MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 24, 2024.- Guatemala earned an important 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-21) victory over Honduras thanks to an effective serve, in the second match of the opening day of the First AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
Honduras maintained pressure throughout the match, but Guatemala responded at key moments with their strong serving, earning 12 points, including five from Katherine Vaughn and four from Natalia Pérez.
Guatemala outperformed in attack 35-24 and in serving 12-4, although Honduras led in blocking 5-2. Guatemala made 30 unforced errors, compared to 26 by Honduras.
Andrea Garcés scored 12 points, Vaughn contributed 10, and Melissa Guerra added 9 for Guatemala; meanwhile, Honduras had Nicole Velásquez with nine points.
This Wednesday, on the second day of competition, Guatemala faces Belize at 1:30 p.m., and Honduras takes on Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.
Regina Porres, captain of Guatemala: “We are very happy with this result, we have been working hard for a long time, and we must keep pushing, always putting in full effort. We knew how to handle the pressure from Honduras, especially with our serves, which are very effective, and that helped us maintain the lead”.
Julio Domínguez, coach of Guatemala: “Starting off like this is important for the team because, first, it’s a new category, and traditionally, the first game in any tournament is always unpredictable. But thank God the girls showed the tactical discipline that was needed, along with a positive attitude to secure a 3-0 win. The inconsistencies were expected because they are young but thank God, we were able to control the game”.
Cristiam Rodriguez, coach of Honduras: “It’s challenging to be at this stage with such young girls. We know there can be many errors in this age group, but I am very pleased despite the loss, as I can see their development, and I know things will improve even more in the future. We know they’re not immune to mistakes; we missed key points at the end of each set, but we will improve as the tournament progresses”.
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