GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, August 2, 2025. – In a Central American clash, Costa Rica defeated Belize 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 25-22, 16-25, 15-10) at the U23 Men’s Pan American Cup being held at the Domo Polideportivo in Zone 13.
Belize came out swinging, taking an early lead with their attacker Kaelen Ingram scoring 4 quick points to start the match. Costa Rica made a setter change, bringing in Gabriel Obando for Juan Ignacio Calderón, managing to even the set but falling short in the end.
In the second set, Costa Rica took control early on. After trailing 6-11, Belize struck back to take a 12-11 lead, but Costa Rica ultimately claimed the set.
For Costa Rica, a monster awakened in attack: Ignacio Morales. In the fourth set, Belize regained control of the game, forcing a tie-break. Costa Rica managed to contain Belize’s offense and sealed the victory.
With this win, Costa Rica will play for fifth place on the final day of competition at 2 PM against the winner of Guatemala vs. Suriname, while Belize will battle for seventh place at 12 PM against the loser.
Belize held the edge in attacks (66-61), blocks (9-7), and aces (3-2). However, Belize’s 34 unforced errors paved the way for Costa Rica’s victory.
Ignacio Morales was Costa Rica’s top scorer with 29 points, all in attacks, followed by Dowshel Mc Donald with 19 points. For Belize, Kaelen Ingram came close to breaking the scoring record set in this tournament but fell five points short, finishing with 31 points (29 attacks, 2 blocks). Eleazar Mejia contributed 17 points.
Ignacio Morales of Costa Rica said, “I’m very happy to be here representing my country. Without the contribution of all my teammates, this victory wouldn’t have been possible.”
Costa Rica’s coach, Cesar Salas, commented, “At the start of the match, I made a couple of tactical changes that paid off and allowed us to win the second and third sets. In the fourth, things got complicated; reception has been a big issue for us in this tournament. In the last set, we went back to the starting lineup, and it worked very well. We’re happy with the win; Belize is a tough and challenging opponent.”
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