to recover and be ready for Saturday and Sunday.”
“This is a very evenly matched group. Putting this national team together was actually quite challenging, but we have several very talented players who have already participated in multiple tournaments. That gives us a strong and deep roster, and I believe every player is capable of stepping onto the court and performing as a starter. Hopefully, we can make the best decisions for the remaining matches,” added Godínez.
Amanda Campos, Costa Rica’s leading scorer: “I’m very happy because we have already qualified. Thank God, we have a very complete team, and any player who steps onto the court can perform really well. Today, our coach gave us the opportunity, and we wanted to make the most of it. Thankfully, things worked out for us, and now we have to keep moving forward because what lies ahead will be tough.”