TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 30, 2026. – Honduras defeated Nicaragua 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-12) to secure first place in Pool B and a direct berth to the semifinals of the II AFECAVOL U17 Girls’ Central American Volleyball Championship at Jorge Galeano Volleyball Gymnasium in the Simón Azcona Sports Complex.
The hosts completed the pool stage with a perfect 2-0 record after opening the tournament with a five-set victory over Belize. Honduras will now await the winner of the quarterfinals to determine its semifinal opponent. Nicaragua, playing its first match of the tournament, will face Belize on Wednesday, July 1, at 6:30 p.m. for second place in the pool.
The opening two sets were closely contested, but Honduras pulled away in the third behind a strong offensive performance and more consistent play in all aspects of the game.
Honduras held advantages in attacks (37-22), blocks (5-0), and a narrow edge in aces (11-10). Both teams finished with 22 unforced errors.
Captain Luna Janania led Honduras with 15 points, followed by Mía Becker with 11. Nicaragua’s Melie Velásquez was the match’s top scorer for her team with 11 points, including five aces.
Honduras head coach Alex Carías: “Thank God the girls played close to the level they are capable of today. We hope to maintain that level, although there are still several aspects we need to improve, especially our side-out game.”
Mía Becker from Honduras: “I’m very proud of my team and our coaching staff because we know the challenges we had to overcome to win this match. I’m also proud of myself because I’ve worked hard for many months, and this team has worked very hard to build chemistry and become the team we are today.”
Nicaragua head coach Claudia Noguera: “I think our reception let us down quite a bit. We’re going to work on that for tomorrow’s match, which is very important for us, and also on the girls’ mindset. There were difficult moments because, for most of them, this is their first competition at this level, but I believe they have everything it takes to qualify.”
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