GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, October 20, 2025.– Guatemala closed its participation in the men’s volleyball tournament of the 12th Central American Games Guatemala 2025 in fifth place, after a solid 3-0 (25-13, 32-30, 25-23) victory over El Salvador.
With the result, Guatemala finished with a 1-2 record, securing fifth place in the standings. El Salvador will face Honduras on the final day of competition for 6th/7th place.
The home team came out strong in the opening set, jumping to an 8-0 lead led by José Pablo Pérez and Carlos López, who guided Guatemala’s offensive rhythm.
El Salvador responded in the second set, taking a 15-7 advantage with solid performances from Rodrigo Chávez and Abner Cano, helped by Guatemalan errors. However, Guatemala rallied to tie at 23 points and won a thrilling 32-30 finish, with López attacking from the wing, Jason Hernández contributing through the middle, and a consistent blocking effort from multiple players.
In the third set, El Salvador came back from a six-point deficit (14-20) to tie the score at 20, but Guatemala maintained composure. Andy Blanco blocked Franklin Flores for set point, and a following attack error by Flores sealed the match for Guatemala.
AFECAVOL: GUATEMALA 2025 – VOLEIBOL
Guatemala dominated in attacks (45-34) and had a wide advantage in blocks (17-6). In unforced errors, Guatemala committed 25 to El Salvador’s 20.
Top scorers for Guatemala were Carlos López with 14 points, José Pablo Pérez and Andy Blanco with 13 each, and Jason Hernández with 10. For El Salvador, Abner Cano scored 13 points and Rodrigo Chávez 12.
Guatemala’s captain Carlos López reflected after the match: “It was important to close with a victory and finish as high as possible. Things didn’t go our way in this tournament, but that’s sports. We have to keep our heads up and continue preparing for future competitions.”
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