SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, July 12, 2026. – Nicaragua made a strong start to the third edition of the AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four by defeating Panama in straight sets, 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 26-24), in the tournament’s opening match.
In a competition where there is little room for error, Nicaragua proved more consistent in the key moments to earn an important opening victory, while Panama began the tournament with a loss.
The Nicaraguans built their victory behind a more effective offense, holding a 40-28 advantage in attacks, and also led in service aces, 3-1.
Panama, meanwhile, held the edge in blocking, 11-8, but was unable to capitalize on Nicaragua’s 28 unforced errors. The Panamanians, gave away 25 points through their own errors.
Axel Gutiérrez led Nicaragua’s offense with 23 points and was the only player on his team to score in double figures. For Panama, Gherson Ortiz finished as the team’s leading scorer with 12 points.
In their second match of the tournament, Nicaragua will face Belize, while Panama will take on host Costa Rica.
Following the match, Nicaragua’s head coach Jorge Mena said: “It was difficult facing Panama in our opening match because they always play with great intensity, but we achieved our objective by earning a very important victory, especially in straight sets.”
Panama’s head coach Alexis Flores added: “Things didn’t go as we had planned. Nicaragua put together a very solid defensive performance. The tournament continues for us, and we have to correct the mistakes we made in this match.”
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