SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, December 13, 2024. – After losing the first set, Guatemala rallied to a 3-1 victory over Nicaragua (25-27, 25-21, 25-17, 25-21), securing a spot on the podium of the XV AFECAVOL U19 Central American Men’s Volleyball Championship.
With this result, Guatemala improved its record to 4-1 and has one match left against Panama on the final day to determine the color of its medal. Meanwhile, Nicaragua will close its schedule against El Salvador.
Nicaragua started the match strongly, needing a win to stay in contention for the podium. However, it was Guatemala that executed better to claim the victory.
Guatemala outperformed Nicaragua in attack points 49-48, blocks 9-5, and serves 10-4 and committed fewer unforced errors, 29 compared to Nicaragua’s 32.
For Guatemala, José Samayoa led the attack with 16 points, supported by Borís González with 15. On Nicaragua’s side, Cristopher García collected 19 points, while Kenner Muñoz added 12.
Following the victory, Guatemala’s head coach, Luis Castañeda, commented: “We knew we had to win 3-0 to fight for the gold, but it didn’t happen. We must keep fighting to see what color our medal will be. Nicaragua is a tough team; they started playing very well and losing that set impacted our chances for first place.”
Nicaragua’s head coach, Jorge Mena, reflected: “In the first set, the team entered with a strong desire to win, but they lost morale, and the team fell apart. We must accept the loss. Now, we aim to beat El Salvador in our last game to finish with a victory, even if we don’t win a medal.”
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