CHITRÉ, Panama, October 17, 2024.- Adolfo Rivas of Guatemala was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Central American Championship, held from October 11 to 17 at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Adolfo Rivas, from the undefeated champion Guatemala, received the MVP award at the conclusion of the event. Rivas was also recognized as the tournament’s Best Setter. Additionally, from Guatemala, Yeferson Zavala received the award for Second Best Spiker, and Josué González was named Best Digger.
Christian Flores of silver medalist Panama was honored as Best Server.
Eleazar Mejía of Belize was named Best Spiker, and his teammate Kaelen Ingram earned the recognitions of Best Opposite and Best Scorer (144 points). Belize won the bronze medal.
Fernando Navarro of El Salvador took home two awards: Best Libero and Best Receiver.
Jeremy Vanegas of Costa Rica was recognized as the Best Blocker, and Edwin Humphreys as the Second Best Blocker.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 17, 2024.- Panama won the silver medal at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship after defeating Costa Rica 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-16), while Belize claimed the bronze.
This is Panama’s fourth silver medal out of a total of 10 medals, which also include 2 gold medals and 4 bronze. Panama finished the tournament with a 5-1 record and 21 points.
Belize won the bronze medal, their first medal in the history of the event, with a 4-2 record and 19 points.
Victor Perez PAN
Panama bounced back after losing the first set, finishing the match with advantage in attacks (53-33) and serves (8-6). Costa Rica outperformed Panama in blocking (14-8). Panama committed 29 errors, while Costa Rica had 28.
Three players led Panama in the win, with Víctor Pérez scoring 20 points, David De León adding 15, and Víctor Araúz contributing 11.
For Costa Rica, Denzel Jiménez was the top scorer with 13 points.
Despite Panama rallying from a four-point deficit (16-20) in the first set to tie at 22 points, Costa Rica dominated with Sheydrian Wilson blocking to secure the lead. In the second set, Panama gained a three-point advantage (20-17) and took control with a block from Christian Flores and a serve from David Della, leveling the match. Panama started strong in the third set (6-0) with blocks from Víctor Araúz and effective serves from Christian Flores, maintaining their lead throughout. With Pérez, supported by David De León, Panama sealed the match in the fourth set to win the silver.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 17, 2024.- Guatemala defeated Nicaragua 3-2 (24-26, 25-14, 25-19, 26-28, 15-11) in their final match of the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship to celebrate their ninth title in the history of the event.
Guatemala had already secured the championship after their victory over Panama one day before. The champions finished the tournament with a 6-0 record and 26 points. Nicaragua finished 2-4 with 14 points.
The champions led in attacks (58-55) and aces (6-3) and benefited from 36 points from Nicaraguan errors compared to their 24. Nicaragua led in blocks (16-15).
Jerry Duran GUA
Guatemala’s captain, Yeferson Zavala, was the top scorer of the match with 23 points (18 attacks, 4 blocks, one ace). Opposite hitter Jerry Durán and middle blocker Christian Alvarez contributed 18 and 11 points, respectively.
Nicaragua’s middle blocker Edwin Humphreys scored 23 points, including a match-high of 7 blocks. Outside hitters Kenneth Martínez and Evans Solís recorded 17 and 14 points, respectively.
After losing the first set, Guatemala dominated the second, mostly due to their blocking (4-0) and the 24 points that Nicaragua gave away on errors. Guatemala won the third set, coming back from a seven-point deficit (4-11) with efforts from Yeferson Zavala and Christian Alvarez. Guatemala reached match point in the fourth set (24-22), but Nicaragua tied the score with an error and a kill from Kenneth Martínez, winning it 28-26 with an advantage in attacks and blocks. In the tie-break, from point five onwards, Guatemala stayed ahead, losing a match point on a kill from Edwin Humphreys. Guatemala earned the victory with a kill from Daniel Delgado.
Edwin Humphreys NCA
Jerry Durán, opposite hitter of Guatemala: “We feel happy to have won the championship undefeated. However, we are left with a bitter taste from the results of the last two matches because we couldn’t play our usual game, and it wasn’t our best performance. Still, we managed to face the challenge and get the win”.
Reider Lucas, Coach of Guatemala: “Since we started our preparation, this was our goal. We came with a team that wasn’t very experienced and without a strong bench, but we believed the boys could handle the responsibility. We divided the competition into two phases. In the first phase before the day off we played very well, winning the first three matches in three sets. After the day off, the second phase included the match against Costa Rica, which was easy and without much pressure. In the last two matches, Panama played very well and had a chance to win, but we closed the game, which was very satisfying for us. We’re happy; we accomplished our goal and defended the title”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 17, 2024.- Belize defeated El Salvador 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-22, 25-18) to secure a medal at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship in the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
With the win, Belize secured a medal, finishing 4-2 with 19 points and now awaits the completion of the day’s matches to determine their final position in the tournament. El Salvador finished with a 1-5 record and 10 points.
Eleazar Mejia BIZ
Belize held an advantage of 50-39 in attacks and 15-4 in blocks. El Salvador performed better in serves, 8-4, and committed fewer errors, 27-30.
Belize’s opposite hitter Kaelen Ingram led all scorers with 24 points (22 attacks, 2 blocks), followed by team captain Eleazar Mejía with 20 points (16 attacks, 3 blocks, one ace).
El Salvador’s captain, Abner Cano, led his team with 14 points (10 attacks, 2 blocks, 2 aces).
Yamill Herrera, Coach of Belize: “From the beginning, I said it would be a tight competition due to the level of most teams. It was a tough tournament. We won four matches, falling short in key games, but the goal was to win a medal”.
Eleazar Mejía, Captain of Belize: “With the result we are possibly winning the bronze medal, maybe the silver medal depending on the result of Panama”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 16, 2024.- Guatemala is the undefeated champion of the 20th AFECAVOL Men’s Central American U21 Championship with one day remaining in the event, after defeating Panama 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 19-25, 25-22, 15-10) at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Regardless of the result of their match against Nicaragua on the last day of the event, Guatemala has already claimed the title with a 5-0 record and 23 points.
This is Guatemala’s second consecutive title, and their ninth overall. Panama holds a 1-4 record and 17 points.
On the final day of competition, Guatemala (5-0) will face Nicaragua (2-3) at 4:30 pm, and Panama (1-4) will play Costa Rica (3-2) at 7:00 pm.
Yeferson Zabala GUA
This was Panama’s third consecutive five-set match, having previously defeated Belize and Nicaragua in five sets.
Guatemala held the advantage in attacks (64-61) and blocks (10-9), while Panama dominated in serves (8-2). Guatemala committed 27 errors, while Panama had 31.
In Guatemala’s victory, Yeferson Zavala scored 20 points (19 attacks, one block), Roberto Recinos tallied 19 points, all from attacks, and Jerry Durán added 15 points (10 attacks, a match-high of 5 blocks).
Víctor Pérez led Panama with 21 points (20 attacks, one ace), followed by David De León with 20 (19 attacks, one block), Víctor Aráuz with 13 (10 attacks, 3 blocks), and Kendrieck Newby with 12 (9 attacks, 2 blocks, one ace).
Yeferson Zavala, along with Roberto Recinos, kept Guatemala ahead in the first set from point 12 onwards. Guatemala rallied in the second set (15-19) to tie at 23 points but conceded their first set of the tournament after an attack from Panama’s David De León. Panama took a five-point lead in the third set (17-12) with David Della and Víctor Serra joining the offense alongside De León, putting them ahead 2-1. Guatemala forced the tie-break by maintaining control from point five of the fourth set. After a tie at seven points in the fifth set, Guatemala stayed ahead to celebrate the victory.
Victor Perez PAN
Yeferson Zavala, captain of Guatemala: “We are very happy to win a back-to-back championship for Guatemala. The tournament isn’t over yet, but we are already champions. Today’s win was hard-fought and difficult because Panama is a high-level team. We knew that the team that won today would remain undefeated. We managed to get the result”.
Reider Lucas, Coach of Guatemala: “It was a very interesting match. We knew the top spot was on the line. I congratulate Panama for playing very well and working hard. We reached the end with both teams having many chances. Perhaps what helped us was our determination and a bit more experience. We are aware that we didn’t play a great match, but sometimes, even without playing well, you need to know how to win, and we managed to do sotoday”.
Horacio Angulo, Coach of Panama: “Today we demonstrated that our work was focused. Guatemala is a team with a lot of international experience, well-organized, and Coach Reider has done a great job. We pushed them to the limit. We showed we could make Guatemala struggle, but they proved their capability with a more established game structure and displayed their quality. I’m very happy with my team’s effort; it’s their first time together. We have worked to reach the podium, and tomorrow, against Costa Rica, we will reinforce what we’ve been aiming for”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 16, 2024.- Costa Rica overcame Nicaragua 3-2 (16-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-17, 15-6) on the penultimate day of the 20th AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Championship at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Costa Rica improved their record to 3-2, while Nicaragua fell to 2-3.
This was Costa Rica’s third five-set match. Nicaragua also lost in five sets last night against Panama.
Ignacio Morales CRC
Nicaragua’s final opponent is the reigning champion Guatemala, with their match set for Thursday at 4:30 pm. The tournament’s 20th edition will conclude with Costa Rica facing Panama at 7:00 pm.
Costa Rica’s significant advantage in blocking (17-8) was crucial to their victory, and they also outperformed Nicaragua in serves (6-1). Nicaragua held advantage in attacks (59-54) and made fewer errors (23-26).
Four players led Costa Rica’s offense, scoring double digits: Denzel Jiménez (18), Johan Cerdas (16), Ignacio Morales (16), and Jeremy Vanega (11), the latter recording a match-high of 6 blocking points.
Nicaragua’s Edwin Humphreys was the game’s top scorer with 22 points, while Evans Solís contributed 13 points.
The match was a rollercoaster, with Costa Rica forcing a fifth set after taking control of the fourth set with 4 blocks and 3 aces, while Nicaragua had none in both skills. Costa Rica dominated the tie-break, capitalizing on 6 Nicaraguan errors and attacks from Johan Cerdas and Ignacio Morales.
Edwin Humphreys NCA
Gabriel Ventura, captain of Costa Rica: “I feel like we gave away the first set too easily, but in the second, with some changes, we found ourselves as a team. It helped that we finished very strong in the fourth and fifth sets. I had to leave the game because my knee started hurting during a play, but my teammate who replaced me did an amazing job”.
Félix Palacios, captain of Nicaragua: “It was a tight game. We started off strong, but in the end, the team’s energy dropped. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result, but we gave it our all on the court. Tomorrow, we face Guatemala, and we hope to beat them”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 16, 2024.- El Salvador captured their first win in the 20th AFECAVOL Central American Men’s U21 Championship by defeating Honduras 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-14) at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
With the victory, El Salvador improved their record to 1-4 and will face Belize (3-2) on the final day of competition at 2:00 pm. Honduras finished the tournament with a 6-0 record.
El Salvador celebra
In just over an hour (1:08) El Salvador outscored Honduras in attacks 28-26 and in serves 9-1. Both teams scored 4 blocking points. El Salvador capitalized on 34 points from Honduran errors, while committing 14.
In El Salvador’s victory, Ricardo Alegría, Abner Cano, and Julio Jiménez contributed 9, 8, and 7 points, respectively.
Outside hitter Fernando Herrera led all scorers with 12 points, all from kills, followed by team captain Jonathan Meza with 11 points.
Abner Cano, captain of El Salvador: “We haven’t performed well in this tournament. Today, we managed to win against Honduras, which is a good team. We won 3-0, and we’re happy. Tomorrow we’ll finish the tournament facing Belize, and we’ll try to win so we don’t leave with only one victory”.
Jonathan Meza, captain of Honduras: “Unfortunately, we couldn’t win. We didn’t accomplish our goals. From the beginning of the tournament, we had some issues with certain players, and our plan didn’t work. This is the result of each player not fulfilling their responsibilities”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 15, 2024.- Panama remains undefeated with a dramatic 3-2 (25-16, 21-25, 25-27, 25-20, 19-17) victory over Nicaragua in the XX AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship, held at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Panama holds an undefeated 4-0 record with 15 points and will face defending champion Guatemala, also unbeaten but with 20 points, on Wednesday at 8:00 pm.
Nicaragua and Costa Rica, both with a 2-2 record and 10 points, will play on Wednesday at 5:30 pm.
Victor Arauz PAN
Panama led in attacks (69-64), blocks (13-11), and serves (6-1), but gave away more points from errors (29-27).
Panama had five players scoring in double digits, led by Víctor Pérez (22), followed by Víctor Araúz (19), David De León (16), David Della (15), and Kendrieck Newby (11).
Nicaraguan Evans Solís led all scorers with 23 points. Edwin Humphreys added 22 points.
After Nicaragua lost the first set by a significant margin, the dynamic of the match changed dramatically. Both teams battled, exchanging leads. The intense fifth set went to Panama with two attacks from Víctor Pérez, after the team had lost three match points.
David de Leon PAN
Horacio Angulo, Coach of Panama: “We take it game by game, knowing that no team is easy. The whole team came to do their job. Nicaragua improved a lot in the second set, using their attack against our block. Their defense is very good, which complicated our high ball attacks in zone four. Nicaragua did an excellent job. We made a series of adjustments, and we managed to secure the victory”.
Jorge Luis Mena, Coach of Nicaragua: “It was a good match. I’ve always said that details define the game; when it’s time to attack, you have to attack; when it’s time to play the ball, you have to play it. In the fourth set, we were ahead and couldn’t regain control of the game. The fifth set is pure luck; the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins, and we had two players who couldn’t handle the ball in zone four, which is where matches are decided. We’ll keep moving forward.”
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 15, 2024.- Belize edged Honduras 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-20) to improve their record to 3-2 in the XX AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship that’s being held at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Belize holds a record of three wins and two losses, with 15 points. Honduras remains winless with a 0-5 record.
On Wednesday, October 16, Honduras (0-5) will play their final match of the tournament against El Salvador (0-4) at 3:00 pm. Belize (3-2) has a day off.
Belize
Despite giving up more points from errors (26-16), Belize controlled the game in attacks (39-24), blocks (11-2), and serves (8-6).
Three Belizean players scored in double digits: Kaelen Ingram (17), Eleazar Mejia (16), and Preston Smith (10).
Fernando Herrera, with 9 points, was Honduras’ top scorer.
From the point 9 in the first set, Belize never trailed. Their blocking was key in fully controlling the second set. The third set was the most competitive, reaching a 13-point tie, but Mejia’s offense, along with Smith and Ingram led Belize to victory.
Brayden Richardson BIZ
Yamill Herrera, Coach of Belize: “In this tournament, every game is like a final. They (Honduras) haven’t had a victory, but they show up on the court and play. We didn’t start well, but we knew how to come back. The attack was strong. Our reception didn’t work, but we managed to face the match and resolve it in three sets, which was essential to earn five points and stay in contention for a medal. We have one match left, and we hope to come out on top to finish 4-2 and go for a medal”.
Carlos Funez, Coach of Honduras: “The team showed very little attitude, little desire to win. Given the results we’ve had in previous matches, it’s hard to lift morale. There was little drive to want to win. Although it’s true that Belize is a strong team, it wasn’t impossible. We played far from what we had planned. We missed serves that were crucial since we complicated their reception, especially with player #2. We have one match left, and hopefully, things will be different tomorrow”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 15, 2024.- Guatemala swept Costa Rica 25-13, 25-14, 25-16 to remain unbeaten in the XX AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship on Tuesday at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
After five days of competition, defending champion Guatemala remains unbeaten with a perfect 4-0 record and 20 points, without dropping a set. Costa Rica holds a 2-2 record with 10 points.
Costa Rica will face Nicaragua on Wednesday at 5:30 pm, while Guatemala will play Panama at 8:00 pm.
Yeferson Zabala GUA
Guatemala was dominant and had no complications in controlling Costa Rica with advantages of 45-20 in attacks, 7-5 in blocks, and 3-1 in serves. Guatemala scored 20 points from Costa Rica’s errors, against 20.
Guatemala’s opposite hitter Jerry Durán scored 16 points (13 attacks, 3 blocks), as the top scorer of the match. Outside hitter Yeferson Zavala added 12 points, all on attacks. Roberto Recinos finished with 10 points.
Denzel Jiménez and Ignacio Morales each scored 6 points for Costa Rica.
Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “I thought the match would be a bit more difficult, but it was one-sided. Fortunately, the boys knew how to stay focused and did their job on the court. We are very happy with the positive attitude within the team, and the boys are very focused on the competition. We still have two matches left, and we hope to achieve the results we came here for”.
Roberto Argüello, coach of Costa Rica: “I feel like nothing we planned worked. We knew where Guatemala’s serves were going. We tried to build a foundation for our game, but Guatemala pressured us with their serve, and we couldn’t set in the middle. It was also very difficult to play on the outside of the net. Of the three matches we’ve played, two went to five sets, and the load has been heavy. It’s not an excuse, but we’ve been working to help the boys. We really struggled with reception and decision-making while attacking”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 14, 2024. – Panama is undefeated with a five-set victory, 3-2 (24-26, 25-22, 20-25, 25-23, 18-16), against Belize at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship on Monday night at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Panama stands unbeaten at 3-0 after four days of competition, while Belize holds a 2-2 record.
On the fifth day of competition, Belize (2-2) will face Honduras (0-4) at 5:30 p.m., and Panama (3-0) will play against Nicaragua (2-1) at 8:00 p.m.
Panama
Panama secured the win by capitalizing on 40 errors from Belize compared to their 23, and with an 8-6 advantage in aces. Belize dominated in attacks 69-53 and in blocks 14-11.
Four Panamanian players scored in double digits, with David De León leading with 20 points. Víctor Araúz and Víctor Pérez each added 13 points, and David Della Sera contributed 10.
The top scorer of the match was Belize’s Kaelen Ingram with 31 points, followed by his teammate Eleazar Mejia with 27, including a match-high of 4 aces. Preston Smith and Ryan Usher scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, with Usher recording a match-high of 6 blocks.
Kaelen Ingram BIZ – David Della Sera y Yuslin Gantes PAN
The game was a back-and-forth battle, with each team taking turns winning sets, and each rally full of energy. The match ended dramatically, as Belize recovered from a two-point deficit (12-14), saving two match points against Panama, both on errors. Belize tied the score at 14 with a block by Preston Smith against David De León. Panama once again reached match point (16-15) thanks to De León’s offense, but Belize tied it at 16 with a spike by Kaelen Ingram. Víctor Pérez then scored two consecutive attack points to secure the win for Panama.
Jesús Moreno, libero of Panama: “From the start, we knew the game wouldn’t be easy, and Belize proved it. We were able to win thanks to the coaching staff and the team’s effort”.
Daunte Gill, libero of Belize: “We were technically together as a team. We made some simple mistakes, but we couldn’t keep the momentum for the team. We’ll just have to play hard for our next two games and try to win a medal”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 14, 2024. – Costa Rica defeated El Salvador in a remarkable comeback, 3-2 (20-25, 26-28, 25-16, 26-24, 15-9), on the fourth day of the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
With the win, Costa Rica improved to a 2-1 record, while El Salvador remains winless at 0-4.
Costa Rica (2-1) will face the current champion Guatemala (3-0) on Tuesday, October 15, at 3:00 p.m., and El Salvador (0-4) will have a rest day.
Johan Cerdas CRC
Costa Rica recovered from a 0-2 set deficit with an 11-7 blocking advantage and committed fewer errors, 27-39. El Salvador led in attacks 61-59 and in serves 7-3.
Denzel Jiménez led Costa Rica with 16 points, all on kills. Jeremy Vanega scored 15 points (9 attacks and a match-high of 6 blocks). Johan Cerdas and Kevin Parra contributed to the win with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Abner Cano from El Salvador led all scorers with 22 points (19 attacks, 3 aces), followed by Ricardo Alegría with 20 points (16 attacks, 2 blocks, 2 aces). Julio Jiménez added 13 points, and Andrés Reyes contributed 10.
El Salvador started strong and fought hard to win the second set, which was tied several times before a tight 28-26 finish, thanks to an opponent error and a powerful attack from Ricardo Alegría. Costa Rica was dominant in winning the third set, and in the fourth, they had another close finish, closing it out with an attack from Ignacio Morales and an error from El Salvador to force the fifth set. Costa Rica sealed the tie-break with a 9-5 advantage in attacks, benefiting from five errors by El Salvador.
Oswaldo Chacón, libero of Costa Rica: “It was a very tough match against El Salvador. We were down 2-0, but by working as a team, we were able to achieve anything. I’m very happy with the whole team because it’s not easy to come back like that. For the rest of the championship, we’ll give it our all to try and reach the podium and, if possible, win the championship”.
Fernando Javier Navarro, libero of El Salvador: “We have a new team with several new players, and we lacked the sporting maturity to close out the match, making mistakes on several points”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 14, 2024.- Nicaragua blocked Honduras (21-7) all the way, earning 3-1 victory (27-29, 25-23, 25-19, 25-15) in their second win at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship on Monday at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
After four days of competition, Nicaragua has a 2-1 record, while Honduras is 0-3.
On Tuesday, October 15, Honduras will face Belize at 5:30 p.m. and Nicaragua will face Panama at 8:00 p.m.
Josue Leon NCA (2)
Nicaragua’s blocking was crucial (21-7) in securing the victory, building a wall that prevented Honduras from scoring easily. Nicaragua also outperformed Honduras in serves, 5-3. Both teams scored 49 attacking points and committed 27 errors.
Six Nicaraguan players contributed to blocking points, with middle blocker Edwin Humphreys leading the way with a match-high of 8 blocks. Outside hitter Evans Solís was the top scorer of the match with 22 points. Edwin Humphreys added 17 points, opposite hitter Yader León scored 14, and outside hitter Kenneth Martínez contributed 10 points.
For Honduras, Fernando Herrera led with 19 points, followed by Leonardo Villegas and Jonathan Meza, each with 14 points.
Osmar Peralta, libero of Nicaragua: “The game was very tough, but we managed to pull through with the help of the coaches. At the beginning, things weren’t going well, but we knew how to take control of the team. We are thankful to God for the victory”.
Alejandro Funez, libero of Honduras: “Today we had a good match against Nicaragua. We lost our momentum, couldn’t finish, and in the end, we lost. We made mistakes that cost us the second set, and we couldn’t get out of certain rotations to close the game”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 13, 2024.- With a 13-3 blocking advantage, Costa Rica dominated Honduras 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-17) for their first victory in the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship on Sunday night at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Costa Rica improved their record to 1-1, while Honduras remains winless at 0-3.
On the fourth day of the event, Honduras (0-3) will face Nicaragua (1-1) at 3:00 pm, and Costa Rica (1-1) will play against El Salvador (0-3) at 5:30 pm.
Hector Duarte HON – Keylor Rodriguez y Johan Cerdas CRC
In addition to their superiority in blocking, Costa Rica also held a 38-33 margin in attacks. Honduras outperformed in service points, 6-1. Costa Rica committed 16 errors, while Honduras had 23.
Outside hitter Johan Cerdas led Costa Rica with 16 points (14 attacks, 2 blocks). Middle blocker Jeremy Vanega added 9 points, including a match-high of 5 blocks.
Fernando Herrera scored 16 points for Honduras (13 attacks, one block, 2 aces), and Leonardo Villegas contributed 13 points (8 attacks, 2 blocks, 3 aces).
Costa Rica tied the first set at 11 points after recovering from a four-point deficit (7-11) with the offensive efforts of Jeremy Vanega, Dennis Jenher, and Johan Cerdas. From point 15 onwards, Costa Rica pulled away from Honduras to win the set. Although Honduras led the second set up to point 21, thanks to the attacks of Fernando Herrera and Leonardo Villegas, Costa Rica came from behind again to take a 2-0 lead, relying on their strong blocking. Costa Rica controlled the third set with their effective blocking, with Venega scoring 5 of the team’s 9 total blocks.
Kevin Parra CRC
Johan Cerdas Badilla, top scorer Costa Rica: “We started off a bit slow, but fortunately, we managed to lift our spirits and improve our technique. We achieved a great result, finishing as a strong and united team. If we continue like this, staying strong and confident, I expect us to win a medal”.
Leonardo Villegas, outside hitter of Honduras: “It was a very dynamic and entertaining match for the crowd. It was definitely a back-and-forth game; each team had their moments. Costa Rica was better than us, more consistent, but we’re still eager to win tomorrow”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 13, 2024.- Nicaragua defeated El Salvador 3-1 (27-25, 25-16, 22-25, 25-20) on Sunday, earning their first victory in the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Nicaragua now holds a 1-1 record, while El Salvador remains winless at 0-3.
On the fourth day of competition, Nicaragua will face Honduras at 3:00 pm, followed by El Salvador taking on Costa Rica at 5:30 pm.
Diego Navarrete NCA – Fernando Ortiz y Abner Cano ESA
Nicaragua clinched the victory with a 58-45 advantage in attacks and 12-9 in blocks. El Salvador had a better performance in serves with a 7-2 advantage but committed more errors, 27-25.
The top scorer of the match was Nicaragua’s Evans Solís with 21 points, followed by Kenneth Martínez with 18. Yader León contributed 14 points.
For El Salvador, Ricardo Alegría led with 17 points, while Abner Cano and Julio Jiménez each added 14.
Nicaragua dominated the first set until El Salvador came from behind to tie at 21 points and reached set point (24-22) with an attack by Andrés Reyes. Evans Solís, alongside Yader León, put Nicaragua ahead 25-24, and despite El Salvador tying again (25-25), two attacks from Solís gave Nicaragua a 1-0 lead. Nicaragua controlled the second set, but El Salvador fought back to extend the match by winning the third set, leading in attacks (12-9) and serves (2-0). Nicaragua used its blocking strength to close the match in the fourth set.
Kenneth Martinez NCA – Gabriel Vargas y Andres Reyes ESA
Evans Solís, top scorer of Nicaragua: “We knew it would be a tough match, but we stayed focused after the loss. The team is coming together more, and that’s helping us a lot. We’re moving forward because nothing is set in stone. In the third set, there was some miscommunication, maybe we got overconfident, but we got the result, and that’s what matters”.
Ricardo Alegría, top scorer of El Salvador: “We prepared a lot for the tournament, but unfortunately, we’re not getting the results we expected. All the effort we’re putting in will pay off at some point. We’ll keep our heads up and move forward. Most of the time, we’ve only lost by two points; we just need to push harder at the end to get the win and show what El Salvador is made of”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 13, 2024.- Guatemala defeated Belize 3-0 (25-19, 27-25, 25-14) to remain undefeated in the 20th Central American U21 Men’s Championship at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
After three days of competition, the defending champions hold a 3-0 record and 15 points. Belize now has a 2-1 record and 8 points.
On Monday, Guatemala (3-0) will have a rest day, while Belize (2-1) will face Panama at 8:00pm local time.
Jerry Duran GUA – Preston Smith BIZ
Guatemala led in attacks (41-31) and in serves (7-3), while Belize was stronger in blocks (9-8). Guatemala benefited from 21 errors by Belize, compared to 15.
Yeferson Zavala scored 21 points (15 attacks, 3 blocks, 3 aces) in Guatemala’s victory, and Roberto Recinos contributed 12 points (10 attacks, one block, one ace).
Eleazar Mejía and Kaelen Ingram led Belize with 16 and 15 points, respectively.
Guatemala came back from a five-point deficit (16-21) in the second set with the offense of Roberto Recinos and Yeferson Zavala; Belize then reached set point (24-19) with Brayden Richardson serving, but an attack by Daniel Delgado (who came off the bench), along with a Belize error, allowed Guatemala to tie at 24. Delgado brought Guatemala to set point, and Belize tied at 25 with an attack by Eleazar Mejía. Finally, an attack by Delgado and a block by Recinos on Belize’s Kaelen Ingram secured the set for Guatemala.
Jerry Durán, opposite hitter for Guatemala: “The game started off very tight, with both teams scoring good points. In the second set, things got a bit complicated at the start, but we were able to take advantage of our strength in blocking and won the set. In the third set, we came in with a lot of confidence to win the match”.
Kaelen Ingram BIZ
Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “In the second set, we were down by five points, and we had already used both timeouts. We had to make a substitution to hold the score, and it worked. We replaced our opposite hitter, and Daniel Delgado came in and helped with two serves that disrupted Belize’s first line of defense. This contributed to our serve getting stronger, and we ended up blocking very well, allowing us to tie the game. Our attitude improved, and both our offense and defense started to perform, allowing us to win the match”.
Kaelen Ingram, opposite hitter of Belize: “It really comes down to who wants it the most. We wanted to win but you have to stick to the plan and that’s what Guatemala did, they had more consistency. Guatemala is a really good team. It’s a loss but it’s not over for us as yet for the gold. We’re going to come out strong again and we’re going to give a good competition as we always planned to do”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 12, 2024.- Panama took a hard-fought victory over El Salvador, 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-23), on Saturday night in the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship, at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
The host team remains undefeated with a 2-0 record and 9 points, while El Salvador stands at 0-2.
Panama bounced back after losing the first set, finishing with a slight advantage in attacks (51-50), dominating in blocks (11-7) and serves (5-3), but conceding more points on errors (35-32).
Victor Arauz PAN
David de León led Panama with 25 points (20 attacks, 4 blocks, one ace). Víctor Pérez and Víctor Arauz contributed 15 and 13 points, respectively.
El Salvador’s Ricardo Alegría was the top scorer of the match with 27 points (25 attacks, one block, one ace). Julio César Jiménez added 11 points, all on kills.
Before winning the third set, Panama lost two set points due to attacks from Jiménez and Alegría of El Salvador. A block by Carlos Mejía denied Panama a match point in the fourth set, but Víctor Pérez sealed the victory with a kill.
Panama (2-0) will rest on Sunday, while El Salvador (0-2) will face Nicaragua (0-1) at 5:30 PM.
Horacio Angulo, Coach of Panama: “This was a tough match, with pressure from El Salvador. They lost to Guatemala yesterday but played well, so we knew they could make the match difficult for us today. We made the necessary adjustments in the second set and were able to win it, along with the next two sets. We are taking it match by match because we know the teams are prepared to reach the podium, and we’re aiming for that as well”.
Andrea Genova, Coach of El Salvador: “Both teams were always close, battling through all four sets. In the first set, we had a bit more luck, with several balls going our way, and we managed to win it. We kept fighting in the following sets, but Panama deserved more. It was a high-level match, with both teams playing strong and evenly. This is the second match where we’ve experienced this”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 12, 2024.- Defending champion Guatemala earned a dominant victory over Honduras 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-15) on the second day of action at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship in Chitré, Panama.
Guatemala earned its second straight-set victory, improving its record to 2-0 with 10 points. Honduras remains winless at 0-2.
Guatemala used their entire roster, finishing with a 41-25 advantage in kills, 9-2 in blocks, and 4-2 in service points, while giving away 15 points from errors compared to 21 by Honduras.
Fernando Delgado GUA
Jerry Durán of Guatemala was the top scorer in the match with 14 points. Guatemala’s team captain finished with 10 points. Roberto Recinos and Christian Álvarez also contributed to the win, each scoring 9 points.
Fernando Herrera led Honduras’ scoring with 12 points, followed by Jonathan Meza with 9.
On the third day of the event, Guatemala (2-0) will face Belize (2-0) at 3:00pm, and Honduras (0-2) will play against Costa Rica (0-1) at 8:00pm.
Fernando Herrera HON – Jareth Duran GUA
Yeferson Zavala, captain of Guatemala: “My impressions of the match are very positive. We were able to close with a good 3-0 result. Every day we aim to win all our matches with better outcomes. There is still a long way to go. We are going to give it our all to achieve a good result in the competition”.
Jonathan Meza, captain of Honduras: “We’ve faced several challenges. Our main middle blocker got injured in the first training, and we had to improvise a bit with the rest of the players. This has caused difficulties that we’ve been trying to address in morning practices, but we haven’t been able to fully execute and be solid in our game. Tomorrow will be better”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 12, 2024.- Belize secured its second win at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship after a five-set victory, 3-2 (25-20, 25-20, 17-25, 25-27, 25-13) over Costa Rica, on Saturday at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Belize improved its record to 2-0, outperforming Costa Rica 58-40 in attacks and 8-6 in serves. This was Costa Rica’s (0-1) first match in the tournament, leading in blocks 18-10 and committing fewer errors (31-41) than Belize.
Eleazar Mejia BIZ
Kaelen Ingram from Belize led all scorers with 31 points (26 attacks, 3 blocks, 2 aces). Eleazar Mejía also contributed to the win with 21 points (19 attacks, 2 aces).
Dennis Jenher and Johan Cerdas led Costa Rica with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Jeremy Vanega added 11 points. Keylor Rodríguez had a match-high of six blocks among his 9 points.
On day three of the competition, Belize will play against Guatemala and Costa Rica will face Honduras.
Gabriel Obando CRC
Eleazar Mejía, Captain of Belize: “Once again today we were victorious over Costa Rica. We went to a hard battled five sets. Like I said yesterday, it’s a hard tournament so we have got to play hard, if you want to win you have got to play at your best and that’s what we’re doing, me and my teammates. All we have to do is execute and hope for the best”.
Gabriel Ventura, setter and captain of Costa Rica: “We struggled in the first two sets, our serve was off, and we made many errors. In the following sets, we improved our serve and reduced the errors, extending the match to a fifth set, where we missed a couple of key details that cost us the win. I’m proud of the team for tying the match and almost pulling off the victory”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 11, 2024.- Panama defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-20) on the opening day of the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium.
The host team led in attacks (29-24), blocks (10-1), and aces (7-2). Panama committed 26 errors, while Honduras had 29.
Kendrieck Newby PAN
Panamanians David León and Kendrieck Newby each scored 11 points, with Víctor Pérez adding 8.
Fernando Herrera led Honduras with 8 points, followed by Leonardo Villegas with 7.
On the second day of the event, Honduras (0-1) will face Guatemala (1-0), and Panama (1-0) will play against El Salvador (0-1).
Honduras recibe
Horacio Angulo, Coach of Panama: “The first set seemed complicated to me due to Honduras’ serves and organized defensive line. Taking advantage of the setter’s short height, we were able to align our defense and successfully take the first set. After that, the game became easier because we showed what we could do with our blocking, and we secured the victory. This is the first win, and we’ll take it step by step because we know that all teams are here to fight for a medal”.
Rodolfo Funez, Coach of Honduras: “During the morning practice, our main middle blocker got injured. We had been working with another middle blocker who couldn’t travel, so without our key players, we had to rearrange the team, and it wasn’t enough. Tomorrow, we’ll work on other tactics to improve the team. Today, the boys fought until the end, gave it their all, and never gave up.”
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 11, 2024.- In a dramatic finish, Belize defeated Nicaragua 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 29-27) to start the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship at Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Nicaragua lost three set points in the third set on a kill from Kaelen Ingram and a Belizean error. Despite Kenneth Martínez managing to tie the set at 27 points for Nicaragua, Ingram, along with Eleazar Mejia, sealed the victory for Belize with their attacks.
Belize dominated every skill of the game: attacking (40-29), blocking (8-5), and serving (8-0). Nicaragua committed fewer errors (23-29).
Belize
Belizean Kaelen Ingram was the top scorer of the match with 26 points (22 attacks, 3 blocks, one ace). Eleazar Mejía contributed 13 points to the victory.
Yader León led Nicaragua with 13 points, while Kenneth Martínez added 11.
On the second day of the event, Belize will face Costa Rica at 3:00 pm (local time), while Nicaragua has a rest day.
Eleazar Mejía, captain of Belize: “I felt we played today’s game very well, exceptional. Nicaragua is a very tough team. We hope to move forward in this tournament, working on the little mistakes and go for a gold medal”.
Felix Palacios, captain of Nicaragua: “The game was not easy. The team gave it their all, but the result didn’t go our way. However, I know we will improve, and we will push through in the remaining matches because we have a good team, and I know we can do it”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 11, 2024.- Guatemala kicked off the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship with a straight-set victory 3-0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-22) over El Salvador at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium.
Guatemala topped in attacks (45-39) and serving (3-2), benefiting from 24 opponent errors compared to their 18. El Salvador dominated in blocking (10-4).
Outside hitters Roberto Recinos and Yeferson Zavala led Guatemala with 17 and 16 points, respectively.
Roberto Carlos Recinos GUA
Three players from El Salvador scored in double digits: Ricardo Alegría (16), Abner Cano (14), and Julio César Jiménez (11).
On the second day of competition, Guatemala (1-0) will face Honduras (5:30 pm local time), while El Salvador (0-1) will play Panama (8:00 pm local time).
After reaching a 17-point tie in the second set, El Salvador stayed ahead and reached set point (24-23), but Guatemala didn’t give in and with two attacks maintained control of the match, leading 2-0.The defending champion managed to recover from a four-point deficit (11-15) in the third set, tying the game at 19 points before maintaining the lead to secure the victory.
Ricardo Arnoldo Alegria ESA
Yeferson Zavala, captain of Guatemala: “It was a very exciting match against El Salvador to start the tournament. It’s just the beginning, and thanks to God, we took a good step by closing the match 3-0. El Salvador has a good, competitive team. What helped us was being able to close the sets and bring emotional stability to the team because at times we lost it.”
Abner Cano, captain of El Salvador: “We didn’t get a good result against Guatemala. Our inability to close the sets and the lack of experience of many players cost us the match. We will keep moving forward because we came here to win, and we won’t leave this tournament empty-handed.”
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 10, 2024. – The seven Central American countries are aiming for a medal at the AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Championship, set to take place from October 11 to 17 at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
In their first interviews, the coaches agreed that it will be a tough competition, as is customary in AFECAVOL men’s events, and that their goal is to win a medal.
Yamil Herrera, Coach of Belize: “The tournament will be very interesting due to the roster each team is bringing and the competition system, every day is like a final. The seven regular players on our team have experience in this type of event. We believe the athletes will follow the tactical plan we have set for each match and earn good results.
Andrea Genova, Coach of El Salvador: “At the moment, we are preparing for this U21 AFECAVOL competition, which we know will be very good because there are teams with a lot of skill. In recent years, our results have been around fifth place, and we are looking to improve and climb a bit higher since the team we are bringing has more credentials”.
El Salvador
Roberto Argüello, Coach of Costa Rica: “We have a great commitment in this tournament because in the last two editions, we haven’t been able to make it to the podium. We know we have a good team, and our intention is to work hard, stay organized, and achieve a podium finish”.
Costa Rica
Reider Lucas, Coach of Guatemala: “Our goal in the competition is to try to achieve a good result. We have prepared well for this type of event. We know the matches will be tough, as they have been in AFECAVOL and all Central America. We believe we can have a good competition, and we are hoping for those results.
Guatemala
Carlos Funes, Coach of Honduras: “Honduras has been in a preparation process since mid-January. We trained hard. Given our recent placements in the younger categories, the players are committed and determined to give their all. We are focused, we have studied the teams we have been playing against, and we hope to finish in a position that reflects our preparation”.
Honduras
Jorge Luis Mena, Coach of Nicaragua: “Nicaragua’s expectations are the same as always, to finish among the medalists. We know the tournament won’t be easy, as there are several strong teams. We will aim to bring a medal to our country, that’s the goal for all the players, who are well-prepared for this moment. We know all our close rivals, and we are going to give it our all in this tournament”.
Nicaragua
Horacio Angulo, Coach of Panama: “Our expectation as a team is to try to be on the podium. We’ve worked very hard with this team. We know that all the teams are coming to fight for a top spot in this tournament. We’re here to take it one game at a time and try to play in a way that benefits us to secure a podium finish”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 7, 2024.- The city of Chitré, Panama, will host the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship, to be held at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium from October 11 to 17.
Guatemala was crowned champion in the last edition, held in 2022 in Nicaragua, securing its eighth title in the history of the event. Nicaragua and Panama completed the medal standings, winning the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Costa Rica and Nicaragua have each won the U21 title three times, while El Salvador and Panama have been champions twice. Honduras holds one gold medal.
The seven member countries of AFECAVOL will arrive in Chitré on October 9, with the preliminary meeting scheduled for October 10, and the competition starting on the 11th, with three daily matches.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 17, 2024.- From September 24 to 28, the city of Managua will host the First Edition of the U17 Central American Girls’ Championship, organized by the Association of Central American Volleyball Federations (AFECAVOL).
This event marks a milestone in the development of women’s volleyball in the region and responds to a joint initiative of Central American nations to align their youth categories with international standards.
Six countries will compete in this first edition: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. All of them aim to foster young talent, provide international experience, and prepare new generations of players for future continental and international competitions.
The Volleyball Gymnasium of the Sports Institute (IND) in Managua will be the official competition hall for the tournament, which has been prepared to welcome the six participating teams, highlighting AFECAVOL’s commitment to the development of volleyball at the regional level.
Teams will go through the preliminary interview on Monday the 23rd, and the competition will kick off on Tuesday the 24th, with three daily matches broadcast live NicaSports en YouTube.
GUATEMALA, September 9, 2024.- The Central American Volleyball Association (AFECAVOL) has consistently positioned itself as a pioneering Zonal Association within NORCECA and the FIVB. With a strong commitment to the growth and modernization of the sport, AFECAVOL continues to introduce initiatives that enhance the game, support officials, and elevate the overall experience for players and fans alike.
IPAD
In a recent move underscoring its innovative approach, AFECAVOL provided new uniforms to referees during the inaugural Central American Men’s Final Four event held in Guatemala. AFECAVOL will be distributing these uniforms to more members of the regional officiating body in upcoming events.
This initiative, in addition to projecting a fresh and professional appearance for officials, also symbolizes the organization’s dedication to the highest standards of the sport. The new attire ensures that referees present a unified and modern image, reinforcing their role as key figures in the sport.
However, AFECAVOL’s innovations extend beyond uniforms. Recognizing the importance of clear and effective communication during matches, the organization has introduced the use of radios for referees. This enhancement is a significant step towards ensuring that officiating is as precise and coordinated as possible, especially during high-demand matches. With real-time communication now at their disposal, referees can manage games more efficiently, addressing issues promptly and ensuring a smooth flow of play.
Radio
Adding to these technological advancements, AFECAVOL has also implemented the use of iPads in the officiating process. This digital integration marks a substantial advance in how matches are managed, allowing referees to access critical information, review positions, and make more accurate decisions. The iPads serve as a tool for tracking statistics and other essential functions that are becoming increasingly important in modern volleyball.
These developments highlight AFECAVOL’s commitment and its Board of Directors’ determination to keep Central American volleyball at the forefront of the sport. By investing in the necessary tools and resources for high-quality officiating, AFECAVOL not only enhances the integrity of the game but also ensures that the region remains competitive on the international stage.
GUATEMALA, September 6, 2024.- Axel Gutiérrez of Nicaragua was honored as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 1st AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four, held from September 4 to 6 at the Alfonso Gordillo 7 de Diciembre Gymnasium in Guatemala City.
In addition to being the tournament’s MVP, Axel was also the Best Scorer and Best Opposite.
Other Nicaraguan players who received recognition include Jonny Zeledón as the Second Best Spiker and Emilio Andrews, who won the Best Blocker award.
Yefferson Zabala of Guatemala received the Best Server award; also from Guatemala, Carlos López was named Best Spiker.
Fernando Navarro of El Salvador received three awards: Best Libero, Best Receiver, and Best Digger. Manuel Platero, also from El Salvador, was recognized as the Second Best Blocker.
GUATEMALA, September 6, 2024.- Guatemala defeated El Salvador 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-22) to claim the Silver Medal, relegating El Salvador to the Bronze Medal in the 1st AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four Championship.
Guatemala outperformed El Salvador in all areas of the game, with 45-28 in attacks, 8-5 in blocks, and 4-3 in serves. It was a match with few unforced errors, as Guatemala had 17 and El Salvador had 18.
Carlos Fernando López, captain of Guatemala, was the top scorer of the match with 17 points, including 3 blocks and one serve, while Andy Alexis Leonardo scored 15 points. For El Salvador, the top scorer was Abner Cano with 12 points.
Luis Fernando Castañeda, assistant coach of Guatemala, commented, “It was a very important tournament for us; we always aim for the best position in every event. This time, with many young players, we are trying to make the generational change in the senior team. We secured second place, and we will continue working to achieve better goals”.
Andrea Genova, coach of El Salvador, said, “It was a good tournament, and it was evident that the best four teams in Central America were present. Every day, the matches were very competitive, and it gave us the opportunity to test new players who give us a lot of hope for the future. We are satisfied with the work we did, but we are aware that we can improve even more”.
GUATEMALA, September 6, 2024 – Nicaragua claimed the Gold Medal at the First Central American Senior Men’s Final Four Championship by defeating Belize 3-2 with set scores of 20-25, 25-15, 25-18, 28-30, and 15-10.
Nicaragua outperformed Belize in attacks with a 62-60 advantage. Belize was stronger in blocks with a 15-12 lead, and both teams were tied in serves with 3 each. However, Belize committed 19 service errors compared to Nicaragua’s 7.
Once again, Axel Gutiérrez was Nicaragua’s top attacker, scoring 26 points, with Jonny Zeledón contributing 21 points, Emilio Andrews scoring 15 points, and Denis García adding 10 points.
For Belize, Karym Coleman scored 26 points, Francis Hauze contributed 17, Ernest Broaster added 15, and Kerwin Palacio scored 13.
Karym Coleman, BIZ
Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua, stated, “We are very happy. We prepared for this tournament, and I selected players in whom I had confidence from the beginning. I am proud and dedicate this to my country, to the people who supported us, to those who were always with us. We won the Gold Medal, and we have to celebrate it”.
Yamill Herrera, assistant coach of Belize, said, “We played a very good first set with a strong offensive serve, which helped us win it. We slowed down a lot during the match but managed to win the fourth set. In the fifth set, we made errors that allowed Nicaragua to take the lead. When you face a team with good reception and a high level of attack, you have to take risks with the serve”.
GUATEMALA, September 5, 2024.- Nicaragua secured a 3-2 (21-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 15-12) victory over Guatemala, maintaining their unbeaten record in the inaugural AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four Championship, at the Alfonso Gordillo Gymnasium on December 7th.
This victory places Nicaragua at the top of the tournament standings, and they will face Belize this Friday, who has a record of two losses. If the Nicaraguans win, they will be crowned champions.
Nicaragua
Meanwhile, Guatemala, with a record of one win and one loss, will face El Salvador, which has the same record. The winner will have a chance to contend for the silver medal, but if Belize wins the first game, the gold medal will depend on the result of that match.
Guatemala outperformed Nicaragua in attacks 64-53 and in serves 6-3, while blocks ended in a tie with 9 each. Nicaragua secured the victory thanks to the 44 unforced errors given by Guatemala throughout the game (equivalent to almost 2 sets).
Edras Pineda, GUA
Axel Gutiérrez of Nicaragua was the top scorer of the match with 23 points, and Jonny Zeledón contributed 16 points to the victory. For Guatemala, Carlos López was the top scorer with 20 points, supported in the attack by Yeferson Zavala with 19 points.
Axel Gutiérrez of Nicaragua said, “We came for the game, we fought until the last point, and tomorrow we will go for the gold, without a doubt”.
Yeferson Zavala of Guatemala commented, “We knew we were facing a very strong Nicaragua. We managed the first and third sets well. In the second set, we lost our rhythm and couldn’t close out the fourth and fifth sets. Tomorrow, we depend on the game between Nicaragua and Belize to see if we can make it to the podium”.
GUATEMALA, September 5, 2024.- El Salvador earned its first victory in the AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four on Thursday, defeating Belize 3-1 in four closely contested sets, 25-18, 23-25, 26-24, and 25-23.
Belize outperformed El Salvador in attacks 54-52 and in aces 4-3, while both teams were tied in blocks at 7.
Francis Hauze of Belize led all scorers with 23 points, including 3 blocks and one ace. For Belize, Kerwin Palacio added 17 points, and Ernest Broaster contributed 11, supporting Hauze in the attack.
On the other hand, El Salvador had Abner Cano with 20 points and Rodrigo Chávez with 11 points as their top scorers.
El Salvador capitalized on Belize’s 37 unforced errors to secure the victory.
Kerwin Palacio, BIZ
Belize will conclude its participation this Friday at 5 PM facing Nicaragua, while El Salvador will play against Guatemala at 7:30 PM.
Abner Cano of El Salvador said, “After yesterday’s defeat, we sat down as a team and committed to winning the last two games to make it to the podium. The result was what we expected. In the last games we’ve played against Guatemala, we haven’t been able to beat them, but we’re here to change history”.
Elton Anderson, Captain of Belize, commented, “It was a bad result. It wasn’t the result we wanted. We worked hard, but somehow in the last parts of the sets, we just couldn’t finish. Tomorrow, it’s a must-win against Nicaragua, at least we’ll leave with a victory. We wanted three wins, but tomorrow we all need to come focused and play hard from start to finish”.
GUATEMALA CITY, September 4, 2024. – Guatemala struggled to secure a 3-1 victory (25-18, 25-17, 13-25, 25-21) over Belize in the opening match for both teams in the AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four, held at the Alfonso Gordillo Gymnasium on December 7.
It was a hard-fought match, with both teams showcasing powerful hitters; a total of seven players reached double digits.
For Guatemala, Carlos López scored 15 points, Andy Leonardo had 13 points, and both Yeferson José Zavala and Jason Omar Hernández contributed 12 points each. On the Belizean side, Karym Coleman was the top scorer of the match with 16 points, followed by Francis Hauze with 14 points and Ernest Broaster with 12 points.
Guatemala outperformed Belize in attacks, 49-43, while Belize exceeded Guatemala in blocks, 9-4. Both teams were tied in serves, with 6 points each.
Karym Coleman, BIZ, remata
Carlos López, captain and top scorer for Guatemala, said, “Guatemala started strong, leading 2-0. In the third set, we lost focus and made many mistakes that Belize capitalized on. The fourth set was the most contested. I congratulate Belize on the work they’re doing and Guatemala’s bench players for their significant contribution in the final set”.
Karym Coleman, top scorer for Belize and the match, explained, “The match was very good. Belize started off slow, but in the third set, we started strong and won. Tomorrow, I hope we can come out stronger and more focused than in the first two sets today”.
GUATEMALA, September 4, 2024. – Nicaragua began the Men’s Final Four with a 3-0 victory (25-23, 25-20, 25-12) in the historic opening match of this first edition of the tournament organized by AFECAVOL.
The Nicaraguans fought hard to win the first set, but from the second set onward, they were far superior to the Salvadorans, who could no longer find their rhythm.
Axel Guitierrez, NIC, ataque
Nicaragua greatly outperformed El Salvador in blocks 13-3 and attacks 13-3, while El Salvador led in serves 3-1.
Nicaragua’s Axel Gutiérrez was the top scorer of the match with 23 points, 20 of which came from attacks, 2 from blocks, and one from a serve. Emilio Andrews supported Nicaragua’s offense with 14 points, making him the best blocker of the match with 7 points.
Rodrigo Chávez scored 11 points for El Salvador, along with Abner Itiel Cano and Manuel Platero, who each contributed 9 points each.
Nicaragua celebra
Nicaragua’s Axel Gutiérrez, the top scorer of the match, stated, “We came hungry, thirsty for victory; we want to achieve what we have dreamed of for so long, which is the gold medal. El Salvador showed a good level of play, but in the end, we secured the victory”.
Rodrigo Chávez, El Salvador’s top scorer, commented, “I believe the team’s sporting maturity came through. We are a fairly renewed team with many young players who have little experience in this category. Nicaragua took advantage of those weaknesses, and they were more decisive. We will gradually develop a better game and give a stronger performance against the other two teams”.
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, September 3, 2024: The first AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four Championship kicked off this Tuesday with the preliminary interviews with the coaches and representatives from Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua—the teams that secured the top spots in last year’s Central American Championship.
Everyone agrees that this is a great initiative by the AFECAVOL Board of Directors, as this tournament allows the senior national teams to have annual competition.
Albert Humes, coach of Belize, said, “I believe the Final Four is an excellent tournament. What it does is, if you play here, it helps develop the senior category program, as you get to play in AFECAVOL every year. As for Belize, we are always knocking on the door, and today we are trying to open that door and step inside. Our guys have trained very hard to do well in this tournament. Profe Yamill Herrera from Cuba has greatly helped in trying to take Belize to the next level, so that’s our expectation for this tournament”.
Belize
Italian coach Andrea Génova of El Salvador commented, “This is the first time this tournament is being organized, and it’s a great incentive because it features the top 4 teams from last season. I think it’s going to be a good tournament, with extra motivation for senior teams, as they will now compete every year. We have come well-prepared, but the competition will be very tough because everyone has brought a very good team”.
El Salvador
Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala, expressed, “This is going to be a very interesting and important tournament since it’s the first time it’s being held with the top four ranked teams in Central America. In our region, there is a lot of competitive rivalry, and this helps improve the level of our teams and the level of the area. We believe it will be a very close competition. We have prepared well, we have a fairly renewed team, and we want to do well and try to achieve the objectives we’ve set for ourselves”.
Guatemala
Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua, stated, “We appreciate the opportunity to play in this first edition of the Final Four. Our team comes to work, to give our best, and we are well-prepared for this tournament. Our expectations are to reach the highest spot on the podium. We are 100%, we feel good, and the young players are ready to give it their all”.
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, August 29, 2024.- The first edition of the AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Final Four Championship will take place from September 4 to 6 at the 7 de Diciembre “Alfonso Gordillo” Gymnasium in Guatemala City.
The AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four gathers the four highest-ranked senior teams in Central America from the year prior to the competition, based on the XXII Central American Men’s Championship in 2023: Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, and Nicaragua.
The creation of this event, as well as the women’s event which was held earlier this year in Honduras, aims to provide annual competition for the senior category rather than every two years.
The winner of the AFECAVOL Central American Final Four Championship will qualify for the NORCECA Continental Championship.
Guatemala Senior National Team
Streaming available for Guatemala’s matches (7:30 pm) on Facebook Live:
The teams are scheduled to arrive on September 2, with preliminaries the following day, and the competition will begin on September 4, featuring two daily matches at 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 29, 2024. – The North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA and its president, Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, join in profound grief and sadness over the passing of Pilar Marie Victoriá, a distinguished member of the Puerto Rican National Volleyball team.
We extend our deepest condolences to her parents, family, and loved ones, during this difficult time. Pilar Marie Victoriá was an exemplary athlete whose passion and commitment to volleyball left an indelible mark on our community.
NORCECA offers its heartfelt sympathies to the Puerto Rican volleyball family, to Dr. César Trabanco, President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball National Federation and Vice President of our Confederation, for this irreparable loss.
We stand in solidarity with all those who had the privilege of knowing her and working alongside her.
May she rest in peace and may her legacy in the sport inspire future generations.
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 20, 2024. – Nisaan Martínez, opposite hitter from Belize, was named the Most Valuable Player of the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship of AFECAVOL, which concluded at the Belize Civic Center.
Nisaan Martínez was a key player in Belize’s historic achievement of winning their first gold medal in an AFECAVOL event.
Also from Belize, Gareth Bruce and Ziane Henderson were recognized as the Best Spiker and Best Setter, respectively.
From Nicaragua, the event’s runners-up, Karen Bird was named the second Best Blocker, María Rivera the Best Opposite, and Dnixa Zeledon the Best Defense.
María Santacruz of Guatemala received the awards for second Best Spiker, Best Server, and Best Scorer. Also from Guatemala, Andrea Mendizábal was named the Best Blocker, Karen Del Cid the Best Libero, and Naomi Monney the Best Receiver.
Belize City, Belize, July 20, 2024. – Belize claimed the crown of the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship in perfect fashion by defeating Guatemala 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-18) in the event’s final match. They concluded the competition with four victories and no defeats, without losing a single set on their way to glory.
This is the first gold medal in Belize’s history in any AFECAVOL event. In the U21 category, Belize had only achieved a silver medal in the 2022 edition, held at home, where Guatemala won the title.
This time, Belize did not falter, imposing their superior blocking against Guatemala and effectively executing all their attacks to secure a solid victory that assured them their first title in this category.
Gareth Bruce BIZ
With the loss, Guatemala finished with a 2-2 record, placing them in third, while Nicaragua, with a 3-1 record, took second place.
For Belize, Nisaan Martínez was the best attacker with 18 points, 14 on attacks, three on blocks, and one from a serve.
For Guatemala, María Santa Cruz was the top scorer with 15 points, 12 on attacks, one block, and two from serves.
Belize led in points from attacks (36-27) and blocks (9-2), while Guatemala had a slight advantage in serves (6-5) but fell behind in unforced errors (25-18).
Regarding the victory, Belize coach José Fontes said: “This is our first gold medal. We finally achieved this long-desired medal for the people of Belize, and we did it undefeated. The athletes rose to the occasion. Winning a tournament undefeated is not easy”.
Guatemala coach William Fernández added: “Central American events are now very tough, with medals being contested until the very last moment. I can only congratulate Belize; their quality in this tournament was undeniable”.
Belize City, Belize, July 20, 2024.- Nicaragua closed with a solid victory over Honduras, 3-0 (25-4, 25-12, 25-10), concluding their participation in the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship of AFECAVOL. They are now awaiting the result between Belize and Guatemala at the end of the day to determine the color of their medal.
Nicaragua’s record of 3-1 gives them a strong chance of securing second place in the tournament. However, they must wait for the result between Belize and Guatemala to finalize the standings. Meanwhile, Honduras ends with four defeats and no victories.
Honduras showed effort throughout the match but could not do much to trouble Nicaragua, who dominated in attack points (40-8), blocks (5-2), and serves (10-1), and made fewer unforced errors (15-20).
Samantha Vargas NCA
Norma Brenes was the best attacker for Nicaragua with 12 points, nine on attacks and three on serves. Francesca Medrano scored ten points, five on attacks, one on a block, and four on serves.
Victoria Aparicio was the top scorer for Honduras, collecting three points throughout the match.
Regarding the victory, Nicaragua’s coach Claudia Noguera stated: “I am happy with the result. The girls were focused and managed to impose their rhythm. We just have to wait for the result of the match between Belize and Guatemala, but any medal is positive regardless of its color”.
Honduras’s coach Cristiam Rodríguez commented: “I am very proud of all the girls for taking on this challenge and not turning their backs on the team. Our team is mostly of U17 players, with only two U21 players. It is very enriching for them to have been on the court against such strong teams.”
Belize City, Belize, July 19, 2024.- With a solid 3-0 victory (25-11, 25-14, 25-14) over El Salvador, Belize remains an unbeaten record at the 20th AFECAVOL Central American U21 Women’s Championship and is now on the verge of winning the title with one match remaining in the event.
Belize has a record of three wins and no losses and will conclude the tournament on Saturday against Guatemala, a match that will determine the event’s champion. Meanwhile, El Salvador finished their participation with a record of 1-3.
Belize
Gareth Bruce and Nisaan Martínez led Belize’s offense, both scoring 17 points. Bruce scored 10 points on serves and seven on attacks, while Martínez had 14 on attacks and three on blocks.
For El Salvador, María Ramírez was the best attacker with eight points, five from attacks and three from serves.
Belize dominated the entire match, collectively scoring 41 points from attacks compared to their opponent’s 14. They also led in serves 13-6 and blocks 3-0 but conceded more points on unforced errors, 19-18.
Looking ahead to the final match, Belize’s coach, José Fontes, stated: “We have a crucial match against Guatemala. We are not celebrating anything yet, as we know that match is crucial for both teams. Regarding the match against El Salvador, I am satisfied with the offensive part but not with the defensive part, as I feel we made many mistakes”.
On the other hand, El Salvador’s coach, Karen Orellana, commented: “We knew Belize is not an easy team, but I think we achieved about 50 percent of the goals we had set for this match. Overall, I am happy with the work the girls have done in this tournament.”
Belize City, Belize, July 19, 2024.- Guatemala earned a comfortable victory over Honduras 3-0 (25-14, 25-8, 25-13), keeping them in the running for medals in the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship.
With one match remaining, Guatemala has secured their place on the podium with a record of 2-1 in wins and losses. Their upcoming match against Belize will determine the color of their medal.
Guatemala played at their own pace and had little difficulties defeating Honduras, which suffered its third loss of the competition.
Guatemala
María Santa Cruz was the top scorer for Guatemala with 11 points, eight on attacks and three on serves. Her teammate, Dulce Trigueño, also performed notably with nine points, five on attacks and four on serves.
For Honduras, Victoria Aparicio was the best with four points from attacks, while Ivanna Almendarez scored three points.
Guatemala completely dominated all aspects of the match with 30 points in attacks compared to 15 from Honduras, serves 16-1, and blocks 2-0. They also committed fewer unforced errors, 19 against 27 from Honduras.
Regarding the victory, Guatemala’s captain María Santa Cruz stated: “We are still in the fight for medals. After this match, we all feel more united. Now we must give our all in our match against Belize. After the defeat against Nicaragua, we had to rebuild and see what we needed to fix”.
Meanwhile, Honduras’ captain Mónica Vásquez commented: “We had ups and downs in the match. In the midst of everything, we did well according to our capabilities. For us, this event is a very good experience ahead of the U17 Central American Championship. We are all very aware that the plays in which we failed are ones we can execute. We have to learn from our mistakes”.
Belize City, Belize, July 18, 2024. – El Salvador defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-16), securing their first victory in the closing match of the third day in the XX Central American U21 Women’s Championship.
El Salvador’s record is now 1-2 in wins and losses, with only one match left to play this Friday against Belize, while Honduras suffered its second loss without any victories and still has matches pending against Guatemala and Nicaragua.
For El Salvador, Gabriela Flores was the best offensive player with 14 points, 13 of which were from attacks and one from a serve. Honduras had Victoria Aparicio as its top performer with 14 points, 11 from attacks and three from serves.
El Salvador
El Salvador led in collective attack points 30-26, while Honduras was ahead in blocking 5-2 and in serves 9-6, but was affected by unforced errors, committing 37 compared to 14 by their opponent.
After achieving their first success of the tournament, Karen Orellana, coach of El Salvador, stated: “We are very happy with this victory, the girls applied everything we had trained and followed all our instructions.”
Meanwhile, Cristiam Rodríguez, coach of Honduras, commented: “We lacked a bit of attitude. I think it’s important for the girls not only to think about winning but also to have a bit of attitude and try to do things better. We had good moments, but also moments that cost us”.
Belize City, Belize, July 18, 2024. – Nicaragua achieved an important victory over Guatemala in five intense sets, winning 3-2 (21-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-16, and 15-8). This triumph revitalized their chances of winning a medal in the XX Central American U21 Women’s Championship of AFECAVOL.
Nicaragua’s record now stands at 2-1 in wins and losses, while Guatemala has a 1-1 record. Belize, which had a rest day, has two wins without losses.
It was a match where Nicaragua maintained their fighting spirit to secure a game that almost opens the doors to the podium, with one more challenge against Honduras on Saturday to close their schedule.
María José Rivera NCA
Meanwhile, Guatemala has matches pending against Honduras and will face Belize in the final round on Saturday.
Norma Brenes was the main attacking figure for Nicaragua with 21 points, 18 in attack and three in serves. María José Rivera was also effective with 16 points, 13 in attack, and three in blocking.
For Guatemala, María Santa Cruz led the offense with 25 points, 19 in attack, and six in serves, while Naomi Monney finished with 17 points, 14 in attack, two in blocking, and an ace.
As a team, Nicaragua achieved 54 points in attack, compared to 40 for Guatemala, which led in blocking 11-6 and serves 12-5, but conceded 41 points on unforced errors compared to 37 for Nicaragua.
Regarding the victory, Claudia Noguera, Nicaragua’s coach, stated: “It is a very important victory that places us on the podium. We only have one match left against Honduras in which we will try to change the color of the medal.”
On the other hand, William Fernández, Guatemala’s coach, pointed out: “Our team stopped fighting at crucial moments, in contrast to Nicaragua, who fought with everything throughout the match.”
Belize City, Belize, July 17, 2024.- In a one-sided match, Belize defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-13), to maintain their strong performance with two victories and zero losses in the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship.
For Honduras, it was their first setback of the event, as they did not play on the first day.
Belize clearly dominated the match, imposing their superior attack, which suppressed the opponent’s momentum, they established a clear advantage of 16-5 in the first set before Honduras responded.
Zanyah Hall BIZ
Belize was dominant in attack points 40 to 14 and in serves 10-3, although they committed 25 unforced errors compared to 23 from Honduras, who also had a slight advantage in block points 4-2.
In offense, Belizean captain Gareth Bruce scored 17 points, 15 on attack and two on serves, while Nissan Martínez contributed 10 points, nine on attacks and one serve.
For Honduras, Victoria Aparicio and Nicole Velásquez each finished with seven points. Aparicio had five on attacks, one on blocks, and one serve, while Velásquez had five on attack and two on serves.
Regarding the victory, Belize captain Gareth Bruce stated: “We were focused on doing our best work, we had the energy, for us this game was great, we are focused on always keeping the same spirit in every match.”
Meanwhile, Honduras captain Mónica Velásquez said: “As a team, we did a good job within our capabilities. It’s true that there are many areas we can improve. I must congratulate my teammates because for many, this is their first national team and many of them are very young, even for this U21 age-group.”
Belize City, Belize, July 17, 2024.- Nicaragua earned a comfortable victory over El Salvador 3-0 (25-7, 28-8, 25-13), in the first match of the second day of the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship of AFECAVOL.
With the win, Nicaragua stands with one win and one loss, while El Salvador has two losses without any victories so far in the event.
María José Rivera was the best attacker for Nicaragua with 15 points, and Samantha Vargas also stood out offensively with 13 points, 11 on attacks and two in service.
Michelle Vasquez and Alejandra Andrade ESA
For El Salvador, María Ramírez finished with four points, while Gabriela Flores and Gabriela Rivas contributed three points each.
Nicaragua was superior to El Salvador in attack points 48 to 10, blocks 3-2, service 8-2, and committed fewer unforced errors 14-16.
Regarding their first success, Norma Brenes, captain of Nicaragua, stated: “We prepared for this victory, we knew we had to win the match, it was important for us because we are still in the fight for the medals.”
Meanwhile, Ariana Joachin, captain of El Salvador, commented: “Nicaragua is a very strong team, and with the preparation time we had, we gave our best effort. In the end, with this match, we have gained experience that will be useful for the future.”
Belize City, Belize, July 16, 2024. – Belize earned an important first victory over Nicaragua, winning 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-20) in the closing match of the opening day of the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship.
Belize did not disappoint their fans at the Belize Civic Center, delivering a strong performance against Nicaragua, which could not do much against their opponent’s momentum.
Individually, Belize found their best offensive player in Nissan Martínez, who scored 22 points, with 18 from attacks, two from blocks, and two from service, supported by Gareth Bruce, who scored 17 points, 15 from attacks, one from blocking, and one from service.
Belize celebrate
For Nicaragua, María José Rivera scored a total of 10 points, eight from attacks and two from blocks. Samantha Vargas also stood out with eight points, five from attacks, one from blocking, and two from service.
As a team, Belize led in attacks 41-27, in service points 8-5, and committed fewer unforced errors 19-24. Both teams were even in blocking points, with seven each.
After their first victory, Belize’s coach José Fontes mentioned: “It was a very tense match despite the 3-0 score. We know the quality of Nicaragua; they never gave up during the match and always stayed close on the scoreboard. For us, this is a very important victory that gives us a lot of confidence for the upcoming matches”.
On the other hand, Nicaragua’s coach Claudia Noguera stated: “Belize is a very difficult team with very tall players, many of whom already have knowledge about our team. The key is not to lower our heads; the tournament is just beginning, and we can still make a difference”.
Belize City, Belize, July 16, 2024.- Guatemala defeated El Salvador in straight sets (25-14, 25-22, 25-21) in the first match of the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship of AFECAVOL, held at the Belize Civic Center in Belize City, Belize.
The Guatemalans were superior in collecting attack points, 45-16, and were more effective in service points, 11-6. El Salvador was affected by 32 unforced errors, compared to 16 by the winners.
María Santa Cruz led Guatemala’s attack with a total of 26 points, 21 of which were attacks and five in service. Naomy Monney was also effective offensively with 12 points, ten from attacks and two from service.
Guatemala celebrate
For El Salvador, Araiana Joachin was the best attacker with nine points, two from attacks and blocks, and five from service.
Regarding the first victory in the tournament, Guatemala’s coach William Fernández commented: “The first match of an event is always very difficult; it’s the first step to take, which is why every match is like a final. We must acknowledge that El Salvador fought until the end, especially in the last two sets, which shows that it will be a very close competition.”
On the other hand, El Salvador’s coach Karen Orellana stated: “It was a good match; I feel we had some difficulties closing the sets. As the matches progress, we will adjust as a team to resolve those issues we had in the sets.”
Guatemala will rest on the second day this Wednesday 17th, while El Salvador will face Nicaragua.
Belize City, Belize, July 15, 2024 – After completing the mandatory preliminary interviews, the five teams participating in the XX Central American U21 Women’s Championship of AFECAVOL have declared themselves ready to take to the court at the Belize Civic Center gymnasium in Belize City, Belize.
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize will compete for the coveted U21 title and a spot in the NORCECA Continental Championship in the contest that will take place from July 16 to 20, with two daily matches.
Before the start of the tournament, each of the coaches leading the participating teams evaluated their squads and shared their goals for the event.
William Fernández, Coach of Guatemala, stated: “We have a U21 team with a lot of experience. We have players who were here two years ago in Belize, and most of the players who were in the U23 team. Our goal is to be on the podium. This will be a very competitive tournament, even though there are only five teams, all have the chance to win a medal”.
José Fontes, Coach of Belize, commented: “We have a very young team with some experienced players. Our expectations are high to be on the podium, and we always aspire to the highest, that is, to fight for the gold medal for Belize”.
Cristiam Rodríguez, Coach of Honduras, affirmed: “We have high expectations with this group that is very young. Many will make their debut, marking a promising future for volleyball in Honduras. We want to perform well in the tournament, and if things go well, make it to the podium”.
Claudia Noguera, Coach of Nicaragua, expressed: “We have a young team. Nicaragua has already presented many of these players in other events such as the Final Four and the U23, where we achieved first place in both. We will fight to be on the podium. We have the team to achieve a good position”.
Karen Orellana, Coach of El Salvador, commented: “Our team is very young. We are looking to make a generational change in El Salvador for future tournaments. For this event, we expect to compete, for the girls to give their best. It’s a good group, and we truly hope to surprise”.
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 11, 2024. – Belize City will once again host the AFECAVOL U21 Women’s Central American Championship, this time in its twentieth edition, to be held from July 16 to 20 at the Belize City Civic Center in Belize City, Belize.
Two years ago, the Belize City Civic Center was also the venue for this age-group Central American Championship, where Guatemala was crowned champion in five thrilling sets 3-2 (25-19, 20-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-11) over hosts Belize.
The XX AFECAVOL U21 Women’s Central American Championship will feature teams from Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, who will compete for the AFECAVOL title and qualification for the NORCECA Continental Championship.
Guatemala returns to defend its title, having won the event six times overall. The most successful team in the history of the competition is Costa Rica with nine titles. Panama has won twice, and Honduras once. Costa Rica and Panama will not participate in the event.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, July 7, 2024.- During the last day of sessions of the 27th NORCECA Congress, Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz was re-elected as the President of the North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA. This re-election underscores the confidence and respect he commands within the regional volleyball organization.
Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, a pivotal figure in the volleyball world, has been at the helm of NORCECA since 2001. His leadership has seen remarkable growth and development in the sport across the region. Under his guidance, NORCECA has expanded its reach and influence, promoting volleyball and beach volleyball through numerous programs and competitions aimed at nurturing young talent and enhancing the sport’s popularity.
The esteemed volleyball leader retains position for another term (2024-2028).
Lic. Cristobal Marte Hoffiz
Marte Hoffiz’s tenure is marked by several key initiatives, including the enhancement of grassroots development programs and the successful organization of high-profile tournaments. His commitment to fostering talent and providing opportunities for athletes to excel has significantly contributed to the region’s vibrant volleyball culture.
The announcement of Marte Hoffiz’s re-election has been met with widespread acclaim. Most notably, Dr. Ary Graça, President of the International Volleyball Federation FIVB, extended his heartfelt congratulations. In his message, Dr. Graça emphasized the remarkable progress NORCECA has made under Marte Hoffiz’s stewardship and expressed confidence in an even brighter future ahead.
Dr. Graça stated, “Under Cristóbal’s visionary leadership, NORCECA has reached new heights. I have no doubt that the work they will continue to do will surpass even the outstanding achievements we see today. His dedication and strategic vision are invaluable to the volleyball community”.
As he embarks on another term, Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz has laid out a forward-looking agenda focused on innovation and excellence. He aims to continue building on the solid foundation established over the years, with a particular emphasis on leveraging technology to enhance training and competition.
Marte Hoffiz also plans to strengthen the cooperation with national federations and their zonal association bodies to create more opportunities for athletes and coaches. This approach is expected to further elevate the standard of volleyball and beach volleyball in the region, ensuring that NORCECA remains a powerhouse in the global volleyball landscape.
Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz’s re-election as President of NORCECA signals a continued era of progress and development for volleyball in North, Central America, and the Caribbean. With his proven leadership and the support of the global volleyball community, NORCECA is poised to achieve even greater heights in the years to come. NORCECA members eagerly anticipate the innovations and successes that this new term will bring.
NORCECA’s Executive Committee and Board of Administration was also confirmed unanimously.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, July 5, 2024.- In a significant event for the North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA convened its Executive Committee and Board of Administration for an extraordinary meeting on the eve (July 6-7) of to the 27th NORCECA Congress in Punta Cana.
This session marked a pivotal moment as new members were appointed to the executive committee and the board of administration for the 2024-2028 period, and crucial discussions took place, including a proposed amendment to the NORCECA constitution and the presentation of a new working commissions composition.
The meeting chaired by NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, with special guest FIVB President Dr. Ary Graça, saw the appointment of several new members to the NORCECA Executive Committee and Board of Administration. These appointments are expected to bring fresh perspectives and drive to the organization, as it continues its mission to promote and develop volleyball across the region.
NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz and FIVB President Dr. Ary Graça
These distinguished sports leaders bring a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to advancing NORCECA’s objectives. Their diverse backgrounds in volleyball administration, and business are expected to enrich the leadership of the confederation.
One of the critical agenda items was a proposed amendment to the NORCECA constitution, whereas the proposal presented by the Legal Commission, which contains an amendment to the NORCECA Constitution establishing that the President and the Board of Administration may appoint four (4) members to integrate the NORCECA Board of Administration, to adopt a similar amendment to that of the FIVB in NORCECA, and both the President and the board members have the ability to propose individuals to be appointed to the board.
The amendment will be put to a final vote scheduled for the NORCECA Congress.
Another highlight of the meeting was the proposal for the new composition of the NORCECA working commissions. These commissions play a vital role in the operational aspects of the confederation.
Each commission is tasked with specific objectives aligned with NORCECA’s strategic goals, and their composition reflects a balance of expertise and representation from the member countries.
As NORCECA looks to the future, these changes signal a strong commitment to evolving and improving the organization’s governance and operational efficiency.
The extraordinary meeting concluded with a sense of optimism and determination to build on NORCECA’s rich legacy while embracing innovation and progress.
NORCECA President Cristobal Marte Hoffiz concluded, “ As the confederation moves forward, the volleyball community can look forward to exciting developments and continued growth in our region. This meeting’s outcomes set the floor for a successful NORCECA congress which robust agenda reflects a forward-thinking approach to governance and a renewed focus on advancing volleyball throughout its National Federation members”.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 29, 2024.- Nicaragua’s setter, Norma Brenes, was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 6th Central American Women’s U23 Championship.
Brenes received the award during the closing ceremony after Nicaragua won the gold medal, emerging as the undefeated champion of the tournament. They topped the standings, followed by 2nd place Costa Rica, 3rd place Belize, 4th place Guatemala, 5th place Honduras, 6th place El Salvador, and 7th place Panama.
Biz Bronce, NCA gold, CRC Silver
Other individual performance awards, based on statistical data from the event, were also presented.
From Costa Rica, the team that finished in second place, Ana Victoria Rojas was awarded Best Opposite, and Rashanny Solano was named Best Libero. Additionally, Nhya Barley from Costa Rica was recognized as the 2nd Best Blocker.
Individual awards
Belize’s Fatuomata Camara received honors as the tournament’s Top Scorer and Best Spiker, while Nissan Martínez was recognized as Best Blocker.
For Guatemala, María Andrea Santa Cruz was named the 2nd Best Spiker, Ana Granados received the award for Best Receiver, and Jimena Castellanos was honored as Best Setter.
Honduran Natalia Reyes was awarded Best Server, and Salvadoran Mónica Portillo was recognized as Best Defense.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 29, 2024. – Costa Rica defeated Honduras 3-1 with set scores of 25-21, 25-14, 19-25, and 25-13 to secure the Silver Medal at the 6th Central American Women’s U-23 Championship, which concluded at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
With the victory, Costa Rica tied with Belize with 4 wins and 2 losses, accumulating 21 points. However, Costa Rica finished in second place with a better set ratio (2.000 to 1.875) and a better points ratio (1.230 to 1.206). Guatemala finished in fourth place with the same number of wins and losses but with 19 points.
Costa Rica dominated the game in attacks, leading 55-32 against Honduras. The teams were tied in blocks with 7 each, while Honduras led in serves, surpassing Costa Rica 8-4.
Costa Rica
Ana Victoria Rojas of Costa Rica was the top scorer of the match with 21 points. Lakysha Thompson added 13, and Krystel Vargas contributed 10 to support the Costa Rican attack. Rocío Duron led the Honduran offense with 20 points.
This was the last match of the 21 played in the 6th Central American Women’s U-23 Championship.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 29, 2024.- Nicaragua defeated Guatemala 3-1 with set scores of (11-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-19) to claim the title of the 6th Central American Women’s U-23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
The Nicaraguan team finished the tournament with a perfect record of 6 wins and no losses. Guatemala ended with a 4-2 record. With this result, Belize reached the podium, and both teams are now waiting for the outcome of the match between Costa Rica and Honduras to determine their final standings.
Guatemala outperformed Nicaragua in blocks (8-5) and serves (10-3), while both teams were tied in attacks with 37 points each. The difference in the game was that Guatemala committed 41 unforced errors compared to Nicaragua’s 29.
Nicaragua
Brittany Forbes of Nicaragua led all scorers with 16 points. Samantha Vargas and María José Rivera also scored in double digits for Nicaragua with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
For Guatemala, María Andrea Santa Cruz finished with 14 points, Naomi Monney with 12, and Andrea Michelle Mendizábal with 10.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 26, 2024.- Belize defeated El Salvador 3-0 (25-15, 25-10, 25-20) and could become the runner-up of the 6th Central American Women’s Under-23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
Belize’s comfortable victory leaves them awaiting the results of the matches Guatemala vs. Nicaragua and Costa Rica vs. Honduras to determine their position in the Championship. A loss for Guatemala and Costa Rica could place Belize as the tournament’s runner-up.
Belice
Belize finished the tournament with a record of 4 wins, 2 losses, and 21 points. Guatemala, with one match remaining, is at 4-1 and 18 points, while Costa Rica, playing later tonight, stands at 3-2 with 17 points.
Belize was superior to El Salvador in all aspects: 32-16 in attacks, 11-2 in blocks, and 10-2 in serves.
Fatoumata Camara once again led the Belizean team to victory, scoring 16 points. She was supported in the attack by Blessed Omamurhe and Nisaan Martínez, who each scored 10 points. For El Salvador, their best attacker was Allison Naomi Méndez with 9 points.
Nisaan Martinez BIZ
Fatoumata Camara from Belize said after the match, “I think this has been a very good tournament, despite us starting off really slow because we lost our first two games. But then we ended up winning all the rest of our games which is a good thing. We just decided to finish the tournament strong and for me personally I think I had a great tournament; my team depends on me, so I need to make sure I am aggressive on the court”.
Daniela López, captain of El Salvador, expressed, “I congratulate the Belize team; it was a good game for them. They are quite tall and strong, and we don’t have those qualities. We hope that for the upcoming tournaments, our team can be better prepared; I think that’s what we were missing.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 26, 2024: Nicaragua defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-20), putting them in a commanding position to win the VI Central American Women’s U23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
Nicaragua started the game with complete dominance over Honduras. Honduras’ coach, Marcos Sugiyama, called the first technical timeout when they were trailing 2-13. The Honduran team managed to close the gap but couldn’t do enough to win the first set.
Nicaragua will face Guatemala on Saturday, and with their victory over Honduras, they are now just one step away from the title. Even losing to Guatemala 3-1 would still secure them the U23 Central American Championship, thanks to the points system in the standings.
Meanwhile, Honduras has a record of 2-3 and will play against Costa Rica in the final match of the tournament.
Nicaragua outperformed Honduras in all aspects of the game: 37-20 in attacks, 10-2 in blocks, and 6-5 in serves.
Brittany Forbes NCA
Masiel Brenes of Nicaragua was the top scorer of the match with 16 points, including 5 blocks. Brittany Forbes added 12 more points to the victory. For Honduras, Andrea Duarte was the top scorer with 8 points.
Nicaragua’s coach, Claudia Noguera, said, “We had many ups and downs during the game, but in the end, the team managed to focus and made fewer mistakes to secure the victory. Tomorrow, we will give our all on the court and try to play at our highest level in the final game.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024: Costa Rica defeated Guatemala 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 26-24), re-entering the race for medals at the VI Central American Women’s U23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
The victory keeps Costa Rica’s hopes alive and puts Guatemala in a tough spot, as they now no longer solely control their path to the Gold medal match. A loss to Nicaragua tomorrow could even push them off the podium.
Costa Rica improved their record to 3-2 and will face Honduras on Saturday. Guatemala now stands at 4-1 and will face Nicaragua.
Costa Rica surpassed in serves, leading 6-0, while Guatemala missed 7 serves. The differences in attack and blocking were small, yet still in favor of Costa Rica, at 37-35 and 8-5, respectively.
Ana Victoria Rojas from Costa Rica dominated the game, being the most effective scorer with 19 points. Nhya Barley assisted with 12 points, including 4 on serves and 2 on blocks. For Guatemala, Ivana Sopegno was their best attacker with 12 points, and Naomi Monney contributed 9.
Nhya Barley CRC
Ana Victoria Rojas of Costa Rica said, “Thank God we were able to win 3-0 today. This result puts us back in the competition. We now have the chance to fight for the Silver medal, and that’s what we’ll aim for tomorrow when we play against Honduras. Today, the team had great energy; we worked together, and that helped us secure the victory.”
Guatemala’s coach, William Fernández, commented, “The team did not meet the expectations for this game. They started well in the first set, but after Costa Rica came back, they couldn’t recover psychologically, losing confidence in themselves. Now we have to fight back tomorrow.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 26, 2024.- El Salvador won 3 sets to 0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-18) against Panama in the VI Central American Women’s U23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
The Salvadoran team secured their first victory on Thursday at the start of the penultimate day of the tournament, bringing their record to 1-4, while Panama concluded their participation in the Central American Women’s Championship with 6 losses and no wins.
El Salvador will face Belize on Saturday, in the first game of the final day; Belize had a rest day today.
The Salvadorans dominated the match with 35 attack points compared to Panama’s 24. In blocks and serves, El Salvador also led 6-1 and 5-2, respectively.
El Salvador’s captain, Daniela López, was the top scorer of the match and the only player with double digits, scoring 15 points for her team, including 2 from serves. For Panama, Krisleen González scored 8 points, including 1 block and 1 serve.
Panama’s coach, Donaldo Ureña, commented, “This tournament was a great learning experience. We faced challenges due to our lack of preparation and the technical and tactical aspects we need to improve. These are part of our plan for future tournaments”.
“It was a very good match. We played as a team, and our goal was to win this game, so we are very happy we achieved it. Tomorrow, we aim to give it our all again. We know Belize is a strong and tall team, so we must give it our best with enthusiasm and the right attitude”, said Daniela López, captain of El Salvador.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024. – Guatemala defeated Honduras in straight sets (25-19, 25-19, 25-20), continuing their undefeated streak in the VI Central American U-23 Women’s Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
The Guatemalans won their fourth consecutive match and remain unbeaten. Alongside Nicaragua, they are the only two national teams yet to lose. This Thursday, Guatemala will face Costa Rica and will conclude their participation on Saturday against Nicaragua.
With this loss, Honduras has a 2-2 record. They will play against Nicaragua on Friday and finish the tournament on Saturday against Costa Rica.
Guatemala outperformed Honduras in attacks (36-22) and serves (9-3), with 5 aces by Andrea Mendizábal. Honduras led in blocks, 7-3.
Naomi Monney and Andrea Mendizábal were the top scorers of the match with 13 points each, with Mendizábal scoring 5 aces. María Andrea Santa Cruz added 11 points. For Honduras, the top scorers were Rocío Duron with 7 points and Shantte Siliezar with 6.
Gabriela Gómez HON – Ivana Sopegno GUA
Andrea Mendizábal commented after the game, “Today, we had a great attitude. From the start of the tournament, our goal was to win all the games, and so far, we’re doing well. Today, we defeated the host team, which makes us very happy. I feel confident that we can win the title”.
Reizel Dunechka Bruhier from Honduras said, “The game required a lot of focus. We started the sets well but lost concentration midway through. We got anxious when it came to scoring points.”
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 27, 2024.- Keisy Janeth Fuentes, born in the province of Veraguas in the Atlantic region of Panama, made her debut for the Panamanian national team at just 13 years old. Today, on June 27, she celebrates her 14th birthday while participating in the VI Central American Women’s Championship, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Keisy had never defended Panama’s colors in indoor volleyball before, and her debut at any level in national teams is at the U23 level. She had previously represented Panama in a beach volleyball event in Costa Rica.
Keisy Fuentes PAN
We spoke with her, and through tears of joy, she shared:
“This is my first time on the indoor volleyball national team. I’m much younger than the rest of my teammates, but I feel very happy, and they have all supported me a lot. I am thrilled to represent Panama in a Central American championship.
I started playing volleyball when I was very young because my mom (Janeth Gallardo) played on a court where they would put up a net. Being so little, they wouldn’t let me play, but I loved watching my mom play and decided that I wanted to learn this sport.
Keisy Fuentes PAN
Soon after, my mom began teaching me. Thanks to her academy and her connections in the volleyball community, people saw me play and invited me to train.
Playing in this category with the national team made me a bit nervous at first, but after my first game, my first point, and with the support of the coaches and my teammates, those nerves disappeared.
I want to thank my mom and my dad (Ronald Fuentes) very much for supporting me and giving me the opportunity to be here, to fulfill my dream of playing volleyball, and to represent my country”.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024. – Belize secured a quick victory over Panama 3-0 (25-14, 25-9, 25-20), extending their winning streak in the VI Central American U-23 Women’s Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
After starting the tournament with two losses, the Belizean team has been undefeated since their third match, winning their next three games. Belize now holds a 3-2 record. Meanwhile, Panama suffered its fifth consecutive defeat, remaining winless in all five of their matches.
Belize
Belize will rest this Friday, while Panama will face El Salvador in the opening match of the day.
Belize outperformed Panama in all aspects of the game, leading in attacks (47-20), blocks (3-1), and serves (9-1). It was a match with few unforced errors, with Belize committing 16 and Panama 12.
Avianka Avila BIZ
Avianka Ávila, setter of Belize said, “Our win today was a very important one because we won it in three sets, and it helps us get a step closer to hopefully being able to bring a medal home. Tomorrow, we have a rest day so we are going to take that time very wisely, we’re going to rest and prepare ourselves for our last game against El Salvador, which we will work very hard to win. A medal for third place is possible”.
Lurianis González of Panama stated, “Belize is a very good team, and their players are quite tall. We played a good game, but we didn’t get the desired results. However, we know that with a lot of training, we have great potential. We still must play against El Salvador, and we have high hopes that we can secure the victory.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 26, 2024.- Nicaragua defeated Costa Rica 3-1 (25-23, 14-25, 25-21, 25-20), maintaining their unbeaten record and strong chances of winning the VI Central American U-23 Women’s Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
The Nicaraguan team rebounded after a challenging second set, where they were overpowered by Costa Rica’s offensive, to secure a victory that edges them closer to a medal.
Brittany Forbes – Masiel Brenes NCA
The match was closely contested. Nicaragua narrowly led in attacks, outscoring Costa Rica 48-47. Costa Rica, however, led in blocks (9-6) and serves (5-2). The 33 unforced errors by Costa Rica significantly contributed to their defeat.
With this win, Nicaragua now has a 4-0 record. They are set to play against Honduras on Friday and will wrap up their schedule on Saturday against Guatemala. Costa Rica, with a 2-2 record, will face Guatemala on Friday and conclude their participation against Honduras on Saturday.
Brittany Forbes led Nicaragua with 13 points, while Brisa Pérez contributed 12 points. The top scorer of the match was Costa Rica’s Ana Victoria Rojas, who scored 14 points, followed by Ester Abarca with 11 points.
Melina Ester Abarca CRC
Reflecting on the game, Brittany Forbes from Nicaragua said, “Costa Rica is a very tough opponent. We knew they were coming strong, but we were determined to win, and in the end, we did it. We still have two games left, and we know they will be tough, against Guatemala and Honduras”.
Ester Abarca of Costa Rica remarked, “It was a very challenging game for both teams. I feel we gave our best, but we made too many mistakes which weakened us. However, I am confident that we will go all out in the next matches and aim to climb back up the standings”.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024.- Belize defeated Honduras 3 sets to 1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-21, and 25-22) in the final match of the fourth day of the VI Central American U23 Women’s Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
In the second set, Honduras made a comeback from a 13-21 deficit to win the set 25-23. In the third set, history almost repeated itself as Honduras quickly closed the gap with Belize, but the Belizeans managed to secure the final points to close out the set.
Belize found their rhythm and secured their second consecutive victory, now holding a record of 2 wins and 2 losses. Meanwhile, Honduras lost their undefeated record and ended the day with 2 wins and 1 loss.
This Thursday, Belize will play against Panama, and Honduras will face Guatemala.
Belize outperformed Honduras in all areas of play, 52-33 in attacks, 9-6 in blocks, and 9-3 in serves.
For Belize, three players scored in double digits, Fatoumata Camara with 23 points, Nisaan Martínez with 18 points, and Gareth Bruce with 13 points. For Honduras, Rocío Duron and Andrea Aceituno each scored 10 points.
“In the second set I think we got comfortable the game, we were up a lot, we had it in the bag and that’s why we lost in the second set. Our coaches talked to us very well and told us we shouldn’t lose our confidence in ourselves no matter what is happening. We’ve trained so hard for a good outcome and that was what motivated us to come back in the third and fourth set and fight really hard”, said Gareth Bruce of Belize.
Rocío Duron from Honduras expressed, “We lacked that extra push in the game; we were giving it our all, but we still fell short. We have tough matches ahead, and we’re going to fight and achieve our goal”, she emphasized.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024.- The Costa Rica National Team returned to the victory path after defeating El Salvador 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-22) in the second match of the fourth day of the VI Central American U23 Women’s Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
Following yesterday’s painful defeat against Belize, Costa Rica is back on track and remains in contention for the top position in the tournament. The Ticas now have a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. On the other hand, El Salvador suffers its fourth consecutive defeat, remaining winless with a 0-4 record.
This Thursday, Costa Rica will face Nicaragua in the first match of day five, a crucial game for the tricolor team if they want to keep their title hopes alive. El Salvador will rest on that day.
Costa Rica outperformed El Salvador in attacks 34-18 and was much more effective in serving with a 14-3 advantage. El Salvador held their ground well at the net and was better in blocking with a 5-4 edge.
Allison Méndez ESA
Ester Abarca of Costa Rica was the top scorer of the match with 11 points, two of them from serves. Ana Victoria Rojas and Bennet Blackwood supported the attack with 10 points each. For El Salvador, their captain Daniela López was the top scorer with 8 points, and Silvia Inés Juárez assisted with 7 points.
“Today, the team was very good. After yesterday’s match, it brought us closer together and motivated us to focus on each game and keep winning the remaining matches to achieve our ultimate goal, which is the title,” said Bennet Blackwood from Costa Rica after the match.
Meanwhile, Daniela López, the captain of El Salvador, commented: “We congratulate Costa Rica on the victory. In the first sets, we were a bit unfocused and weren’t fulfilling our roles on the court. It wasn’t until the third set that we started scoring points. I hope we can continue like this for the rest of the tournament.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024.- Guatemala secured a 3-0 victory over Panama a score of 25-22, 25-15, and 25-12, kicking off the fourth day of the VI Central American U23 Women’s Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
With this win, Guatemala achieves its third consecutive victory, remaining undefeated. In their next match, they will face the host team, Honduras. Meanwhile, Panama is still searching for its first win, with a 0-3 record, and will play against Belize on day five.
Guatemala outperformed Panama in attacks, blocks, and serves. They were dominant in attacks with a 42-20 lead, had a comfortable 4-0 advantage in blocks, and also led in serves 5-3.
María Andrea Santa Cruz was the top scorer of the match with 12 points, followed by Andrea Mendizábal with 10 points. For Panama, Ekaterina Ureña was the leading scorer with 6 points.
Guatemala
“We are very united and have worked hard to aim for the title. We are strong and determined. Panama is a team that defends a lot and well, and we had to adapt to their game,” said Ivana Sopegno from Guatemala.
Breyska Pinzón, Panama’s libero, commented, “It was a very close game. We gave it our all on the court. Our biggest strength is our defense, and that’s what we’ve been focusing on to improve as a team. We’re going to keep giving our best; we want to win and we are working towards that.”
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 25, 2024.- Honduras earned a huge win over El Salvador 3-0 (25-15, 25-19 y 25-12) on Tuesday, to remain undefeated in two matches at the VI U23 Women’s Central American Championship at Gimnasio Jorge Galeano in Tegucigalpa.
Honduras fought every point against El Salvador, who continued to show their great defense. With this result, Honduras has 2 wins and no losses, while El Salvador lost their third match and has yet to know victory.
Honduras dominated every area of the game, they led El Salvador in attacks 35-17, i blocks 4 to 1 and in serves 8 to 6.
Andrea Aceituno of Honduras led all scorers, with 15 points, on 2 blocks and three serves. Also from Honduras, Andrea Duarte and Marcela Laguardia supported Aceituno and their team with 7 points each.
From El Salvador, Daniela Lopez was their top scorer with 9 points and Monserrat Joachin reached 5 points.
Daniela Lopez ESA
Andrea Zúñiga, libero of Honduras commented, “We ended up winning the match, but we were a bit low, I think we can perform better on court, we can play better, more successful. I hope tomorrow will go differently and have better results”.
Gabriela Portillo, libero of El Salvador said “We started off slow, we got together, but in the third set we lost focus and Honduras took advantage of our mental errors. In the next matches we are going to try more unity and work as a team to improve in each match”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras. June 24, 2024.- Nicaragua defeated Panamá 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-20) in the second match of day three at the VI U23 Women’s Central American Championship at Gimnasio Jorge Galeno in Tegucigalpa.
Once again Panama showed to have one of the best defenses in the tournament, Nicaragua prevailed thanks to their experience and smart play on the court. In the last set, Nicaragua had to make a great effort to finish the match in three sets.
Nicaragua benefited from Panama’s unforced errors (28) to finish the match in their favor, in addition to dominating every skill of the match, 32-24 in attacks, 5 to 2 in blocks and 10 to 3 in service aces.
Ekaterina Ureña of Panama led all scorers with 11 points, among them one block and one ace. Six players led Nicaragua’s offense, with 8 points Masiel Brenes and Marcela Martínez; and Norma Brenes, Samantha Vargas, María José Rivera and Brittany Forbes with seven points each.
Lurianis González PAN – Valentina Martínez NCA
Masiel Brenes of Nicaragua explained “Panama worked hard in defense and receiving, that made the match difficult, but we were able to reach the result we were aiming for, not like we expected, but we won. We think we are still on time to keep improving and doing things better in every match”.
Ekaterina Ureña of Panama said “the match was well disputed, but our errors didn’t allow us to win sets. Little by little we are improving. Nicaragua is a great team; we have good players”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 24, 2024.- Belize surprised Costa Rica at the start of the third day of the VI Central American U-23 Women’s Championship, winning 3-1 (25-23, 25-19, 21-25, 25-16).
The Belizean team showed strength in blocking and serving throughout the game. After taking a 2-0 set lead, they relaxed, allowing Costa Rica to take one set. In the fourth set, Belize again displayed their attacking and serving power and blocking skills to secure the match.
Belize dominated Costa Rica in blocks, 9 to 5, and slightly edged them in serves, 11 to 10. Although Costa Rica led in attacks, 45-40, Belize capitalized on the 36 unforced errors committed by the Costa Rican team.
Nisaan Martínez of Belize was the top scorer of the game with 18 points, including 2 blocks and 1 ace. She was supported offensively by Gareth Bruce with 16 points, who also contributed significantly with 5 service aces, and by Fatoumata Camara with 13 points.
For Costa Rica, the top scorers were Ana Victoria Rojas with 16 points and Nhya Barley with 12 points.
Lakysha Thompson CRC
After the game, Nisaan Martínez of Belize said, “Honestly, I am super proud of my team for the win. Ultimately what we did was watch the blocking because they are around the same height as us, so we just tried to get around the block and make block touches. Our service-receive was what got us through the game. Overall, I am very excited about what we have in store because we started the tournament slowly, but we have the potential to finish this tournament very strongly. We are a strong team; we are a big blocking team, and I am excited to show what we have in store for this tournament”.
Ana Victoria Rojas of Costa Rica explained, “Belize is a very tall team and quite strong in attack and blocking. At the beginning, we were a bit low in attitude, but we managed to take the third set as our attitude improved. We have the mentality to defend the championship. We need to keep preparing; maybe we didn’t win today, but the tournament is not over yet, and we still have a chance”.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 24, 2024. – Guatemala defeated El Salvador 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, and 25-23) in the final match of the second day of the VI Central American Women’s U23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
The Salvadoran team maintained strong defensive play, forcing the Guatemalans to give their maximum effort to secure the victory.
Daniela López ESA
Guatemala outperformed El Salvador in attacks, with a 32-24 advantage, and in serves, leading 6-1. However, El Salvador excelled in blocking, leading 5-2.
Daniela Alexandra López from El Salvador was the top scorer of the match with 12 points, including 2 blocks and 1 service ace. For Guatemala, Naomi Monney and Andrea Mendizábal both reached double digits, each scoring 10 points.
Naomi Monney GUA
William Fernández, the coach of Guatemala, said “Today, we weren’t perfectly in sync, but we gave the new players an opportunity, and I believe all of them managed to score at least one point, which was our goal for this game. Tomorrow, we rest, then we face Panama, and we finish with tough matches against Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua”.
Noe Fabian, the coach of El Salvador, expressed “Congratulations to Guatemala, they are a very strong opponent and made it a great match for us. We started a bit nervous, but we improved our reception and by the end, we were playing much better. There is still some inexperience among our players, as this is their first tournament, but we hope to continue improving throughout the rest of the tournament”.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 24, 2024. – Nicaragua needed four sets to defeat Belize, with scores of 25-21, 18-25, 25-18, and 25-15, in the fifth match of the VI Central American Women’s U23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeno Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
The first two sets saw alternating dominance between the teams, but from the third set onward, Nicaragua managed to control Belize’s attacks, securing victory in both sets and the match.
Nicaragua outperformed Belize in attacks with a 50-38 lead and in serves with a 6-2 advantage. Belize was stronger in blocking, leading 10-5, despite committing 22 errors.
Brittany Forbes of Nicaragua was the top scorer of the match with 20 points, including one block. María José Rivera supported the attack with 12 points. For Belize, Fatoumata Camara led the scoring with 15 points, followed by Nisaan Martínez with 14 points, including 3 blocks, making her the top blocker of the game.
Nisaan Martínez BIZ
Claudia Noguera, head coach of Nicaragua, explained “It was a significant victory for us. Belize is a strong team in attack and blocking, so it was a game that required a lot of focus, and the players executed the strategy perfectly. Defense was crucial in this game”.
Lawrence Bennett, assistant coach of Belize, said “We lost our fundamentals, especially in blocking. We were not blocking properly, and our defense fell a little weak at the end of the game. I know we could have done better, but we are here to try and improve every day we play”.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 24, 2024.- Costa Rica secured a comfortable 3-0 victory (25-14, 25-8, and 25-11) over Panama at the start of the second day of the VI Central American Women’s U23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeno Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
After a first set where Panama tried to challenge the Costa Rican team, Costa Rica managed to maintain effective net attacks to comfortably overcome Panama in the 2nd and 3rd sets.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica dominated Panama in all aspects of the game, with a 41-13 advantage in attacks, 4-1 in serves, and 7-1 in blocks. The match saw few unforced errors from both teams, with Panama committing 23 and Costa Rica 15.
Nhya Barley from Costa Rica commented: “I think we played quite well and were very motivated. We had a lot of strength in our attacks and achieved our goal of starting the championship with a win. The Panamanian team is very tenacious; they don’t give up and always fight for every point until the very end”.
Keisy Janeth Fuentes from Panama said: “The game was a bit intense; we started off playing well but gradually dropped our level of defense, which affected us. The Costa Rican team is taller, stronger, and has more experience than us. I think it was a good match.”
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 23, 2024.- The Honduran Women’s National Team secured a challenging 3-0 win (25-11, 25-14, 25-11) against Panama in the VI Central American U23 Women’s Championship, at the Jorge Galeno Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
Despite the wide point margins in each set, Honduras had to work diligently for every point as Panama’s defense improved throughout the game.
A highlight for Panama was when Janeth Fuentes, just 13 years, 11 months, and 27 days old, scored her first point in the U23 category, making her the youngest athlete to play in this tournament. Fuentes finished the game with 2 points, one from a spike and the other from a block.
Honduras capitalized on Panama’s 30 unforced errors while committing only 15 themselves. They led in every statistical category, in attacks (29-16), blocks (6-3), and serves (10-2).
Andrea Aceituno of Honduras was the only player to reach double digits, scoring 10 points, including 3 from serves. Other significant contributors for Honduras were Natalia Reyes with 9 points and Shantte Siliezar with 7 points.
Janeth Fuentes PAN
For Panama, the top scorers were their captain Ekaterina Ureña and Lurianis González, each with 6 points.
After the match, Andrea Aceituno, captain of Honduras, commented, “It was a game where we could show our strengths. Panama is a team that defends very well. We managed to overcome that and gave our best. I hope we can continue winning; the tournament has just started, and starting with a win is good for us”.
Ekaterina Ureña, captain of Panama, remarked, “The game was very close. We made errors that helped Honduras win the match. Gradually, we improved, and it was evident in the consistency with which we ended up playing.”
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 23, 2024. – The Nicaraguan Women’s National Team secured a decisive 3-0 victory (25-15, 25-12, 25-12) over El Salvador in the VI Central American U23 Women’s Championship, at the Jorge Galeno Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
Nicaragua dominated El Salvador across all aspects of the game, leading in attacks (37-19), blocks (6-0), and serves (7-4). El Salvador committed 25 unforced errors compared to Nicaragua’s 16.
María José Rivera NCA
Brittany Forbes of Nicaragua was the top scorer of the match with 14 points, while María José Rivera contributed 10 points. Naomi Méndez was the only Salvadoran player to reach double digits, scoring 10 points.
María Marcela Roa, libero and captain of Nicaragua expressed, “We saw El Salvador as always, very tenacious. They possibly struggled to find their rhythm today, but I believe they will improve with each game. Our team includes eight players who just won the Final Four last week, bringing the excitement and enthusiasm from that title. We also have new generations joining with very high skill levels”.
Marcela Roa NCA
Daniela Alexandra López, the captain of El Salvador, commented, “I congratulate the Nicaraguan team on their victory. They are a strong team. Unfortunately, we didn’t achieve the win today, but I hope we perform better in the next match. We are a young team, not as experienced as Nicaragua”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 23, 2024.- The Guatemalan National Team struggled to overcome Belize, winning 3 sets to 2 (17-25, 25-18, 25-21, 23-25, and 16-14), in the opening match of the VI Central American Women’s U23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeno Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
The first set was quite balanced up to the 6-point mark, after which Belize took control, doubling Guatemala’s points 16-8. In the second and third sets, the Guatemalan team regained control. In a thrilling fourth set, Belize once again dominated, but ultimately, in another gripping set, Guatemala secured the game.
Guatemala outclassed in attack points 51-37, while Belize outperformed Guatemala in blocks 15-10 and in aces 10-8.
María Andrea Santa Cruz and Naomi Monney were the offense leaders of Guatemala’s attack, each scoring 22 points. Santa Cruz’s points included one block and 3 aces, while Monney contributed 3 blocks and one ace.
María Santa Cruz GUA
For Belize, Gareth Bruce and Nisaan Martínez scored 13 points each. Martínez was spectacular with 5 blocks, while Bruce had 3 successful serves.
María Andrea Santa Cruz said, “The game was very close; we didn’t expect to play 5 sets, but in the end, we made it. It was a team effort; we were all ready to help each other. Belize is very strong; they are quite tall players and have a very tight block, which complicated things for us a lot. Thank God we managed to get the victory”.
Gareth Bruce from Belize commented, “I think both teams played very well, played very hard. We’ve played Guatemala a couple of times, and they have a faster game than us. I think our team fought to the end and we did our best”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 22, 2024. – Honduras is set to host the 6th Central American U23 Women’s Championship from June 23 to 29 at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium, following the preliminary meetings and registration of the seven Central American teams.
All the coaches agree that the level of all the teams is quite balanced, and they anticipate a highly competitive tournament with a high standard of play.
Here are the insights shared by the coaches regarding the tournament and their teams and competitors.
José Donaldo Ureña, Coach of Panama commented, “We have very high expectations for the tournament. Our team is a young group that we have been preparing for competitions more aligned with their age. We are very happy to be competing again in such tournaments to continue growing in our area”.
Panama
Laurence Bennett, Assistant Coach of Belize, said, “We have been working hard for this tournament. Our goal is to guide the players. We want them to develop and achieve good results”.
Belize
Noe Fabian, Coach of El Salvador, expressed, “I want to thank Honduras for resuming the U23 tournament, allowing the athletes to maintain their competitiveness. Regarding El Salvador, we come with great enthusiasm and the desire to perform our best”.
El Salvador
Claudia Noguera, Coach of Nicaragua affirmed, “We believe it will be a very close competition. We’ve seen that some teams have a very good level. It’s going to be a strong contest at the Central American level with several teams vying for the podium. Our team is quite young; we have refreshed some players and consider we have a team to contend for the title”.
Nicaragua
Carlos Quezada, Coach of Costa Rica, explained, “We are very happy to be in Honduras. It’s a new opportunity to compete. It’s good to have these chances for the girls to stay active. Our team has worked very well. I feel our team is strong. We have a lot of hope, and we aim to do our best to represent well”.
Costa Rica
Marcus Sugiyama, Coach of Honduras, stated, “Thank you for the invitation to the U23 Championship. Our team is prepared because it will be a very tough competition. We will take it step by step, as there are very strong teams in the tournament. We aim to achieve our goals”.
Honduras
William Fernández, Coach of Guatemala, said, “I thank Honduras for hosting this event, which is the foundation for the senior teams. It will be a very even tournament in terms of level, as everyone has prepared extensively for this event. We come to fight for a place among the top positions”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 20, 2024.- The VI Central American U23 Women’s AFECAVOL Championship is fast approaching. The event will take place at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in the Tegucigalpa Sports Complex, Honduras, from June 23 to 29, 2024.
This is the second consecutive occasion that Honduras hosts this age-group championship, where Costa Rica has dominated since its inception in 2012.
In the previous edition held in 2022, Costa Rica clinched their fifth consecutive title defeating Honduras, with both teams progressing into the final match of the event undefeated.
Throughout the history of the Central American U23 Women’s Championship, Guatemala has won two silver and two bronze medals. Honduras and Nicaragua are tied, each having one silver and one bronze medal. Belize reached the podium in 2022, earning the silver medal. El Salvador has secured one bronze medal.
The sixth edition of the tournament will feature all seven countries in the region, competing in a round-robin format starting Sunday, June 23.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 15, 2024. – Nicaraguan player Dalia Conto Calero was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the first edition of the Central American Women’s Final Four.
Conto Calero received the award during the closing ceremony after Nicaragua was crowned champion by winning all three of their matches. She was also named the Best Opposite.
Other awards were given to recognize individual performance based on statistical data during the event.
From Costa Rica, Tatiana Sayles received the award for Top Scorer, Tamara Espinoza was awarded Best Server and Second Best Spiker, and María José Castro was named Best Receiver and Best Libero. Yuliana González was honored as the Best Setter of the tournament.
Tatiana Sayles CRC – Mejor Anotadora
For Honduras, Ana Gabriela Marcelin received the award for Best Blocker.
Among the champions, Brittany Forbes was named Best Spiker, Josefat Diaz was recognized as the Second Best Blocker, and Marcela Roa was awarded Best Defense, joining the tournament MVP in the honors.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 15, 2024. – Costa Rica claimed the silver medal by defeating Honduras 3-1 (14-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-19) in the final match of the inaugural Central American Women’s Final Four Championship held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Costa Rica lost the first set to a dominant Honduras. However, starting in the second set, the Costa Rican players found new energy and comfortably outplayed Honduras, which, despite excelling in blocks, could not match the experience of the Costa Rican side.
Tatiana Sayles CRC
Costa Rica nearly doubled Honduras in attack points over the net (52-37). While Honduras led in blocks (10-7), both teams scored 4 aces.
Tatiana Sayles of Costa Rica was the top scorer of the match with a total of 23 points, including 2 blocks and one ace. She was supported by Lakysha Nicolle Thompson, who scored 14 points, 4 of which were blocks (more than half of Costa Rica’s blocks in the match). Tannia Carazo also contributed with double-digit points, scoring 11.
Ana Gabriela Marcelin HON
For Honduras, the top scorer and the only player with double-digit points was Ana Gabriela Marcelin, who scored 19 points, including 4 blocks.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 15, 2024. – The Nicaraguan women’s team defeated El Salvador 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-19) to become the champions of the first AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four.
The Nicaraguan team claimed the title undefeated, having won their first two matches against Honduras and Costa Rica. They needed to win against El Salvador on Saturday to secure the championship, regardless of the later match between Honduras and Costa Rica.
Nicaragua was dominant in attacks and serves, outscoring El Salvador 41-26 in attacks and 7-2 in aces. El Salvador led in blocks, 5-4.
Nicaragua’s attack was led by Brittany Forbes, who scored 14 points, including 3 from serves, and Hellen Traña, who scored 12 points, with 2 from serves and 1 block, causing significant trouble for El Salvador.
Dalia Conto NCA – Tatiana Menjivar ESA
El Salvador’s offense was weakened from the beginning of the second set when Tatiana Menjívar was injured. Marcela Alejandra Soriano and Daniela Alexandra López each scored 6 points.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 14, 2024. – Honduras’ 3-0 victory (25-17, 25-20, 25-17) over El Salvador keeps them alive in the first Central American Women’s Final Four Championship.
With the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium nearly full, the crowd witnessed Honduras’ first victory in this tournament. This Saturday, Honduras will face Costa Rica to determine the final standings of the round-robin event. Depending on the result of the match between Nicaragua and El Salvador, there could be a tie for first place. Honduras needs Nicaragua to lose their match.
Sasha Kawas HON – Roxana Avalos ESA
Honduras outperformed El Salvador in all areas, with advantages in attacks (31-21), blocks (5-3), and serves (9-4), and also benefited from 30 unforced errors by El Salvador compared to the 25 made by Honduras.
Honduras’ Sasha Kawas and Andrea Aceituno were the top scorers of the match, each with 11 points. Both had 2 service aces, and Sasha also had one block point.
On the other hand, Tatiana Menjívar and Marcela Soriano were the top scorers for El Salvador with 5 points each.
Alejandra Soriano ESA
Sasha Kawas of Honduras said, “We defended very well, and our setter (Gabriela Gómez) was incredible. We did what we needed to do. We came in with a lot of energy, and although sometimes that hurt us a bit, we managed to resolve it well”.
Tatiana Menjívar of El Salvador explained, “It’s been a very tough tournament. I am just coming back from knee surgery. We are a fairly young team and started training about a month ago. I think we have had a good tournament. Our opponents have been challenging and have more experience than us”.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 14, 2024. – Once again, Nicaragua bounced after losing the first set to defeat Costa Rica 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-17), remaining unbeaten in the first AFECAVOL Senior Women’s Final Four Championship.
Costa Rica managed to win the first set, but not without a tough fight. In the second set, Nicaragua reached a 21-15 lead, and although the Costa Ricans leveled the score, they ended falling 25-23.
Dalia Conto NCA
In the third and fourth sets, the Nicaraguan dominance was evident from the start of each set, leading to a victory in the match.
Nicaragua now holds a 2-0 record and will face El Salvador this Saturday. A win would secure them the Gold Medal in the tournament. Meanwhile, Costa Rica, with a 1-1 record, will play against Honduras in the final match of Saturday.
Nicaragua outperformed Costa Rica in attacks (62-57) and blocks (7-4), while Costa Rica was more effective in serving (5-4).
Tatiana Sayles CRC
Tatiana Sayles of Costa Rica and Dalia Conto Calero of Nicaragua were the top scorers of the match, each with 20 points. Tamara Espinoza of Costa Rica tied with Brittany Forbes of Nicaragua, each scoring 18 points.
Dalia Conto Calero of Nicaragua said, “I am very excited about the victory; it’s something we’ve been striving for since previous tournaments where we came close to beating them. It was a very tough game. Costa Rica is a very good team and quite tactical, but in the end, we did it, and now we need to focus on tomorrow’s match”.
Tamara Espinoza of Costa Rica commented, “It was a very complicated match for us. Nicaragua gave us a lot of trouble with their defense. The defeat is definitely a credit to the great game played by Nicaragua. Volleyball is a team sport; if we are struggling with spikes, serves, and receptions, it’s very hard to win”.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 13, 2024.- Nicaragua pulled off a spectacular comeback to secure a 3-2 victory (21-25, 24-26, 25-16, 25-12, 15-09) over Honduras in the closing match of the first day of the I AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four.
After narrowly losing the first two sets, the Nicaraguans managed to dominate the next three sets, showcasing their superiority over a Honduran team that seemed to lose its way on the court.
Nicaragua outperformed Honduras in net attacks with a significant margin, scoring 72 against 47 from Honduras. Both teams were evenly matched in blocks, each with 7, but Nicaragua had a slight edge in serving, leading 5 to 4.
Andrea Aceituno HON
Dalia Conto and Brittany Forbes were the standout attackers for Nicaragua, contributing 28 and 20 points respectively. Hellen Traña also made a double-digit contribution, finishing with 13 points.
For Honduras, the attack was more distributed among four players, Andrea Aceituno with 13 points, Ana Gabriela Marcelin with 12, Rocio Duron with 11, and Cecille Johnson with 10.
Hellen Traña NCA
Rene Quintana, coach of Nicaragua, commented, “We realized we were struggling with blocking, so we changed our tactics to neutralize their attack, allowing us to counterattack. This helped us take control of the game. I’m not sure what happened to Honduras, but their level of play dropped significantly after the first two sets”.
Marcos Sugiyama, coach of Honduras, said, “Nicaragua played a great match against us. We lost our focus after the second set. Our serving faltered, we lost our blocking, and we left openings for Nicaragua’s middle attackers. This is just the start of the tournament, and we still have two matches to improve and get back in the fight for the top positions.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 13, 2024.- Costa Rica kicked off the inaugural AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four Tournament with a 3-0 win (25-22, 25-23, 25-12) over El Salvador in the opening match of the event.
Costa Rica dominated El Salvador in all aspects of the game. Costa Rica outperformed in attacks (42-26) and serves (5-0), in blocking the teams were balanced but they led 5-3 over El Salvador
Tamara Espinoza CRC
Tamara Espinoza and Tatiana Sayles were key players in Costa Rica’s attack, each scoring 14 points. Espinoza scored 3 aces, while Tannia Carazo added 8 points to Costa Rica’s victory.
For El Salvador, Marcela Alejandra Soriano led the team with 8 points, followed by Daniela Alexandra López with 7 points.
Daniela Lopez ESA
Tatiana Sayles, captain of Costa Rica, commented after the match “El Salvador is a very tough team; they challenged us a lot with their defense in the first two sets. It wasn’t until the third set that we managed to focus on what we wanted, and that’s why there was such a difference in the third set.”
Carmen Chávez, captain of El Salvador, said “We played really well in the first two sets, but in the third set, we struggled a bit with our reception. Our setter got hit in the face with the ball, which distracted her for a few moments. By the time we regained our focus, the gap was too wide to close.”
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 12, 2024. – The Jorge Galeano Gymnasium will host the inaugural Central American Women’s Final Four Championship, taking place from June 13 to 15.
The event kicked off with the preliminary interviews and registration of the four participating national teams (Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador).
Both the organizing committee and members of the control committee are thrilled to host this first tournament, which brings together the top four teams in the region.
The four coaches expressed their satisfaction with the tournament, as it offers senior teams an annual competitive event. This Final Four will be held every two years, alternating with the Central American Senior Championships, which are also biennial.
Carlos Quezada, coach of Costa Rica, commented, “It’s a great opportunity to keep our senior teams competitive. I believe all the teams are quite evenly matched. We have prepared well, coming from the NORCECA Final Four, and for us, it’s imperative to aim for the top spot. We are here with the mindset of winning the tournament”.
Costa Rica
Japanese Marcos Sugiyama, coach of Honduras, stated, “t’s a very challenging competition for us because we are striving to reach a high level. We have trained extensively to perform well and win the title”.
Honduras
René Quintana, coach of Nicaragua, remarked, “This tournament is a first experiment by AFECAVOL. We hope this format continues so that our teams have events to participate in every year, whether even or odd years. Nicaragua always arrives as well-prepared as possible. We have some absences because a few players couldn’t make the trip, but we are committed to making a strong showing”.
Nicaragua
Noe Fabian, coach of El Salvador, said, “This tournament is very beneficial for our AFECAVOL competition because it keeps the senior teams active every year. Last year, we finished fourth in the Central American Championship, and this year we made a significant generational shift in our team. We are bringing a very young team, possibly the youngest senior team El Salvador has had since 2014, and we want to build confidence and gain experience”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 7, 2024. – AFECAVOL is proud to announce the inaugural edition of the AFECAVOL Central American Women’s Final Four Championship, to be held from June 13 to 16 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four brings together the top four senior teams in Central America from the previous year’s rankings, based on the XXII Central American Senior Women’s Championship of 2023: Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.
The creation of this event aims to ensure annual competition for the senior category rather than every two years. Additionally, it will provide ranking points for international competitions, which will be announced later in accordance with the agreements between AFECAVOL and NORCECA.
Teams will arrive in Tegucigalpa on June 11, with preliminaries scheduled for June 12. The three days of round-robin competition will take place at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, starting on June 13.
Tomorrow, March 12, the city that will host the continental event in 2027 will be elected in a vote in which all the National Olympic Committees members of Panam Sports will participate.
A total of 40 countries will participate in the Extraordinary General Assembly, with a total of 52 votes. Panam Sports Channel will be the official and exclusive channel for this election.
Miami, March 11, 2024.- We are just a few hours away from announcing the host city of the next 2027 Pan American Games.
This Tuesday, at the Extraordinary General Assembly of Panam Sports that will be held virtually for all member countries, the election that will define the winning city will be carried out.
The Executive Board and representatives of the candidate cities of Lima and Asuncion will be in Miami. The rest of the participants, Presidents and Secretaries General of the National Olympic Committees, will connect by zoom.
Each of the candidate cities will have 40 minutes to make a presentation to the Assembly, and then time will be given for questions and answers from the member countries.
After the presentations from Lima and Asuncion, the vote will be held. There are 40 member countries with a total of 52 votes, as the Constitution provides that each country that has hosted the Pan American Games is entitled to two votes.
The election of the host city will be carried out by secret ballot. The winning candidate city will need a majority of votes cast by the NOC members of Panam Sports present at the General Assembly with the right to vote.
“We are very happy with the way that this process has turned out. There is a lot of expectation, as we have two great cities of our continent competing for the honor of hosting the 2027 Pan American Games. I am sure that whoever wins this Tuesday will give everything for the success of our Games”, said the Panam Sports President, Neven Ilic.
To ensure the transparency and success of the process, Panam Sports hired the services of renowned British company Lumi, an expert in virtual elections that has worked with the International Olympic Committee and International Federations.
It should be noted that the Extraordinary General Assembly in which the host city of the 2027 Pan American Games will be elected will be broadcast live and exclusively for the entire world through the Panam Sports Channel, starting at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern time).
The following is the detailed program of the Extraordinary General Assembly:
• Opening of the Extraordinary General Assembly. Remarks by Jimena Saldaña, Secretary General of Panam Sports and Roll Call • Welcome remarks by President Neven Ilic • Panam Sports Evaluation Commission Report • Questions and answers • City 1 – Presentation • Questions and answers • City 2 – Presentation • Questions and answers • Voting • Remarks by President Neven Ilic and announcement of the voting’s results • Remarks by the President of the National Olympic Committee of the elected city • Closing remarks • Closing of the Extraordinary General Assembly
Note: The order of presentation of the candidate cities will be determined through a draw that will be held today, March 11, 2024, at the Executive Board meeting
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, March 8, 2024.- To celebrate and recognize International Women’s Day 2024, the NORCECA Volleyball Confederation Refereeing Commission hosted a virtual session “Sharing Our Story” to Inspire and Include NORCECA Female International Referees.
Guy Bradbury, president of the NORCECA Refereeing Commission, highlighted this was the second occasion that NORCECA female international referees had the opportunity to speak about their experiences refereeing at an international level, how they’ve been inspired in doing so and promoting inclusion in volleyball.
Julie Voeck of the United States, member of the NORCECA Refereeing Commission, was the moderator of the virtual session that was divided into two panels.
The first panel was taking a moment to listen to Suzanne Lowry, FIVB International Beach Volleyball Referee and USA National Referee, who spoke about officiating as First Referee for the outdoor match in Nebraska, United States with more than 94,000 spectators, an event in August that set a new world record for the most highly attended women’s sporting event in history.
Suzanne shared her experience sharing how she prepared before the match, the atmosphere and her vivid feelings about the great responsibility and excitement taking part in this great historic event that exposed volleyball to the world, which inspired young girls that aspire to become athletes, coaches and referees. “This was life changing for my career, it gave a sense of awe, pride and inspiration”.
The second panel was a “Q&A” session with the new International Referee Candidates who participated in the Beach Volleyball and Volleyball International Referee Course that took place in January in Puerto Rico, who shared their journeys to becoming a NORCECA International Referee. Among them Rebecca Johannes – PUR (beach), Rochelle Artwell – JAM (beach), Chantal Kasters – SUR (indoor), Breanna Spain – USA (indoor), Ana Marlenis Rodriguez – DOM (indoor) and Diana De la Mora – MEX (beach).
Guy explained that 55 Female International Referees are part of NORCECA and continues to grow, “NORCECA is the only Confederation in the world that is developing International Referee Courses and 54% of the participants during the International Referee Course held in January were female”.
In her closing words, Julie stated “we enjoyed this gathering to celebrate women, inspiring inclusion and their amazing journey full of meaningful moments, which have led us to become a family”.
While Guy thanked each and everyone for their commitment as referees in NORCECA, which have led them to take time from their families, work and friends “as a Confederation we send you our appreciation to help grow volleyball in NORCECA. Happy whistling”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, February 1, 2024. – AFECAVOL Executive Committee and Delegates held a Virtual Session to confirm the Working Commissions, a structure which was established in November 2020.
“Working together for the well-being of our region has been a constant effort by AFECAVOL members”, said AFECAVOL President, Félix Sabio, in his opening words. “As we start a new year, we ask for the Working Commissions of AFECAVOL to review their performance to strengthen their functions with the knowledge of each of its members”.
AFECAVOL replicated the Working Commissions of NORCECA, aiming to structure the path towards volleyball development and its members, who are projected to expand their knowledge beyond the Central American region.
Félix Sabio emphasized that this year, the NORCECA Congress will be held, where its Working Commissions will be confirmed, “all NORCECA Commissions have members from AFECAVOL who will be reaffirmed during the congress, and proposals for new members will be presented from our region, providing opportunities for their professional development”.
During the session, coordinators for each AFECAVOL Working Commission were confirmed: Sports Organization Commission: Lic. Félix Sabio; Technical and Coaching Commission: Prof. René Quintana; Development Commission: Ing. Allan Sharp; Beach Volleyball Commission: Ing. Bertha Cuadra; Referee Commission: Prof. Marvin Mora; Press Commission: Lic. Carolina Rivas; VIS Commission: Ing. Judith Sandino; Medical Commission: Dr. Juan Carlos Rodas; Marketing Commission: Lic. Cinthya Velásquez; Legal Commission: Mr. Carlos Enrique Santis; Athletes Commission: Luis Membreño
The importance of the benefits of NORCECA and FIVB support plans for National Federations was highlighted during the meeting, which aims to progressively reduce the competitive gap among the Zonal Associations.
Each Working Commission will present its proposals on February 22 to meet its objectives for the year, which has many competitions and elaborating a schedule that allows proper preparation is a must, taking in account that each Commission member will undertake their task responsibly.
Félix Sabio concluded the session expressing his gratitude for the commitment of all delegates, stating, “this will be a year of many successes for Central American volleyball”.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, November 25, 2023.- The duo of Ella Resau and Yulimar Alvarado from Nicaragua and Stanley Grant and Cristian Oporta from Costa Rica are the Champions of the first edition of the Under-17 Central American Beach Volleyball Championship held at the Parque Metropolitano la Sabana in Costa Rica.
Cristian Oporta and Stanley Grant, from Costa Rica, beat Yustin Gantes and Einar Rodríguez, from Panama, 2-0 (21-13, 21-9) and later, in the last game of the tournament, they confirmed their supremacy against Nicaraguan duo of José Fernando Castro and Diego Cardoza, whom they beat 2-0 (21-10, 21-13), with six consecutive wins and no defeats confirming their Central American crown for their country.
Oporta and Grant opened the way to the title on Friday, when they beat Guatemala (2-1) and Panama (2-1); a firm step that they maintained on Saturday, by beating Nicaragua (2-0) and Guatemala (2-1), and that they consolidated this Sunday with new victories over Panama (2-0) and Nicaragua (2-0).
NICARAGUA
Second place went to Juan Carlos Menéndez and Daniel Sosa from Guatemala and Panama’s Yustin Gantes and Einar Rodríguez won the bronze.
In women, the U17 gold went to the Nicaragua’s Ella Resau and Yulimar Alvarado, who this Sunday in a key game added their fourth win in a row beating Devora Medina 2-1 (21-11, 18-21, 15-9) and Daniela Vigil, from El Salvador (silver medal).
Costa Ricans Sury Jiménez and Mariana Fallas defeated Panamanians Keysi Fuentes and Dayanis Ríos 2-0 this Sunday, 21-17, 21-14, to finish third place in the U17 Central American Beach Volleyball Championship.
The silver medal went to El Salvador and Costa Rica took the bronze.
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, November 25, 2023.- Julián Araya and Yulius Brown and Valentina Molina and Aliza Aguilar of the Costa Rica were crowned Champions of the second edition of the Under-19 Central American Beach Volleyball Champions that concluded on Sunday at La Sabana Metropolitan Park, in San José Costa Rica.
With perfect pace, Araya/Brown gave Costa Rica the Championship after defeating Rafael Vargas and Levi Rauda, from El Salvador, 2-0 (21-11, 21-14), on day three of the tournament, ending the contest with 10 points, undefeated in five appearances and without losing a single set, after defeating Guatemala 2-0 on Friday, Panama and Nicaragua on Saturday, and today against Panama.
The silver medal went to Roberto Recinos / José Daniel Guevara from Guatemala and the bronze medal went to Panama’s duo of Víctor Araúz / Adamit del Cid Moreno.
PAN vs CRC
In women, Valentina Molina and Aliza Aguilar from Costa Rica defeated Panamanians Krisleen González and Elleny Espinoza in two sets on Sunday, 22-20, 21-5, to close with a perfect record and becoming Central American champions.
Molina and Aguilar added four victories in a row, after their victories over Nicaragua (2-0) on Friday, Guatemala (2-1) and El Salvador (2-0) on Saturday, and today against Panama (2- 0).
The silver medal went to Maritza Zúñiga/ Danna Aguilar from Guatemala and the Bronze medal went to Yuliana Chávez/ Kadderly Rosales from Nicaragua.
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, November 25, 2023. – The host teams won all their matches on the second day of the II Under-19 Central American Beach Volleyball Championship, leading the standings in the quest for a medal in Costa Rica.
The sand courts in La Sabana, the Costa Rican capital, enjoyed six exciting matches, three in each gender, with the support of the crowd.
In women, the Costa Rican duo of Valentina Molina and Aliza Aguilar first defeated Danna Aguilar and Maritza Zúñiga from Guatemala in three sets, 2-1 (19-21, 23-21/17-15), in the most thrilling match so far.
In their second match, they dominated Alexandra Reyes and Fátima Rendón from El Salvador 2-0 (21-6/21-10).
Panama’s Krisleen González/Elleny Solís also defeated El Salvador 2-0 (21-11/21-16).
Costa Rica will enter the last day leading the event, followed by 2-Guatemala, 3-Panama, 4-Nicaragua, and 5-El Salvador.
Meanwhile, in men, Julián Araya and Yulius Brown of Costa Rica also won over their two opponents of the day.
In their first match of the day, they won 2-0 (21-18/21-12) after the withdrawal of Angelo Guadamuz and Evans Solís from Nicaragua when the second set was in progress due to an injury of Guadamuz.
Araya/Brown also defeated Víctor Arauz and Adamit del Cid from Panama 2-0 (21-14/21-15).
The day was completed with the victory of the Guatemalan pair José Guevara and Roberto Recinos against Nicaragua 2-0 (21-10/21-17).
On Sunday, starting at 9:00 am, Costa Rica will seek a medal, leading the standings, followed by 2-Panama, 3-Guatemala, 4-Nicaragua, and 5-El Salvador.
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, November 25, 2023. – Dévora Medina and Daniela Vigil from El Salvador, and Stanley Grant and Cristian Oporta from Costa Rica, top the first Under-17 Central American Championship after three games in women and four in men on the day two of action in La Sabana.
Dévora Medina and Daniela Vigil defeated Keysi Fuentes and Dayanis Ríos from Panama 2-0 (21-16/21-15) and Costa Ricans Sury Jimenez/Mariana Fallas in three sets 2-1 (17-21/21-10/15-13), to be top the standings.
Valeria Vásquez alongside Angie Osorio from Guatemala defeated Costa Rica’s Jiménez/Fallas 2-0, 21-17 in both sets.
El Salvador women will enter Sunday leading the Under-17 category, followed by 2-Nicaragua, 3-Panama, 4-Guatemala, and 5-Costa Rica.
In the men, Costa Rica with Stanley Grant and Cristian Oporta won their two matches of the day. First against Fernando Castro and Diego Cardoza from Nicaragua 2-0 (21-10/21-15), and then they earned a dramatic 2-1 (21-19/14-21/14-16) victory against Juan Carlos Menéndez and Daniel Sosa from Guatemala.
Menendez/Sosa from Guatemala came from behind to win in three sets against Yustin Gantes and Einar Rodríguez from Panama (18-21/21-19/15-13). Meanwhile, the Panamanians defeated Nicaragua in an exciting finish 2-0 (21-16/23-21).
Costa Rica men lead the Under-17 standings and will seek a medal on Sunday, followed by 2-Panama, 3-Nicaragua, and 4-Guatemala.
The last day of competition will begin at 9:00 am in the capital of Costa Rica.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, November 24, 2023. – Victor Arauz/Adamit del Cid Moreno from Panama in men and Maritza Zúñiga/Danna Aguilar from Guatemala in women lead the standings after the first day of the Under-19 Central American Championship being held at the sand courts in Sabana.
In men, Arauz/Del Cid from Panama defeated Levi Radua/Rafael Vargas from El Salvador 2-0 (21-19/21-13). Nicaragua’s Ángelo Solís/Evans Guadamuz also won 2-0 against El Salvador 21-19/21-16.
The hosts, Julian Araya/Yulius Brown, defeated Guatemala’s Roberto Recinos/José Daniel Guevara 2-0 (21-10/21-14). Ending the men’s session, Nicaragua won 2-0 against El Salvador Rauda/Vargas 21-19/21-16.
After the results of the day, Panama leads in the men, followed by Costa Rica, 3-Nicaragua, 4-El Salvador, and 5-Guatemala.
Meanwhile, in women, Maritza Zúñiga/Danna Aguilar from Guatemala won 2-0 against El Salvador’s Alexandra Reyes/Fátima Rendón 21-9/21-10. In their second game, Guatemala triumphed against Panama 21-13/21-13.
Yuliana Chávez/Kadderly Rosales from Nicaragua won in the third set against Panama’s Krisleen González/Elleny Espinoza, ending with scores of 21-18/16-21/15-6.
To close the day, Costa Rica’s Valentina Molina/Aliza Aguilar defeated Nicaragua’s Chaves/Rosales 2-0 with scores of 21-15/21-12.
Guatemala tops the standings, followed by 2-Nicaragua, 3-Costa Rica, 4-Panama, and 5-El Salvador.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, November 24, 2023. – The sand courts of La Sabana welcomed the Central American pairs who, under the capital sun, played their first day in the inaugural U17 Beach Volleyball Central American Championship.
The competition of the first edition of the Under-17 Beach Central American Championship started on Friday morning, November 24, with the victory of Ella Resau/Yulimar Alvarado from Nicaragua, who defeated Keysi Fuentes/Dayanis Ríos from Panama 2-0 (21-11/21-11). Nicaragua also won against the hosts Sury Jiménez/Mariana Fallas in their second game 21-16/21-11.
Daniela Vigil/Devora Medina from El Salvador won 2-0 against Valeria Vásquez/Angie Osorio from Guatemala with scores of 21-16/21-06. Meanwhile, Panama won their second match against Guatemala 2-0 (21-16/21-11).
With these results, Nicaragua tops the standins, followed by 2-Panama, 3-El Salvador, 4-Guatemala, and 5-Costa Rica.
Meanwhile, in men, Panama with Yustin Gantes/Einar Rodríguez defeated Nicaragua’s Fernando Castro/Diego Cardoza 2-0 (21-15/21-10).
The local duo, Cristian Oporta/Stanley Grant, won in three sets against Guatemala’s Juan Carlos Méndez/Daniel Sosa 21-14/18-21/15-06. In their second game, Costa Rica defeated Panama in three sets 21-19/17-21/12-15.
The day concluded with the game between Guatemala 2-0 Nicaragua, ending with scores 21-17/21-14 for Guatemala.
Costa Rica leads the standings, followed by 2-Panama, 3-Guatemala, and 4-Nicaragua.
COSTA RICA, San José, November 23, 2023.- Five countries in both male and female will strive to become champions in the first edition of the Central American U17 Beach Volleyball Championship and the second edition of the Central American U19 Beach Volleyball Championship, organized by AFECAVOL.
The national teams of El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, and Costa Rica presented together in the U17 and U19 categories, and successfully passed the preliminary interview on Thursday, where they presented their uniforms to the Control Committee, as well as the official documents accrediting them to be part of the two Central American beach volleyball events.
Four male teams and five female teams will vie for the Central American championship for the first time in the U17 category. Meanwhile, in the U19 category, five teams will compete in both genders, with current champions Guatemala in women and Costa Rica in men.
The first U19 Central American Championship was held in 2018 in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, an event that also served as a qualifier for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, later that year.
The competition will start on Friday 24 at the sand courts of La Sabana, in the capital of Costa Rica, San José. It will be played in a round-robin format, with the pairs in both genders who gain the most points will become champions on the last day of the event on Sunday 26.
San José, Costa Rica, November 21, 2023.- Six countries will gather on Costa Rican soil at La Sabana sand courts to compete from November 24-26 in the first edition of the Central American Beach Volleyball Under-17 Championship and, for the second time, in Costa Rica, in the Under-19 Central American Championship, both double-gender events.
The national teams of El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, and Costa Rica will hit La Sabana sand courts in San José, aiming to become Central American champions in the inaugural Under-17 category. Meanwhile, Guatemala women and Costa Rica men will defend their titles in the second edition of the Under-19 category.
The first Under-19 Central American Championship took place in 2018 in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and was also a qualifying event for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the same year.
During a press conference held on Tuesday, at the National Stadium facilities, the Organizing Committee, led by Carlos Echandi, president of the Costa Rican Volleyball Federation (FECOVOL), along with the Costa Rican Sports Institute (ICODER) and the Costa Rican Ministry of Sports, provided details about this significant event for the country.
“We are very proud to organize this important event, hosting the Under-19 Championship for the second time and the Under-17 Championship for the first time. This is a joint effort with ICODER, from whom we have received support, as well as the support of the Minister of Sports, Mr. Royner Mora”, said Carlos Echandi, president of FECOVOL and a member of the Organizing Committee.
The round-robin competition will start on Friday. The pairs in both categories that earn the most ranking points will be crowned champions at the conclusion of the event on Sunday.
1st Central American Under-19 Beach Volleyball Championship:
-Champions
Women: GUATEMALA – Paola Alvarado and María Juárez
Men:COSTA RICA – Alexandre Lezcano and Criforth Fallas
-Final Standings
Women: 1. Guatemala, 2. Nicaragua, 3. Costa Rica, 4. Honduras, 5. El Salvador, 6. Belize, 7. Panama
Men: 1. Costa Rica, 2. Nicaragua, 3. El Salvador, 4. Guatemala, 5. Belize, 6. Honduras, 7. Panama
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 18, 2023. – Mr. Félix Ambrosio Sabio González of Honduras was reelected President of the Association of Central American Volleyball Federations AFECAVOL for the 2024-2028 term during the 2023 Ordinary and Election General Assembly held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on November 18.
The seven National Volleyball Federations of Central America chose Félix Sabio for a second term as the President of the Zonal Association, a member of the NORCECA Volleyball Confederation.
The AFECAVOL Executive Committee is composed as follows:
President: Félix Sabio González, Honduras
First Vice President: Bertha Cuadra Cuadra, Nicaragua
Second Vice President: Allan Sharp, Belize
General Secretary: Carlos Enrique Santis Rangel, Guatemala
Treasurer: Shean Jyh Liou, El Salvador
First Vocal: Carlos Echandi, Costa Rica
Second Vocal: Marco Pérez, Panama
To the center Lic. Cristobal Marte President of NORCECA and Felix Sabio President of AFECAVOL, others members of the Board of Directors AFECAVOL
The Ordinary General Assembly had the active participation of NORCECA President, Mr. Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, who addressed the assembly, commending AFECAVOL’s work in 2023, stating, “Among the three Zonal Associations of NORCECA, AFECAVOL is an example of development and organization in our region. Its members have faced and overcome adversities in each of their countries, and with the work and assistance of NORCECA, they have managed to overcome them”.
President Marte Hoffiz emphasized congratulating AFECAVOL for fulfilling its competition schedule and ensuring the development of volleyball in Central America.
“AFECAVOL is an institution that has looked after the development of the zone and not just an individual country. In that sense, the evaluation by NORCECA is positive”, added Marte Hoffiz.
During the working session, the 2023 reports from the Presidency, Treasury, and Administrative Secretariat of AFECAVOL were approved. Additionally, working commissions presented reports for 2023 and proposals for 2024.
President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz also presented the NORCECA Presidency report and informed the assembly that he would run for the NORCECA Presidency in the upcoming 2024 Congress for his last four-year term according to the FIVB constitution.
One of the highlights during the session was President Sabio´s new initiative and approval to create the AFECAVOL Women’s and Men’s Volleyball Final Four senior events, where the top four countries in the AFECAVOL ranking will compete.
In the 2024 plans, is the effort to organize the Central American Beach Volleyball Tour and incorporate it into the NORCECA Tour.
The host countries for the 2024 Competitions were also decided (dates to be confirmed).
Volleyball:
– VI Central American Women’s U-23 Championship *rescheduled* (born in 2002) – El Salvador
– I Central American Girls’ U17 Championship (born in 2008) – Nicaragua
– I Central American Boys’ U17 Championship (born in 2008) – Costa Rica
– XV Central American Women’s U19 Championship (born in 2006) – Honduras
– XV Central American Men’s U19 Championship (born in 2006) – El Salvador
– XX Central American Women’s U21 Championship (born in 2004) – Belize
– XX Central American Men’s U21 Championship (born in 2004) – Panama
– I Central American Men’s Final Four Championship – Guatemala
– I Central American Women’s Final Four Championship – Costa Rica/Nicaragua/Honduras
Beach Volleyball:
– The AFECAVOL Executive Committee will session in a future date to decide dates, integrate events into the NORCECA Tour, and determine the host countries and dates for U17 and U19 Central American Championships.
President Félix Sabio expressed his gratitude for the commitment and support of all members in January 2020, just two months after the global Covid-19 pandemic declaration.
President Félix Sabio’s message was of gratitude for the AFECAVOL members’ commitment to support and contribute to his presidency when he took the position in January 2019, just two months before the global Covid-19 Pandemic was declared.
“We took on challenges and overcame them. We will continue to be a reference in NORCECA as the most active, organized, and forward-thinking Zonal Association. A lot of events are scheduled for 2024, where we will add four new events to our competition calendar, which I am convinced will be a success”, said Félix Sabio.
He also informed the assembly that AFECAVOL’s upcoming Assemblies will take place in November and concluded the session by thanking the trust and support of NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte and NORCECA General Director Arateide Cáceres”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 30, 2023 – Setter Daniel Ralón was declared the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s Under 23 Central American Championship, which concluded Saturday at the La Basita Sports Center in David.
Ralón also won the award for the Best Setter of the tournament and was a key piece in Guatemala’s fifth gold medal out of a total of six editions of this tournament. Thanks to his game vision and composure in facing challenges, he managed the offensive plays well with José Pablo Pérez, Jason Hernández, Javier Lucero, Carlos Caballeros, and Leonardo Molina.
In addition to Ralón, his teammate Jason Hernández was awarded Second Best Blocker.
Daniel Ralon of Guatemala MVP AFECAVOL U23
Nicaragua received five individual awards. Jordan Carcache took home the honors for Best Defense, Best Reception, and Best Libero; Evans Solís received the award for Best Server, and Rafael Hernández was named Best First Blocker.
For Belize, Kaelen Ingram was the Best Opposite and the Best First Spiker was Juan Delgado from Costa Rica.
The Second Best Spiker was handed to Gherson Ortiz of Panama, who was also the Best Scorer with 137 points, including a record of 39 points in a single match, achieved against El Salvador on the last day of the event.
The previous record for the highest total points in a game belonged to Bryton Codd of Belize, with 29 points achieved on July 31, 2016. José Pablo Pérez of Guatemala broke the record in this tournament with 30 points against Nicaragua, and then Gherson Ortiz achieved 32 points also against Nicaragua and closed with 39 points against El Salvador.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 30, 2023 – Guatemala defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-12) to finish undefeated with six victories at the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central Championship at the La Basita Sports Center in David.
Guatemala’s gold medal was decorated by their undefeated performance in the tournament, overcoming tough matches, especially against Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Belize, in which they came from behind with courage.
José Pablo Pérez confirmed his effectiveness scoring 16 points in the victory over Honduras. Jason Hernández led in blocks with four points, and Daniel Ralón had three direct service points. Jonathan Mendoza was the best for Honduras with six points.
Guatemala led in attacks 33-19, blocks 11-3, and services 5-4, and committed fewer unforced errors than Honduras (20-26).
José Pablo Pérez, Guatemala’s top scorer: “We feel good because we reached our goal. It was a tough championship; the teams were evenly matched. Attitude and staying united were the key to success. It was quite exhausting and stressful for me. On the day we got here, we had to play, and we weren’t yet in sync. But gradually, we came together, and everything worked out well”.
Josué González, Guatemala’s libero: “Sometimes defense doesn’t get much attention. Thanks for the opportunity. At my young age of 16, I’m very happy to have played a good role with the U23 national team. I had previously played in a U19 Pan American Championship, and thanks to the coaches, they gave me this opportunity. I also thank my teammates who supported me to keep going and lower my head. I dedicate this victory to my parents and my great-grandparents who passed away this year”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 30, 2023 – Panama closed with an exciting victory over El Salvador 3-2 (15-25, 25-22, 27-29, 26-24, 15-11) at the VI AFECAVOL Men’s Under-23 Central American Championship, which ended this Saturday at La Basita Sports Center in David.
In a match that lasted over two and a half hours (2:36), with both teams trying to secure their position in the middle of the standings, Panama managed to prevail in five sets with the support of their fans and the outstanding performance of Gherson Ortiz, who set a Central American record with 38 points.
Ortiz scored 34 points in attack and four in blocking, accompanied by Victor Perez with 16 points and Victor Arauz with 13. For El Salvador, Julio Hunter scored 21 points, and Abner Cano contributed 19.
Panama was superior in attack 67-55 and in blocking 12-10. El Salvador had a 5-2 advantage in serves and committed fewer unforced errors (21-41).
Panama concluded the event with a record of three wins and three losses, the same as Costa Rica and Belize, but with 11 points. El Salvador finished 2-4 , also with 11 points.
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