TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 3, 2026. – Backed by a passionate home crowd, Honduras staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Costa Rica 3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 21-25, 25-20, 15-12) and advance to the final of the II AFECAVOL Girls’ U17 Central American Championship in a thrilling match highlighted by an intense serving battle that produced 41 aces between the two teams.
The hosts will face Guatemala for the gold medal on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Earlier, Belize and Costa Rica will meet for the bronze medal at 4:00 p.m.
Cheered on by a packed Jorge Galeano Gymnasium, Honduras rallied from a 2-1 set deficit and overcame several disadvantages throughout the match to secure a place in the championship match against Guatemala, which had earlier defeated Belize.
The opening set was closely contested. Honduras recovered from a 7-12 deficit, leveled the score at 15, and closed the set strongly to take the early lead.
Costa Rica answered convincingly in the second set, jumping out to leads of 7-1 and 10-3 to control the action. Although Honduras narrowed the gap to just one point (18-19), the Costa Ricans remained composed to even the match.
In the third set, after the teams were tied at 12, Costa Rica seized control behind a strong serving run by Jimena Rodríguez, opening a four-point advantage. Later, Jimena Soto extended the lead from the service line to help Costa Rica move ahead 2-1 in the match.
Fueled by the constant support of its fans, Honduras raised its defensive level in the final two sets. Team captain Luna Janaina and middle blocker Monika Corea led the offense during long rallies, while the defense came through in key moments to complete the comeback and spark celebrations inside the gymnasium.
Luna Janaina led Honduras with 19 points, including eight aces. Monika Corea added 16 points and Paulina Becker contributed 11. For Costa Rica, Sara Campos and Jimena Rodríguez scored 13 points each, while Anny Bejarano added 12.
Honduras held the advantage in aces (24-17) and blocks (7-4), while Costa Rica led in attacks (40-38) and points scored from opponent errors (42-37).
Alex Carías, Honduras head coach: “Thank God we are in the final. It was a very demanding match, but we achieved our objective. I believe we must continue focusing on this age category, not only in Honduras, but throughout Central America. These are the categories where we really need to invest because we have seen a high level of play and, above all, a lot of determination. The support of the crowd can sometimes work for or against you, but it is exciting to see how they cheer for and encourage the girls.”
Monika Corea, Honduras standout player: “It feels amazing to see so many people here because it’s not only us going to the final, but the entire crowd is also going with us. We know we have the support of our parents, our families, and our coaches. They are always there to guide us on the court, and without them we would not have achieved this. The key today was staying focused. In the third set our spirits were a little low, but our coaches found a way to motivate us, and we were able to pull out the win.”
Kareem Richards, Costa Rica head coach: “It was definitely a good match. Both teams played very well; unfortunately, we could not get the victory. We fell short in some basic aspects of the game, which is understandable considering the age of the players. Still, it is a valuable learning experience. Now we must keep working so we can continue improving and keep Costa Rica among the top teams in the region. The positive thing is that it was a very exciting match. We competed against a worthy opponent, on their home court, with a full gym and the home crowd against us. Now it’s time to keep moving forward.”
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