TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, May 28, 2026. – Peru celebrated an undefeated campaign in Pool B of the Girls’ U17 Pan American Cup, securing their place in the semifinals as the second-best ranked team of the preliminary round. USA topped the overall rankings, and both squads advanced directly to the semifinals in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Peru closed pool play with a commanding 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-10) victory over host Honduras, sealing their perfect record.
Canada finished second in Pool B (1-1) and will face Mexico in the quarterfinals, while Venezuela will meet Puerto Rico in the other quarterfinal clash. Honduras, winless at 0-2, will face Costa Rica in classification play, with the winner set to meet the Dominican Republic for positions 7–8.
The South American side opened strong in the first set, powered by Fernanda Pinto and Tamara Galdos, who led the offense to a 1-0 lead. Honduras fought back through Valeria Castejon, but Peru’s attacking depth proved decisive.
The second set was more competitive, with Honduras gaining a blocking edge (3-1) thanks to Castejon and Luna Janania. Peru responded with Nahir Cueva joining the attack, and despite Honduras extending the set with a late kill from Castejon, Galdos sealed it for Peru. The third set was all Peru, as they dominated to complete the sweep.
The Brazilian coach of Peru, Marcelo Diniz, shared his conclusion about the preliminary round: “This category can present surprises, especially in emotional control. The group was able to face difficulties, especially against Canada. I am happy because the team respected both of the group’s rivals. Now we have a day to rest, yesterday ended very late, we are going to train. We are moving forward.”
The statistics reflected Peru’s superiority: they led in attacks (31-12) and service points (12-7). Honduras held a slight edge in blocking (5-4) and committed fewer unforced errors (20-8), but it was not enough to stop the rival’s offensive power.
Two Peruvian players reached double digits: Tamara Galdos with 16 points (11 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces) and Nahir Cueva with 11 points (7 kills, 4 aces). Valeria Castejon and Luna Janania led the host team with 9 and 8 points respectively.
Honduras’ Head Coach, Marvin Andino, said: “It was a match full of learning, Peru’s quality precedes them. Our group is inexperienced, a team that has not faced a rivalry with such technique and ability. I am sure that tomorrow, in a Central American duel, we will have the support of the Honduran crowd, which I hope will make the difference.”
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