CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 17, 2025.– Defending champion Guatemala overcame a rough start to defeat Panama 3-1 (20-25, 25-13, 25-23, 25-20), earning their first victory in the highly competitive Pool A of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship.
Guatemala did not play on the tournament’s opening day but now adds an important win ahead of their match against Belize to close the group stage.
Panama, meanwhile, holds a record of one win and one loss, with one foot already in the semifinals, but must wait for the result of the match between Guatemala and Belize to determine the standings of Pool A.
For Guatemala, José Pérez led the offense with 21 points, while Yeferson Zavala and Jerry Durán each contributed 16 points.
Wen Downer spearheaded Panama’s attack with 14 points, followed by Víctor Pérez with 13 and Víctor Araúz with 12.
The difference in the match was Guatemala’s offense, which collectively scored 60 points compared to Panama’s 45. Both teams were even in blocking points with 9-9. Guatemala had a slight edge in service points 3-2, but committed more unforced errors, 25 to Panama’s 23.
After the match, Guatemala’s team captain Jerry Durán said: “We struggled a bit at the start, losing the first set, but we managed to keep our rhythm and take the victory. We will play fewer matches in Group A, but the teams are very strong, so we have to give everything in every game to get the win.”
Panama’s captain Víctor Pérez commented: “We had a very close match. Guatemala is a team that knows how to play well; they move the ball very well. We didn’t achieve the goal we wanted, but we still have to keep fighting to make Panama proud.”
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