GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, August 4, 2026. – Guatemala earned a 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-18) victory over Honduras in its opening match of the 2026 Boys’ U17 Pan American Cup, sharing first place in Pool A alongside Venezuela at Guatemala City’s Multi-Sport Dome.
The host team took control from the start, building a four-point lead early in the opening set and maintaining that advantage to claim the first frame.
Honduras showed better organization in the second set, but Guatemala gradually imposed its rhythm to extend the lead and move ahead two sets to none.
The third set was the closest of the match. Honduras held the lead until the 11-point mark before Guatemala regained control with a strong offensive run to secure the victory in straight sets.
Guatemala finished ahead in every skill, leading Honduras 43-23 in attacks, 3-2 in blocks, and 4-1 in service points.
Eduardo Palala led all scorers with 17 points, while Óscar Velásquez added 10 for the hosts. Mauricio Josué Ávila paced Honduras with nine points.
Juan David Zúñiga, Guatemala captain: “This result is the product of the work we’ve put in over a long period of time. We gave our best, and we hope to achieve our goal of finishing among the top four teams in the tournament.”
Mauricio Banegas, Honduras captain: “It was a good match, very intense, with great plays from both teams. Now we have to keep working to improve. Our goal is to win as many matches as possible and continue growing as a team.”
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