TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 29, 2026. – Backed by a packed crowd at Jorge Galeano Volleyball Gymnasium, Honduras earned a dramatic 3-2 (25-22, 14-25, 25-9, 20-25, 15-13) victory over Belize in Pool B on the opening day of the II AFECAVOL U17 Girls’ Central American Volleyball Championship.
After edging a closely contested opening set, the hosts saw Belize respond in the second behind the offense of Jamielee Espejo, who scored five points, while the team added four aces. Honduras regained control in the third set with a strong offensive performance, producing 14 attack points and five service aces.
Belize fought back again in the fourth set. Trailing 12-16, the visitors rallied to take a 20-17 lead and force a decisive fifth set. In the tie-break, Belize moved ahead 12-9, but five consecutive serves by Janaina Luna disrupted the opposition’s reception and sparked Honduras’ comeback to seal the 15-13 victory.
Honduras held the advantage in attacks (47-32) and service points (16-14), while Belize led in blocks (4-2). The visitors were unable to capitalize on Honduras’ 44 unforced errors, as they also gave away 34 points through errors.
Janaina Luna led all scorers with 22 points for Honduras, followed by Monika Corea with 13. For Belize, Jamielee Espejo finished with 18 points, while Kristen Simpson added 11.
STATEMENTS
Alex Carías, Honduras’ head coach: “I knew this was going to be a difficult match, especially because it was our first match of a Central American Championship. It was tough, but thank God we were able to pull it out. Coming back after falling behind in the match is a great source of satisfaction because we have been working hard on the development of these girls, and I believe this experience will make them even stronger.”
Janaina Luna, Honduras’ captain: “The only thing I was thinking before serving was that my team needed me at that crucial moment. I think we were down by four points, and I told myself this was my moment to help bring us back and earn the victory. The key was that we stayed calm and always gave our best.”
Jamielee Espejo, Belize’s captain: “To be honest, we started strong and then lost our rhythm. After winning a set, I think we relaxed too much, and it wasn’t until we lost the next one that we started playing hard again. We made too many mistakes, and that gave them a lot of points. I think we could have won, but our errors hurt us. We need to communicate better, improve our blocking, and close the gaps at the net.”
On Tuesday, June 30, Honduras will face Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m. at Jorge Galeano Volleyball Gymnasium, located at the Simón Azcona Sports Complex. Belize will have the day off.
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