Nicaragua Comes from Behind to Defeat Costa Rica

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”.

Nicaragua with Spectacular Comeback to Defeat Honduras

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.”

Costa Rica Opens with Victory Over El Salvador in AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four

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.”

Teams Ready for the First Central American Women’s Final Four Title

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.

AFECAVOL FINAL FOUR FEMENINO

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”.

El Salvador

AFECAVOL Announces the First Central American Women’s Final Four Championship

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.

FINAL FOUR FEMENINO DE AFECAVOL

Competition Schedule:

Thursday, June 13

5:00pm   Costa Rica vs El Salvador

7:30pm   Opening Ceremony

8:00pm   Honduras vs Nicaragua

Friday, June 14

5:00pm   Costa Rica vs Nicaragua

7:30pm   Honduras vs El Salvador

Saturday, June 15

5:00pm   Nicaragua vs El Salvador

7:30pm   Costa Rica vs Honduras

Lima or Asunción? The Americas Elect the Host City of the 2027 Pan American Games

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

NORCECA Female International Referees Share their stories to Celebrate International Women’s Day

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”.

AFECAVOL Confirms Working Commissions

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”.

Nicaragua Women and Costa Rica Men Central American U17 Beach Champions

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.

ALBUM FLICKR SUB 17 MASCULINO

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AFECAVOL I SUB17 DE VOLEIBOL DE PLAYA

WOMEN’S PODIUM

GOLD: NICARAGUA

SILVER: EL SALVADOR

BRONZE: COSTA RICA

MEN’S PODIUM

GOLD: COSTA RICA

SILVER: GUATEMALA

BRONZE: PANAMA

WOMEN RESULTS

Resau/AlvaradoNCAVasquez/OsorioGUA2021152110
Fuentes/RiosPANJimenez/FallasCRC0217211421
Vigil/MedinaESAResau/AlvaradoNCA0211212118915

MEN RESULTS

Gantes/RodriguezPANOporta/GrantCRC021321921
Castro/CardozaNCAMenendez/SosaGUA0215211421
Menendez/SosaGUAGantes/RodriguezPAN2024222118
Oporta/GrantCRCCastro/CardozaNCA2021102113

Costa Rica U19 Beach Volleyball Central American Champions

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.

ALBUM FLICKR SUB19 MASCULINO

ALBUM FLICKR SUB19 FEMENINO

AFECAVOL II SUB19 DE VOLEIBOL DE PLAYA

WOMEN PODIUM

ORO: COSTA RICA

PLATA: GUATEMALA

BRONCE: NICARAGUA

MEN PODIUM

ORO: COSTA RICA

PLATA: GUATEMALA

BRONCE: PANAMÁ

RESULTS DAY 3

MEN

Rauda/VargasESARecinos/GuevaraGUA0210211521
Arauz/Del CidPANSolís/GuadamuzNCA12162121171015
Araya/BrownCRCRauda/VargasESA2021112114

WOMEN

Chaves/RosalesNCAZúñiga/AguilarGUA0215211921
González/EspinozaPANMolina/AguilarCRC022022521
Reyes/RendonESAChaves/RosalesNCA029211821

Costa Rica Leads U19 Central American Championship in Both Genders

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.

ALBUM FLICKR SUB19 MASCULINO

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AFECAVOL I CENTROAMERICANO SUB17 DE PLAYA

Women Results U19

– Zúñiga/Aguilar GUA 1-2 CRC Molina/Aguilar (21-19/21-23/15-17)

– Gonzales/Espinoza PAN 2-0 ESA Reyes/Rendón (21-11/21-16)

– Molina/Aguilar CRC 2-0 ESA Reyes/Rendón (21-6/21-10)

Men Results U19

– Recinos/Guevara GUA 2-0 NCA Solís/Guadamuz (21-10/21-17)

– Araya/Brown CRC 2-0 PAN Arauz/Del Cid (21-14/21-15)

– Solís/Guadamuz NCA 0-2 CRC Araya/Brown (18-21/12-21)

El Salvador Women and Costa Rica Men top U17

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.

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AFECAVOL I CENTROAMERICANO SUB17 DE PLAYA

Women Results U17

– Vásquez/Osorio GUA 2-0 CRC Jimenez/Fallas (21-17/21-17)

– Vigil/Medina ESA 2-0 PAN Fuentes/Rios (21-16/21-15)

– Jiménez/Fallas CRC 1-2 ESA Vigil/Medina (21-17/10-21/13-15)

Men Results U17

– Menéndez/Sosa GUA 2-1 PAN Gantes/Rodríguez (18-21/21-19/15-13)

– Oporta/ Grant CRC 2-0 NCA Castro/Cardoza (21-10/21-15)

– Castro/Cardoza NCA 0-2 PAN Gantes/Rodríguez (16-21/21-23)

– Oporta/ Grant CRC 2-1 GUA Menéndez/Sosa (21-19/14-21/14-16)

Panama Men and Guatemala Women lead day one at U19 Central American Championship in 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.

ALBUM FLICKR U19 FEMENINO

ALBUM FLICKR U19 MASCULINO

U19 RESULTS DAY 1

MEN

Radua/Vargas ESA 0-2 PAN Arauz/Del Cid (19-21/13-21)

Recinos/Guevara GUA 0-2 CRC Araya/Brown (10-21/14-21)

Arauz/Del Cid PAN 2-1 GUA Recinos/Guevara (14-21/21-18/15-9)

Solís / Guadamuz NCA 2-0 ESA Rauda/Vargas (21-19/21-16)

WOMEN

Zúñiga/ Aguilar GUA 2-0 ESA Reyes / Rendón (21-9/21-10)

Chávez/ Rosales NCA 2-1 PAN González / Espinoza (21-18/16-21/15-6)

González/Espinoza PAN 0-2 GUA Zúñiga/Aguilar (13-21/13-21)

Molina/Aguilar CRC 2-0 NCA Chaves/Rosales (21-15/21-12)

Nicaragua women and Costa Rica men lead on day one at U17 Central American Championship in Costa Rica

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.

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U17 RESULTS DAY 1

WOMEN

Resau/Alvarado NCA 2-0 PAN Fuentes/Ríos (21-11/21-11) Vásquez/Osorio GUA 0-2 ESA Vigil/Medina (16-21/6-21) Fuentes/Ríos PAN 2-0 GUA Vásquez/Osorio (21-16/21-11) Jimenez/Fallas CRC 0-2 NCA Resau/Alvarado (16-21/11-21)

MEN

Castro/Cardoza NCA 0-2 PAN Gantes /Rodríguez (15-21/10-21) Méndez/Sosa GUA 1-2 CRC Oporta/Grant (14-21/21-18/6-15) Gantes /Rodríguez PAN 1-2 CRC Oporta/Grant (21-19/17-21/12-15) Castro/Cardoza NCA 0-2 GUA Méndez/Sosa (17-21/14-21)

Teams ready for the U17 and U19 Beach Central American Championship

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.

AFECAVOL I CENTROAMERICANO SUB17 DE PLAYA

AFECAVOL II CENTROAMERICANO SUB19 DE PLAYA

Participating teams: I Central American U17 Beach Volleyball Championship and II Central American U19 Beach Volleyball Championship

-Costa Rica

FEMALE

U17: Sury Jiménez / Mariana Fallas

U19: Aliza Aguilar / Valentina Molina

MALE

U17: Cristian Oporta / Stanley Grant

U19: Julián Araya / Yulius Brown

-El Salvador

FEMALE

U17: Devora Medina / Daniela Vigil

U19: Alexandra Reyes / Fátima Rendón

MALE

U19: Rafael Vargas / Levi Rauda

-Guatemala

FEMALE

U17: Valeria Vásquez/ Angie Osorio

U19: Danna Aguilar / Maritza Zúñiga

MALE

U17: Juan Carlos Méndez / Daniel Sosa

U19: José Daniel Guevara / Roberto Recinos

-Nicaragua

FEMALE U17: Ella Resau /Yulimar Alvarado U19: Yuliana Cháves / Kadderly Rosales

MALE

U17: José Fernando Castro / Diego Cardoza

U19: Ángelo Guadamuz / Evans Solís

-Panama

FEMALE

U17: Keysi Fuentes / Dayanis Ríos

U19: Krisleen González / Elleny Espinoza

MALE

U17: Yustin Gantes /Einar Rodríguez

U19: Victor Araúz / Adamit del Cid Moreno

Costa Rica to Host U17 and U19 Central American Beach Volleyball Championships

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.

AFECAVOL I CENTROAMERICANO SUB17 DE PLAYA

AFECAVOL II CENTROAMERICANO SUB19 DE PLAYA

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

Félix Sabio reelected President of AFECAVOL

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

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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”.

Daniel Ralón is the MVP of the Under 23 in AFECAVOL

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.

Guatemala Undefeated Champion after beating Honduras

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).

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

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”.

Panama closes with a 3-2 win over El Salvador

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.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

Nicaragua defeats Belize 3-0 and wins the Silver Medal

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 30, 2023 – Nicaragua defeated Belize 3-0 (25-13, 26-24, 25-20) and won the Silver Medal at the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at the La Basita Sports Center in David.

With the victory in straight sets, Nicaragua finished the event with a 4-2 record and 21 points. Costa Rica, which had already completed all its games a day earlier, benefited from Nicaragua’s victory to take home the bronze medal with a 3-3 record and 19 points. Belize finished in fourth place, also with a record 3-3 but with 17 points.

After completely dominating the first set, Nicaragua recovered from a three-point deficit (21-24) in the second set to win it 26-24. In the third set, despite Belize’s resistance, Nicaragua managed to close it with a victory in straight sets.

Evans Solís led Nicaragua with 17 points, including 14 on attacks, two on blocks, and one ace. Lennin Gómez added 14 points, and Denis Espinoza contributed 10. For Belize, Ernest Broaster scored 12 points.

Nicaragua outperformed Belize in attacks 40-34, in blocks 8-3, and 4-2 in service points, capitalizing on Belize’s 24 unforced errors compared to 18.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua: “We knew that this match was do or die. My players were focused and fought hard, and we worked with them psychologically. We made some changes with the setter (Victor Cruz) that worked for us, as did Denis Espinoza, who started today. As always, there are setbacks, injured players, or injuries on the first day of the tournament that made us change the game plan, but that’s how it goes”.

Evans Solís, top scorer of Nicaragua: “We feel super proud after securing this victory. We came to the tournament with different expectations, but second place is very acceptable because we knew the tournament would be tough. And this match against Belize was also challenging because we had several five-set matches, and we were a bit tired. The fighting spirit and the desire to win helped us. It also holds a special meaning for me because my uncle passed away two years ago, and I dedicate this victory to him”. 

Guatemala, five-time champion at AFECAVOL Men’s Under-23

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 29, 2023 – Guatemala defeated Panama 3-1 (25-16, 20-25, 25-17, 25-17) and won its fifth title in the AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Championships with still one match left in the sixth edition of the tournament.

Guatemala has only stumbled once in the six editions of Age-group, which was last year against Nicaragua. Even though they faced tough matches this year, they showed courage to earn victories in games that seemed lost.

With a strong defense that allowed setter Daniel Ralón to distribute the ball effectively to his attackers, Guatemala forged their crown and put the final gem in the fourth set with a convincing 25-17.

José Pablo Pérez was once again the leading attacker for Guatemala with 22 points, and Carlos Caballeros contributed 11. Gherson Ortiz was the top scorer for Panama with 27 points, and Denzel Arboine added 12.

Guatemala had led 50-48 in attacks, 7-5 in blocks and 7-3 in aces, while committing 19 unforced errors compared to Panama’s 31.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “This is a very interesting competition; in every  country, we have very talented athletes, and they demand that we come well-prepared. This is a competitive tournament, not just participative, and it helps us continue to improve the level of play. In fact, this category is the foundation of the senior national teams. It is played at a high level and is very demanding, with intense rivalry in Central America. We have a bright future; that’s why we give the younger players the opportunity  to take on responsibility”.

Javier Lucero, captain of Guatemala: “We dedicate the first photo to our physiotherapist who always accompanies us, for the work he does with us, but this time he couldn’t be here. We are very happy with the result; that’s what we came here for, to be champions, and we continue to collect more gold medals for Guatemala and raise its name high”.

Nicaragua battles to defeat Honduras

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 29, 2023 – Nicaragua battled to defeat Honduras 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-20) and reached three wins with two losses at the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at Centro Deportivo La Basita.

Honduras, which has no victories in this tournament, started by winning the first set due to Nicaragua’s passiveness, who couldn’t respond. Leonardo Villegas of Honduras scored 11 points in that first set.

Nicaragua managed to recover to lock the win in four sets but struggled to overcome  Honduras’ persistent offense.

Lenín Gómez and Josué Blandón led Nicaragua with 15 points each. Leonardo Villegas from Honduras led all scorers with 28 points, and his teammate Javier Díaz added 15 points.

Nicaragua scored 38 points on Honduras’ unforced errors, while Honduras held a 52-50 advantage in attacks, 10-7 in blocks, and 5-1 in aces. Nicaragua gave away 19 points on  errors.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua: “Now, everything is getting complicated for us because we should have won in three sets. The tournament is becoming challenging for us due to our setters (one of the starters got injured before the tournament), and we had to use an opposite player to secure the match, and we did it”.

“We don’t see tomorrow’s game (against Belize) as difficult or impossible. We must bring out the best from the entire team to try to defeat Belize and have a chance at the medal, but it will be tough. My team knows that tomorrow is do or die, and it will depend on the attitude we bring to the game”.

Costa Rica closes with victory against El Salvador

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 29, 2023 – Costa Rica concluded the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship defeating El Salvador 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-19) on the penultimate day of the event at Centro Deportivo La Basita.

Costa Rica finished the tournament with three wins and three losses, awaiting the results of the other teams to determine their final position. El Salvador has a record of 2-3 and will play against Panama on Saturday at 7:30 PM (Panama time).

Yulius Brown finished strong with 17 points, Juan Diego Delgado with 13, and Andru Jones with 12 for Costa Rica. Abner Cano of El Salvador was the top scorer of the match with 19 points.

Costa Rica held a 41-38 advantage in the attacks and led El Salvador by a significant 12-2  margin in blocks, with four effective blocks from Alessandro Signini and three from Jones. Additionally, Costa Rica had a 2-1 advantage in serves. El Salvador committed 20 unforced errors compared to 14 by the winners.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Johan Morales, coach of Costa Rica: “Obviously, I would have liked to finish in the top three. Now, I must wait for the results, but I am very happy with the boys. This is a new process that is just beginning. It’s the first time I have a junior national team, and I am very proud of them. In the end, we closed as we had to. We had the opportunity to beat Nicaragua and Guatemala, but these are the things that come with experience, like Guatemala has, they know how to finish”.

“That’s what we are looking for in Costa Rica, to have that experience against high-level teams because in Central America, we are very evenly matched in men’s volleyball. I’m going back home, maybe not happy, but content because we have grown with these new players.”

Belize with strong victory over Honduras 

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 28, 2023 – Belize had no trouble defeating Honduras 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-13) and reach three victories at the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center. 

Belize controlled every skill of the game, with a 40-16 advantage in attacks, 9-2 in blocks, and 4-3 in service points. Belize committed 21 unforced errors, one less than Honduras (22). 

Kaelen Ingram with 15 points (11 attacks, 4 blocks), and Ernest Broaster with 12 points (9 attacks, one block, 3 aces) were the top scorers for Belize. Jonathan Meza scored 8 points for Honduras. 

Belize has a rest day on Friday, while Honduras will face Nicaragua at 5:00 p.m. (Panama time) on the penultimate day of the tournament. 

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ 

QUOTES 

Kaelen Ingram, top scorer of Belize: “It feels really good to get this victory. We came in with a mindset that we had to win today, but I think the execution was much better. We came in and wanted it to finish and be able to leave. We also have many new players, and they had the opportunity to be on the court, and that was something great to encourage them and for them to be successful”. 

Thomas Garbutt, outside hitter of Belize: “I simply went in, did what I can do for the team, and then the performance was good. We achieved one more victory. I always do my job, train, but we have taller guys on the team. Now I finally proved to myself that I can. I’ve been in the United States for two years and didn’t train as much with the other guys, but I think I could contribute something today. The game was amazing”.

Guatemala maintains unbeaten record by defeating Costa Rica 3-1

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 28, 2023 – Guatemala (4-0) continues its dominant performance after defeating Costa Rica 3-1 (22-25, 28-26, 25-16, 25-21) on day five of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.

After losing the first set, Guatemala responded in the second by focusing on their defense, allowing them to recover from a four-point deficit (16-20) and then a two-point deficit (20-22) to close with a dramatic 28-26 and tie the match.

In the third and fourth sets, Costa Rica maintained the pressure, but setter Daniel Ralón distributed Guatemala’s attack between Carlos Caballeros and Yefeson Zavala, who each finished with 16 points, Jason Hernández with 15, and Leonardo Molina with 14.

For Costa Rica, Juan Diego Delgado scored 18 points, and Yulius Brown finished with 11.

Guatemala led in attacks 69-47 and in blocks 8-5. Costa Rica had a slim advantage in service points 4-3 but gave away 32 unforced errors compared to Guatemala’s 20.

Costa Rica plays against El Salvador on Friday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), and Guatemala faces Panama at 7:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Leonardo Molina, middle blocker of Guatemala: “It was difficult for us to adapt and find our rhythm, but once we started, we didn’t stop, and we managed to improve. The good thing is that we are more than a team; we are a family because we have a strong friendship, and that helps us. If someone can’t solve a situation, the other steps in and does it. Attitude was crucial today; we didn’t give up, and that helped us”.

Carlos Caballeros, opposite hitter of Guatemala: “I’m happy to contribute to the team and reach our goal. There are two important matches left, and we will try to do our best. I feel that we are a team that knows what we’re here for, and each one tries to do their best. Today, we had a good attitude, and that was important”.

Belize earns second victory defeating Panama

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 27, 2023 – Belize secured a straight-set victory over Panama 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-22) in the closing match of the fourth day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.

Belize improved to two wins and two losses, while Panama holds one victory and two losses.

Belize’s blocking made a difference with an 11-4 advantage, where Ernest Broaster and Kaelen Ingram contributed three blocks each. Belize also led in attacks with 44-35 and in serves 3-1. Panama committed 17 unforced errors compared to 22 from Belize.

For Belize, Broaster finished with 15 points, Ingram added 14, while Kerwin Palacio and Eleazar Mejía each scored 12 points. Denzel Airbone was Panama’s leading scorer with 14 points.

Belize will play against Honduras on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. (Panama time), and Panama will face Nicaragua at 7:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Albert Humes, coach of Belize: “This game was very important for us because we can still stay close to the podium. So, we talked to the guys and told them we had to be fully focused. We’ve been in situations where we won the first two sets and then failed, like against Guatemala, so today we had to be more focused in the final set”.

Ernest Broaster, captain of Belize: “It feels good to win after losing yesterday and the day before. We needed to win today. We needed to show the guys that we can finish in three sets. We started slow, but we picked up and closed the set, which is what we’ve needed for a long time. Now, we just need to keep it up in the coming days”.

Nicaragua wins five-set battle against Costa Rica

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 27, 2023 – Nicaragua rallied twice in the match to overcome Costa Rica 3-2 (22-25, 31-29, 19-25, 25-18, 15-12) on the fourth day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.

In the second set, Nicaragua was trailing 12-18 but managed to tie the score, taking the action to a dramatic 31-29 finish, where both teams showed their thirst for victory.

Costa Rica seemed on track for victory as they dominated the third set, jumping to a 10-point lead that Nicaragua tried to recover from. In the fourth set, Nicaragua had complete control, securing a 20-12 lead and forcing a fifth set after closing it out 25-18.

In the fifth set, with Josué Blandón contributing six points and Evan Solís adding three, along with great team defense, Nicaragua improved their tournament record to 2-1, while Costa Rica stands at 2-2.

Evan Solís scored 24 points in Nicaragua’s victory, Yader León added 17, and Josué Blandón contributed 15.

Yulius Brown from Costa Rica was the top scorer of the match with 25 points. Harold Rodríguez contributed 20 points for Costa Rica, and Octavio González recorded 14, seven of them through blocks.

Nicaragua led in attacks 71-64 and in serves 5-3, but Costa Rica excelled in blocks 17-11. Both teams gave up 25 points on unforced errors.

Costa Rica plays against Guatemala on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), and Nicaragua faces the host team from Panama at 7:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua: “Another bittersweet victory because we had two players injured, and we’ll see how we manage to finish the tournament. The other guys who came in did their job and showed a lot of heart and courage to recover from a good lead that Costa Rica took from us. We will keep working to recover them and try to be on the podium because I believe we still have many possibilities”.

Jordan Carcache, libero of Nicaragua: “We are super happy; it was a victory that really cost us. Everyone did their job, both those on the court and those who came in because we have players with a high level. We managed to recover from a big disadvantage, and that helped us regain some confidence”.

Guatemala wins over El Salvador to remain undefeated

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 27, 2023 – Guatemala reached three victories with zero losses after prevailing over El Salvador 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-21) on the fourth day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.

Guatemala was trailing from the beginning set with a four-point deficit 8-12 but managed to take the lead when they reached the technical timeout at 16-12 without any response from El Salvador, maintaining the advantage until the end.

Guatemala capitalized on scoring 30 points from El Salvador’s errors and gave up 18. The match was balanced with a 36-34 advantage in attacks for Guatemala, both teams tied at 6 in blocks and 3 in points from serves.

José Pablo Pérez was Guatemala’s top scorer with 12 points, followed by Jason Hernández who added 10. For El Salvador, Julio Hunter scored 12 points, while Abner Cano and Douglas Gómez each scored 10 points.

Guatemala remains the only undefeated team in the tournament, while El Salvador holds a 2-2 record. On Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), Guatemala will face Costa Rica, while El Salvador will have a rest day.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “El Salvador put us in a tight spot; they started playing a more effective game, but once again, we managed to balance, come back, and win the match. The truth is that these five points help us a lot in the standings. We still have half of the championship left, and we want to take it one game at a time to see how we progress in the competition”.

Jason Hernández, middle blocker of Guatemala: “We reached the goal of winning in three sets, which leaves us quite satisfied because it was our main objective. Now, we need to make the most of the rest day because we have another demanding match ahead, and we need to be in the best condition. We must be very aware of what we do in each game and make the most of the rest periods. We already have 13 sets under our belt halfway through the tournament”.

Costa Rica comfortably defeats Panama

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 26, 2023 – Costa Rica defeated Panama 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-16) to secure their second victory qt the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.

Costa Rica (2-1) faced resistance from Panama (1-1) in the early points of each set, but with consistent attacking and good defense, they took a lead that proved impossible for their rivals to overcome.

Costa Rica led in attacks 46-30, blocks 9-3, and serves 4-3. Both teams committed a similar number of unforced errors, Costa Rica with 15 and Panama with 16.

Yulius Brown with 19 points (15 attacks, two blocks, two aces) was Costa Rica’s top scorer, while Juan Delgado finished with 17 points, and Harold Rodríguez with 12. For Panama, Denzel Airbone led with 13 points, and Gherson Ortiz contributed 11.

On Wednesday, Costa Rica (2-1) will face Nicaragua (1-1) at 5:00 p.m. (Panama time), while Panama (1-1) will take on Belize (1-2) at 7:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Yulius Brown, top scorer of Costa Rica: “This result helps us a lot to have a good point difference. I am very proud and happy for this victory. I think the key today was consistency, not missing serves, maintaining the attack, and continuing to work together.”

Juan Delgado, outside hitter of Costa Rica: “We are very happy because in this tournament, we have been improving gradually. In the first match, we were a bit nervous, for some of the players it’s their first time in the national team, but thanks to God, we have been able to adapt a bit more, and with the work of our coaches and all the teammates, coming together as a group, we have been able to win matches”.

Triumph “to the extreme” for Guatemala in five sets over Belize

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 26, 2023 – Demonstrating determination and courage, Guatemala once again came from behind to defeat Belize 3-2 (29-31, 19-25, 25-12, 25-22, 15-8) on the third day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.

It was the second consecutive victory and the second in five sets for Guatemala, who is aiming to reclaim the title lost last year and reach five titles in this age-group.

José Pablo Pérez was once again the inspiration for Guatemala with 24 points (22 attacks, one block, one ace). Javier Lucero contributed 12 points (10 attacks, one block, one ace).

Three players led Belize’s scoreboard, with Kaelen Ingram scoring 21 points (16 attacks, 2 blocks, 3 aces), Ernest Broaster with 20 points (17 attacks, one block, two aces), and Kerwin Palacio with 11 points (8 attacks, 3 blocks).

Guatemala led in attacks 56-49 and in serves 6-5. Belize maintained a significant advantage in blocks at 12-5 but committed 46 unforced errors compared to Guatemala’s 32.

On Wednesday, Guatemala will face El Salvador at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), while Belize will take on Panama at 7:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “Belize has a great group, a good team. They started with super good rhythm, that first set could have gone either way, in the second we couldn’t, in the third we made some adjustments. In the end, the guys managed to concentrate and adapt to the game because Belize couldn’t keep up that pace of play; it was very difficult”.

Javier Lucero, captain of Guatemala: “It was a quite competitive match, but we are very happy because we got the results we expected. I think we came in very anxious, desperate to win the match, and that’s where other teams take advantage. But we know how to recover, play coming from behind because that’s what we always train for”.

Albert Humes, coach of Belize: “We knew that Guatemala was a force to reckon with in the tournament, yesterday when we saw their game, we noticed a weak point and tried to work on that with our resources. I think our focus disappeared in the game, and we deviated from the strategy we had planned. This is one of our problems, focus, and I believe the mental aspect will come as we play more at this level, as our boys haven’t been together, some are away. In the end, we know we played very well”.

El Salvador earns second win beating Honduras

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 26, 2023 – El Salvador secured its second victory of the event after defeating Honduras 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-10) at the beginning of the third day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.

Honduras still hasn’t seen victory in three outings, and on Tuesday, they couldn’t overcome a focused El Salvador that did edged with its serves and was effective in blocking.

El Salvador (2-1) led in attacks 33-23, blocks 10-5, and serves 8-1. Oscar Martínez stood out with four effective blocks, Abner Cano and Julio Hunter with 4 and 3 aces respectively for El Salvador, which committed only 15 unforced errors compared to 24 by their opponents.

Abner Cano scored 13 points for El Salvador, and Leonardo Villegas from Honduras scored 11.

On Wednesday, El Salvador will face Guatemala at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), while Honduras has a rest day.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Fernando Navarro, libero of El Salvador: “After the first game, we have gained confidence and improved as a team, which has been important. We always prepare to face strong teams; the mindset changes a lot when you come in focused and prepared for what you’ve been training for. We have the goal of defending the bronze from the last edition, and God willing, we can change the color of the medal”.

Ricardo Mira, middle blocker of El Salvador: “I’m happy that the team is starting to come together. The first day was a bit strange, as we were getting the team focused, but today we looked better and getting in better shape as a team”.

Costa Rica wins in straight sets against Honduras

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 25, 2023 – Costa Rica defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-18) to lock their first victory in the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at the La Basita Sports Center.

Costa Rica outperformed Honduras in attack 38-27, blocking 12-6, and serving 6-3. Both teams committed 19 unforced errors.

Juan Diego Delgado with 19 points was the top scorer for Costa Rica, with Harold Rodríguez and Yulius Brown contributing 12 points each. Leonardo Villegas with 11 and Jonathan Mendoza with 10 were the top scorers for Honduras.

Honduras will play against El Salvador on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama Time), and Costa Rica will face Panama at 7:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Johan Morales, coach of Costa Rica: “After yesterday’s match, the team needed this victory because they seemed very nervous, very tense. We also started a bit tense in this match, but we managed to turn the circumstances around with a very important 3-0 win. Credit must be given to the opponent as they also made their effort”.

Luis Solano, captain of Costa Rica: “Today, we were better as a team. Honduras played a good game, but with confidence, we managed to gain an advantage, especially in the closing moments. We always stayed very close, even coming from behind in some sets to come back and win”.

Héctor Duarte, captain of Honduras: “I think we could have done much better, but we had lapses in concentration, and the emotional aspect affected us quite a bit. In the first and third sets, we started well and then dropped, and we couldn’t recover. We can improve so we can show a better version of us”.

El Salvador recovers and defeats Belize in four sets

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 25, 2023 – El Salvador managed to recover after losing the first set and overcome a three-point deficit in the fourth set to defeat Belize 3-1 (12-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-22) on the second day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at the La Basita Sports Center.

Belize was dominant in the first set, establishing an overwhelming lead over El Salvador, scoring five aces and three blocking points. From the second set onward, things changed, with Belize committing 10 unforced errors and limited to just one block, without scoring points on service. In the third set, El Salvador led the attack, just as they did in the fourth set when they rallied from being down 18-21 to finish with a 25-22 victory.

El Salvador led the attack 49-48. Belize performed better in blocking 9-2 and in serving 8-3, but they committed 33 unforced errors compared to 27 from El Salvador.

Julio Hunter scored 18 points, followed by Abner Cano with 15 for El Salvador. Kaelen Ingram from Belize was the top scorer of the match with 22 points, accompanied by Kervin Palacio with 13 points and Ernest Broaster with 12.

El Salvador will play against Honduras on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama Time), and Belize will face Guatemala at 5:00 p.m.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Andrea Genova, coach of El Salvador: “The fatigue from the first day was important because it didn’t allow the boys to concentrate. Today, we were more relaxed, more rested, and we found some changes that went in our favor during the game. Now, it’s evident that we’re a better team, as we didn’t have much training this year. Our team is good, and we know we have a lot to develop, but it’s a matter of gaining confidence and reacting”.

Abner Cano, captain of El Salvador: “We feel happy, proud of what we’ve accomplished  because we improved a lot compared to the first game, and we enjoyed the match. We came with the desire to win, and we showed it on the court. The team couldn’t quite click at first, but then we did, and we turned it into a good match”.

Albert Humes, coach of Belize: “We have to go back to the drawing board and try to make the players understand the importance of every point in the game. It wasn’t that the other team was better in serving or attacking; it was our focus on the game. El Salvador scouted us well, and our team couldn’t recover quickly. The sets were close, and at the last moment, we got nervous. The lack of matches to get our team in good shape and better prepared was evident in this game”.

Panama opens with a four set victory over Honduras

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 24, 2023 – Panama displayed strength in their 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-11, 25-13) victory over Honduras in the closing match of the opening day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at the La Basita Sports Center.

Despite losing the second set, the home team excelled in attack and blocking, especially with Gherson Ortiz scoring 19 points (18 attacks, one block) although suffering an ankle injury in the fourth set. Victor Arauz added 17 points (13 attacks, 3 blocks, one service), and Denzel Airbone contributed 15 points (14 attacks, one block).

Honduras’ top scorer was Leonardo Villegas with 15 points.

Panama dominated with a 55-35 advantage in kills and an overwhelming 12-0 lead in blocks, closing with a 6-3 edge in serving. Honduras committed 25 unforced errors compared to Panama’s 28.

Honduras will play against Costa Rica on Monday at 5:00 p.m. (Panama time), and Panama has a rest day.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTE

Eric Lucero, coach of Panama: “It’s super important to start with a win, especially as hosts. The second set was a bit complicated for us, but we managed to regroup, evaluate, and win the match. It’s positive how the guys reacted; we can’t be overconfident when we have the upper hand. They need to know that other teams also prepare”.

Daniel Andrade, captain of Panama: “I feel very happy; thanks to God, we got the victory. It wasn’t easy; we fought for it as a team. One important thing is that we didn’t lose our spirit after losing the second set. We kept fighting and climbing to win the match”.

José Reyes, coach of Honduras: “Honestly, I’m pleased; the guys did a good job against the host team. We have experienced players and many young ones who need that experience, and there are several scenarios where you can give them the opportunity, hoping they gain experience. Overall, I liked how they performed and faced the first game”.

Nicaragua defeats El Salvador 3-0 in title defense opener

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 24, 2023 – Nicaragua began with a 3-0 victory (25-19, 25-16, 25-18) over El Salvador in the second match of the opening day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at the La Basita Sports Center.

Defending champion Nicaragua was strong in blocking with a 9-3 advantage, they also led 5-2 in service points and 28-25 in attacks. El Salvador committed 33 unforced errors, while Nicaragua had 23.

Josué Blandón scored 10 points for Nicaragua, while Gustavo Ortiz secured eight for El Salvador.

El Salvador will face Belize on Monday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), and Nicaragua will go up against Guatemala at 7:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua: “Today is a bittersweet day because we don’t know if our opposite player (Yerick García) who got injured today will continue, and we had to win the match, and that was the objective. Let’s see what awaits us tomorrow; we can only take it one game at a time”.

Rafael Hernández, captain of Nicaragua: “We did well today; the team achieved the objective even though El Salvador put up a fight. I think the best thing we had and what helped us a lot was our reception, which allowed us to have a strong attack”.

Andrea Genova, coach of El Salvador: “Our team had a long journey; they even canceled our flight, and we arrived yesterday with little rest. I believe this is normal with a young team that needs more time to improve. As the tournament progresses, we will see a better team”. 

Kaelen Ingram Leads Belize victory over Costa Rica

David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 24, 2023 – Kaelen Ingram with 28 points, led Belize to  a 3-1 (25-16, 25-18, 21-25, 25-19) victory against Costa Rica, in the opening match of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.

Ingram was unstoppable with 24 points on sattack, 3 in blocking, and one ace, joined by Ernest Broaster, who contributed 19 points, and Eleazar Mejía with 18. Yulius Brown scored 21 points for Costa Rica.

Belize led in attacks 66-37, blocks 9-4, and service 7-5, although they committed 32 errors compared to 14 from Costa Rica.

Belize will play its second match on Monday against El Salvador at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), and Costa Rica will face Honduras at 5:00 p.m.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

QUOTES

Albert Humes, coach of Belize: “I feel very good; thanks to this victory, we feel more confident for the upcoming matches. I think we had some doubts at the beginning because not the entire team had trained together, but then the players showed what they had trained for, and everything went well”.

Kaelen Ingram, top scorer of Belize: “I feel very good about coming to the tournament; it’s the first time I’ve met the entire team but getting to know each other and seeing what they’ve learned is completely different. Half of the team is in the United States, and the other half is in Belize, but when we play, we do it very well. This was like my first practice with the entire team, but we came with a sharp mindset that we were here for victory”.

Johan Morales, coach of Costa Rica: “We knew about the strength of the Belizean team; historically, they have been like that. There was a work plan that the boys didn’t follow, and for many, as it was their first playing for the national team, nerves got the best of them. Now, we need to correct things because we haven’t lost our chances for medals. It’s only the first game, and we need to focus on tactics and fix the reception, which was terrible today”.

A great battle for the gold is expected in David

DAVID, Chiriquí, Panama, September 23, 2023 – Seven national teams eager to claim the gold medal have gathered in this city to compete in the VI AFECAVOL Men’s Under-23 Central American Championship, to be held at La Basita Sports Center.

All the delegations have submitted their documents meeting the requirements of the Control Committee, chaired by Mr. Carlos Enrique Santis, General Secretary of AFECAVOL. They are ready to fight “point by point” to step onto the podium, as their coaches have indicated.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

Albert Humes, coach of Belize: “Our expectations are high. Belize is knocking on the door of greatness, of being number one in Central America. Our expectation is to come here and give our best and make our country proud. In fact, we have a fairly young team. We have young players as young as 16, even one who is 15, so most of our players are under 21, some can play in the U19 team and the U17 team. So, we still have a good progression of players for the future greatness of our country”.

Johan Morales, coach of Costa Rica: “We come here with a happy group, very united. We have been working for quite some time, and I believe this is the team I have been able to work with the most because of the time with the boys. We come with young players with a lot of talent and hunger to bring Costa Rica its first gold medal in this category. That’s the goal, to go step by step and steadily. At this age, concentration is crucial, and in the men’s competition, it’s very close, respecting all the opponents, as seen in the Senior Central American Championship”.

Andrea Genova, coach of El Salvador: “We expect to perform well. Our team is not bad; we can fight for a spot on the podium and see if we can get a medal in the competition. We know that everyone has the same goal; it’s a fairly even competition, but some teams stand out more. We will go point by point in each game. It’s the last youth tournament before reaching the senior level, and several athletes are already in the senior national team, which is why the level is very high”.

Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “We want to progress through the event. We know it’s very important because many athletes are part of the senior national teams, and it’s a tournament with a high level in the region. We want our boys to enjoy the competition, continue to develop, and try to achieve the goal match by match, fighting point by point, and having a good competition”.

José Reyes, coach of Honduras: “We have a generation that has had a lot of experience in U19 and U23 tournaments, along with the addition of new young players that we have started to form, with the aspiration of reaching the senior national team. We are happy; we have a renewed group with the desire to do things well, everyone is ready, including the coaching staff, to perform well”.

Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua: “We know it’s a tough tournament, and we will try to do our best, but we know that all the teams are strong, and a great tournament awaits us, of a high level. We know our rivals and the level of some countries like Guatemala or Costa Rica, but we are going game by game to see how we can land on the podium and then change the medal, but above all, give our best in each match”.

Eric Lucero, coach of Panama: “We have high expectations, aiming for the podium, as we did years ago. A very good job has been done in forming the national team; we have athletes with good experience in the younger categories. In the U21 category, we managed to get on the podium with a silver medal. We have realized that all the countries in the region are working hard. Volleyball has grown, we have all grown, and we are aiming for the highest level”.

First day, Sunday, September 24

2:00 PM Costa Rica vs. Belize

4:30 PM El Salvador vs. Nicaragua

7:00 PM Opening Ceremony

7:30 PM Panama vs. Honduras

Under 23 Men’s AFECAVOL Central American Championship to take place in Panama

DAVID, Panama, September 19, 2023 – The sixth edition of the AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship will be held at the Centro Deportivo La Basita in David, the capital of Chiriquí, Panama, from September 24 to September 30.

The seven Central American countries will arrive in David on Friday, September 22, and undergo preliminary inspection on Saturday, September 23. The round-robin competition will kick off on Sunday, September 24, with three daily matches.

Guatemala has dominated the event since its inception in 2012, having won four consecutive gold medals (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018). Guatemala lost the title to the current champion, Nicaragua, who won the gold medal in the last edition in San Salvador. Guatemala finished in second place, and El Salvador in third.

In addition to a gold medal, Nicaragua has one silver medal. Costa Rica has a total of three medals, two silver and one bronze, El Salvador has two bronze medals, and Honduras has one bronze.

AFECAVOL SUB23 MASCULINO, PANAMÁ

Competition Schedule

Sunday, September 24

2:00 pm Costa Rica vs Belize

4:30 pm El Salvador vs Nicaragua

7:00 pm Opening Ceremony

7:30 pm Panama vs Honduras

Monday, September 25

2:30 pm Belize vs El Salvador

5:00 pm Honduras vs Costa Rica

7:30 pm Nicaragua vs Guatemala

Tuesday, September 26

2:30 pm El Salvador vs Honduras

5:00 pm Guatemala vs Belize

7:30 pm Costa Rica vs Panama

Wednesday, September 27

2:30 pm Guatemala vs El Salvador

5:00 pm Nicaragua vs Costa Rica

7:30 pm Belize vs Panama

Thursday, September 28

2:30 pm Costa Rica vs Guatemala

5:00 pm Honduras vs Belize

7:30 pm Panama vs Nicaragua

Friday, September 29

2:30 pm El Salvador vs Costa Rica

5:00 pm Nicaragua vs Honduras

7:30 pm Guatemala vs Panama

Saturday, September 30

2:30 pm Belize vs Nicaragua

5:00 pm Honduras vs Guatemala

7:30 pm Panama vs El Salvador

Medalists year by year:

YearGoldSilverBronze
2012GUACRCHON
2014GUACRCESA
2016GUAPANCRC
2018GUANCAPAN
2022NCAGUAESA

Marcela Araya, the MVP of the Women’s Senior Central American Cup

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 12, 2023 – Marcela Araya, team captain of Costa Rica was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup, which concluded on Tuesday at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

Araya played a crucial role in helping Costa Rica win its 19th title in the history of this tournament, with 16 of them in a row. Araya also received the award for Best Outside Hitter. Her teammate, María José Castro, received recognition as the Best Defese and Best Libero.

The Best Service award went to María Andrea Santa Cruz from Guatemala, the Best Receiver award was given to Carmen Chávez from El Salvador, and her teammate Daniela Sánchez was awarded Best Setter.

From Belize, Nelissa Ramírez was named the second Best Outside Hitter, and Nissan Martínez was the second Best Blocker.

The awards for Best Blocker and Best Scorer went to Ana Gabriela Marcelín from Honduras.

The Best Opposite award was presented to Lolette Rodríguez from Nicaragua.

AFECAVOL Women’s Central American Cup Individual Awards

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA 

After receiving the recognition as the Most Valuable Player of the event, Marcela Araya said, “It’s truly a night filled with many emotions. Thank God we were able to finish strong despite that first set we had. I am infinitely thankful to God for my health, for allowing me to play for almost 17 years with the national team, which makes me proud. I am happy to have ended my indoor volleyball career with this group of warriors; that’s what they are, and now it’s time to celebrate”.

She added, “I also want to thank the coaching staff, each and every person who supports us, and the girls for their commitment, which is reflected on the court, but it’s the result of what we have cultivated during our training”.

Costa Rica’s coach, Pablo Acuña, praised Marcela, saying, “She is a player who is prepared to be the best in every game, with an exemplary work ethic. Today, she bids farewell to the National Team; it was her last game, and she deserves all the highest honors as the best player of the event”.

Costa Rica Women wins 19th Central American title

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 12, 2023 – Costa Rica defeated Honduras 3-1 (17-25, 25-17, 25-12, 25-18) on the final day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Championship at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex adding another title to their collection that began in 1977

Costa Rica clinched their 19th title, their 16th in a row since 1993. Besides Costa Rica, only Panama and Honduras have claimed the Central American title; Panama twice (1974, 1976) and Honduras once in 1991.

This is the second silver medal for Honduras, their first was in 1997, and they hadn’t reached the Central American podium since then.

After losing the first set, coach Pablo Acuña adjusted, bringing in Tannia Carazo and Angélica Rodríguez, who contributed to their team’s strong control of the game.

Costa Rica dominated in attacks 49-31, blocks 9-4, and serves 9-6, while committing 31 unforced errors (mostly in the first set) compared to Honduras’ 25.

Tatiana Sayles was Costa Rica’s top scorer with 19 points, Tannia Carazo scored 16, and Marcela Araya contributed 13. Ana Marcelín was Honduras’ top scorer with 13 points.

Both Carazo and team captain Marcela Araya received a recognition from their teammates as they announced that this was their last match with the national team, concluding careers of over 15 years with the Costa Rican national team.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA 

QUOTES

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “The game was challenging; we knew Honduras would play a good game. They are a team that has been improving, with good players and coaching staff. I’m very pleased that all the players were able to contribute to the team as they did throughout the tournament. Against Nicaragua, it was Mónica, today it was Tannia, Tamara stood out in another match; that says a lot about their character and preparation”.

Tannia Carazo, outside hitter of Costa Rica: “I’m very happy to have contributed to my team. From the beginning of the tournament, I brought a mentality of fighting and helping my teammates, whether on or off the court. Today, I was given the opportunity, and I’m truly delighted because I came with a strong desire to contribute to my team; that was very clear to me. This is a day filled with many emotions. I’m very happy to say farewell in this way. It has been a beautiful and enriching journey as an athlete”.

Nicaragua claims the bronze medal defeating Belize 3-0

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 12, 2023 – Nicaragua prevailed over Belize 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 26-24) to win the bronze medal at the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Championship at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex.

This is the ninth bronze medal for Nicaragua, they also have won seven silver medals, with the last four in 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2021.

Nicaragua staged a comeback from being down 20-24 in the third set, thanks to Juny Aguilera’s serves, which included a couple of aces and disrupted Belize’s attack, allowing them to turn the score around.

Lolette Rodríguez scored 16 points, and Erica Calero contributed 11 for Nicaragua, while Shantell Arnold scored 11 points for Belize. Nicaragua committed 18 unforced errors compared to 22 from Belize.

Nicaragua did better in attacks 43-24 and in serves 8-6, while Belize outperformed them in blocks 6-3.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA 

QUOTES

René Quintana, coach of Nicaragua: “The girls deserve all the recognition. Almost all of them train, work, or study, and some even have to take care of their children because they are already mothers, and all of that is a great sacrifice. We knew it would be a tough match, and they gave their all on the court with the support of this great crowd”.

Miriam Blandino, libero of Nicaragua: “I feel very happy because I’m retiring from the national team with a bronze medal. Maybe we wanted more, a medal of a different color, but we all made a great effort, and I think we deserve the medal. It has been a sporting life filled with sacrifices and a lot of effort, and here are the fruits of that”.

El Salvador closes with a victory in four sets against Panama

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 12, 2023 – El Salvador defeated Panama 3-1 (25-8, 25-19, 24-26, 25-9) to conclude the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Championship with three wins and three losses at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

El Salvador dropped the second set to a determined Panama to finish the event with a 3-3 record and 16 points, awaiting the result between Belize and Nicaragua to determine their final position.

El Salvador led in all aspects of the game, with a 46-29 advantage in attacks, a 10-6 lead in blocks, and an impressive 19-3 advantage in serves, including 6 aces from setter Daniela Sánchez. Both teams committed 24 unforced errors.

María Jiménez Hunter led El Salvador with 19 points, and Gabriela Funes contributed 11. Hashlyn Cuero finished with 16 points for Panama.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA 

QUOTES

Adriana Flores, captain of El Salvador: “We had the opportunity to win the game 3-0, but the coach wanted to give the girls who will be in the under 23 team in the coming months in El Salvador a chance and measure their level. Unfortunately, we couldn’t win that set, but in the next one, we managed to recover our rhythm. Obviously, you always want more, but overall, we had good matches and a good performance, especially considering it’s a young team with a bright future”.

Maria Jiménez Hunter, top scorer El Salvador: “I’m happy to contribute to my team’s victory and motivated for the next tournament. I think it was a good tournament; there were many surprises, teams that weren’t high in the rankings managed to stand out. It was quite an interesting tournament”.

Kevanna Sebastian, vision problems don’t stop her from playing volleyball

Managua, Nicaragua, September 12, 2023 – Kevanna Sebastian, a player from Belize, has become an internet sensation due to her use of sunglasses during the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Central American Volleyball Cup in Nicaragua.

Born in 1998 (25 years old), has already played more than 40 matches with the Belize national team, but it’s during this competition that she has attracted attention for a particular accessory she uses while playing.

It’s her eye-catching sunglasses that she wears due to a vision problem, making the Belizean middle blocker the talk of volleyball forums and even on Volleyball World social media.

“I have a curve in my right eye. My left eye is stronger. My eyes are very sensitive to bright lights; they give me headaches that lead to migraines. I have trouble driving at night with bright car lights, and my glasses adjust to the light’s brightness to protect my eyes.”

Kevanna Sebastian of Belize

“I started wearing glasses in 2018, but they were regular ones. My vision worsened, and my eyes are very sensitive. If I’m not wearing my glasses, I get a headache, and after that, it turns into a migraine, and then I can’t do anything. What my glasses do is remove the glare and bright light, simply.”

Due to this condition, the use of these glasses had to be evaluated by the event’s medical committee, and they approved their use during the Central American Championship, without imagining that this would set a precedent in the history of international volleyball.

“It’s not a luxury, they’re just glasses, but they are medical prescription. I received them a couple of months ago; before that, I only had glasses for bright light. About three months ago, I started using them. While I was playing, bright light used to affect me a lot; if it hit my eyes directly, I couldn’t see. But now I have no problems, and it doesn’t affect my play; they are comfortable, and there’s no issue in using them.”

Kevanna is aware of the effects of her condition, but that doesn’t stop her from representing her country and motivating the younger generations. Thanks to her new glasses, she can continue playing without any side effects.

Santa Cruz leads Guatemala to their first win with 12 aces

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 11, 2023 – María Andrea Santa Cruz with 12 aces led Guatemala over Panama 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 27-25), a tournament-high on points from serves at the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

Santa Cruz was unstoppable in her serves, and in addition to the 12 aces, she added five points on kills, for a total of 17 points in Guatemala’s final match in the event, finishing with a 1-5 record.

Hashlyn Cuero was Panama’s top scorer with 13 points, three of them also in serves.

Guatemala earned the victory thanks to a huge 16-7 advantage in service points, while Panama led 3-1 in blocks. Both teams scored 29 attacking points, with Guatemala committing fewer unforced errors (22-31).

Panama concludes the tournament against El Salvador at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

María Andrea Santa Cruz with 12 aces led Guatemala over Panama

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA 

QUOTES

William Fernández, coach of Guatemala: “Psychologically, it’s good to finish with a victory. We didn’t meet the goal we had set, without blaming the youth of the athletes, but it’s something to consider. If they stay together, they will achieve good results in the future. They worked well yesterday, as well as today. We had many sets where we didn’t close, like yesterday when we were leading 10-5 (against Nicaragua in the fifth set), but we lacked confidence”.

María Santa Cruz, outside hitter of Guatemala: “Honestly, I’m relieved. I was able to make my serve, but I didn’t have it at the beginning of the tournament until the game against Costa Rica, where I managed to figure out where and how to do it. I’m satisfied with myself and the work we’ve been doing. Also, I didn’t know I had made so many “aces”.  I think overall we were a bit unfocused and couldn’t come together, work as a team properly. It’s a shame that we only achieved it at the end, but we are satisfied with our performance”.

El Salvador earns second victory by defeating Belize

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 11, 2023 – El Salvador had no trouble defeating Belize 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-14)  to start the sixth day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

Both, El Salvador and Belize have a 2-3 win-loss record and 12 points.

El Salvador led in attacks 41-24, in service points 8-6, and Belize had a slim 3-2 advantage in blocking 3-2. El Salvador committed 15 unforced errors, while Belize totaled 24.

María Jiménez Hunter was the top scorer for El Salvador with 15 points, and for Belize, Nissan Martínez scored 13.

El Salvador will face Panama at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and Belize will take on Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA 

QUOTES

Adriana Flores, captain of El Salvador: “Each team is played differently, each one has a different strategy, and that’s the rhythm of the game. Today we were calmer, but always with that bittersweet taste because we expected a different result throughout the tournament, and right now it’s not a loss, it’s all about adding points, being calm and confident in what we are doing”.

María Jiménez Hunter, top scorer of El Salvador: “We came with the mindset of putting on a better performance than last time, trusting in our coaching staff and our abilities. I think we were prepared to do better, but something worked against us, I don’t know if it was nerves, pressure, something affected us, and for this match, we prepared on our day off, and things went well”.

Nicaragua with dramatic five-set victory over Guatemala

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 10, 2023 – Nicaragua earned a thrilling five-set victory over Guatemala 3-2 (18-25, 25-20, 17-25, 25-14, 15-11) in the closing match of the fifth day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

The home team, supported by hundreds of fans, rallied from a 1-2 set deficit to win the fourth set and in the fifth set, trailing 5-10, mounted a comeback with 8 consecutive points, clinching the triumph.

Lolette Rodríguez once again played an important role in Nicaragua’s victory scoring 20 points, including seven in the fourth set to revive Nicaragua’s hopes, and closing the fifth set with five points, giving them a better chance at a medal. Josafat Díaz contributed 13 points and Erika Calero added 10.

Andrea Mendizabal led Guatemala with 19 points, María Santa Cruz scored 16, and Aury Alvarez contributed 11.

Nicaragua dominated in attacks 53-48, but Guatemala performed better in blocks 8-6 and serves 11-6. Nicaragua scored 35 points from Guatemala’s errors and gave up 28.

On Monday, Guatemala will face Panama at 4:00 p.m., and Nicaragua will play against Honduras at 6:00 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA 

QUOTES

René Quintana, coach of Nicaragua: “We knew that all the games in this round are tough; there are no small enemies here. But the good thing is that we achieved the victory, even when we were down by five points in the fifth set. The team knew how to do things, and all the credit goes to them. Our rookies have responded, and in the end, they did their job and fulfilled their role”.

Brisa Pérez, outside hitter of Nicaragua: “I’m very excited, very happy with this victory, with the adrenaline still at a hundred. I had the opportunity to come in, and thank God, I was able to do things right. I’m grateful to my coaches for the opportunity to be here”.

Andrea Mendizabal, middle blocker of Guatemala: “We’ve put in a lot of effort, even though we haven’t achieved the result we were pursuing, which we had back in  Guatemala. Since yesterday’s game, we’ve been playing well, putting in our courage and heart, and that’s what matters. As my dad says, one team must win, and unfortunately, this time it wasn’t us, but the spirit and heart are always there”.

Honduras Wins Battle Against Belize and Secures a Medal

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 10, 2023 – Honduras won a long battle against Belize 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-5) to remain undefeated and secure a place on the podium at the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

Honduras secured its fourth victory in over two hours of play, earning 17 points on the standings, ensuring at least the third-place finish.

The last medal won by Honduras in the Central American Cup was in 1995 when they finished in second place. In 1991, they won the gold medal.

Honduras did better in attacks 52-47 and in blocks 10-9 , while Belize was better in serves  10-8. Honduras committed 34 unforced errors, while Belize had 40.

Cecille Johnson was Honduras’ top scorer with 22 points, followed by Ana Gabriela Marcelín with 20. For Belize, Nelissa Ramírez finished with 14 points, and Nissan Martínez scored 13.

Belize will play against El Salvador at 1:30 p.m., while Honduras will face Nicaragua on Monday at 6:00 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA 

QUOTES

Cecille Johnson, Honduras’ top scorer: “We are very excited; it’s been years since we won a medal, and today we are very happy. More than 30 years without winning anything, and just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. Today the match was very tough; fatigue and the heat affected us, but we fought for every point to get the victory”.

Bessy Inestrosa, captain of Honduras: “Thanks to God, we managed to secure the medal. It was quite challenging; Belize is an excellent team, but we were able to overcome them. We lost a bit of focus in the game, and some fatigue affected us because several matches have been demanding, and the body takes its toll, but we always have high spirits”.

Costa Rica one step away from the title by defeating Panama in straight sets

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 10, 2023 – Costa Rica had no trouble defeating Panama 3-0 (25-13, 25-10, 25-18) on the fifth day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex.

It was Costa Rica’s fifth consecutive victory, as they took an early lead in each set, thanks to their serving that troubled Panama’s reception and reduced their attack.

Costa Rica led 40-17 in attacks, 4-3 in blocks, and both teams scored 5 service points. Costa Rica scored 26 points from Panama’s errors and gave away 16.

Tamara Rodríguez and Marcela Araya each scored 12 points for Costa Rica, while Hashlyn Cuero scored nine for Panama.

Costa Rica will rest on Monday, and Panama will face Guatemala at 4:00 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA 

QUOTES

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “Satisfied with this match, we told the players that it was a match to minimize errors and capitalize on our strengths, and fortunately, they were very focused on that. Now, we have the final push, and we are prepared for that last match”.

María José Castro, libero for Costa Rica: “We are happy; every match is tough, and every team has its strengths, and we must get stronger each time for the goal. We must stay very focused because it can slip away from us by a small margin. We have players from different generations, and we are quite united both on and off the court; we support each other, and together we all play well”.

Honduras remains undefeated against a determined Panama

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 9, 2023 – Honduras had to push themselves to the limit to overcome Panama 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 28-26) on the fourth day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Central American Cup.

Honduras, with a 3-0 win-loss record started each set coming from behind. In the second set, Honduras bounced back from a 15-20 deficit with an eight-point streak that Panama couldn’t control. Panama couldn’t finish strong, and their opponents capitalized on the experience of their players to win the match.

In the third set, Panama had two set points, but Honduras responded with strong defense and attacks from one of their best players, Ana Gabriela Marcelín, who finished with 17 points, including four blocks, and Cecille Johnson with 10. For Panama, Hashlyn Cuero scored 11 points.

Panama outperformed Honduras in attacks 32-20 and service points 9-7 but was down 3-7 in blocks, however, Panama committed 34 unforced errors compared to Honduras’ 28.

On Sunday, Panama faces Costa Rica at 1:30 p.m., and Honduras takes on Belize at 4:00 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

Marcos Sugiyama, coach of Honduras: “Panama’s approach is very strong, and we let our guard down, which is something we cannot do. We were playing at a high level of volleyball, and we let our guard down, which caused us many problems. It’s necessary to fight, despite fatigue, and we got the victory. Tomorrow, we face another battle, and the truth is that every day feels like a final. The girls’ reaction today was good because it’s not easy to always play from behind on the scoreboard and come back to win”.

Andrea Zuñiga, libero of Honduras: “I think we came in a bit overconfident; it was noticeable that Panama was eager to win. They played a great game, defending and attacking everything. I think it was a very tough game, and I felt bad at one point due to the heat and pressure, but my teammate came in and did a great job as well. Today’s lesson was not to be overconfident and not underestimate any team”.

Costa Rica unstoppable as they defeat Guatemala

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 9, 2023 – Costa Rica’s national team secured their fourth consecutive victory as after defeating Guatemala 3-0 (25-17, 30-28, 25-19) on Saturday at the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Central American Cup.

For Guatemala, it was their fourth consecutive defeat, still without any wins, despite putting up a fight in all sets, as seen in the second set where they had three set points. However, Costa Rica managed to finish strong and take the set, which gave them greater confidence heading into the third.

Marcela Araya continues to be a key player for the Costa Rican team, this time scoring 13 points, and Tatiana Sayles added 10. For Guatemala, María García contributed 13 points.

Costa Rica led in attacks 38-30, blocks 8-5, and service points 5-3. Additionally, they benefited from 29 unforced errors by their opponents while committing 26 themselves.

On Sunday, Costa Rica will face Panama at 1:30 p.m., and Guatemala will go up against Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “When it’s Central America, it’s a different tournament for Costa Rica. All the opponents prepare to beat us, and we take it as a big challenge. We prepare so that each player is ready to play her role, and today, what I appreciate is that we had a better start than in the previous match”.

Julissa Rodríguez, middle blocker of Costa Rica: “We are super happy, but it’s thanks to the teamwork that both the coaching staff and we have been doing. In reality, we haven’t won anything yet; we still have games to go, and we need to keep working as we have been and show what we know how to do with the goal we’ve set for ourselves”.

Belize overcomes a resilient Panama

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 8, 2023 – Belize struggled to defeat Panama 3-0 (25-19, 28-26, 25-21) and secure their second victory in the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup.

Panama fought hard in each set but failed to finish strongly, and Belize capitalized on their strong serving and net presence to secure the result, also taking advantage of their opponents’ errors.

Panama led in attacks 42-30 and in serves 7-6, but they committed 37 unforced errors, while Belize committed 15 and led in blocks 5-2.

Nelissa Ramírez was Belize’s top scorer with 11 points, while Hashlyn Cuero scored 12 for Panama.

On Saturday, Panama (0-2) faces Honduras (2-0) at 4:00 p.m., and Belize (2-1) has the day off.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

José Fontes, coach of Belize: “To be honest, I’m not very happy with the game; there are things we need to improve, and today we weren’t very effective. We also gave playing time to some non-regular players; our main setter is injured, and we wanted to see if she was fit to continue in the tournament. We need to keep improving to have more options in the tournament”.

Clara Sabal, libero of Belize: “I feel like we fought hard, and I’m glad that we were able to close the match in the end. We made many minor mistakes between the sets, but I’m glad that our team could come together and finish with the victory. I think we underestimated Panama, and that tends to happen a lot, so it was good that we decided to work hard, and I think our defense and reception were the best”.

Jenny Madrid, coach of Panama: “This is a process in which we go step by step, and we have made progress. We lack preparation and exposure, and as we progress in the tournament, we will improve. Today, we made some adjustments, and they worked; we kept the opponent under control, but in the closings, we couldn’t make the points”.

Costa Rica struggles to overcome El Salvador in four sets

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 8, 2023 – Costa Rica had to use its best weapons to defeat El Salvador 3-1 (27-29, 25-18, 25-22, 25-19) and maintain its undefeated record in three matches at the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup.

Led by an effective Marcela Araya with 22 points, Costa Rica bounced back after losing the first set to a resilient Salvadoran team that showed great defense.

For the rest of the match, Araya was joined by Tamara Espinoza and Tatiana Sayles, who scored 14 and 10 points respectively, to lead Costa Rica 54-37 in attacks and 9-3 in blocks, five of them by María Alfaro.

For El Salvador, Gabriela Funes scored 14 points, and María Jiménez Hunter added 10. El Salvador was better in service 6-4 but conceded 35 points on errors, while Costa Rica committed 42.

On Saturday, Costa Rica (3-0) plays against Guatemala (0-3) at 1:30 p.m., and El Salvador (1-2) will face Nicaragua (1-1) at 6:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

Tamara Espinoza, standout player for Costa Rica: “I’m very happy to contribute to my team; we are quite united. All the effort is not luck, it’s not a coincidence; it’s pure determination and effort that we’ve given throughout the year. I hope to keep improving for my team and because of my team. We are fortunate to have several players who, no matter what, will contribute on the court”.

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “The good thing about a team is that we all complement each other, and everyone adds to the team, but it was a very difficult match. El Salvador played very well; they taught us not to enter passively against any opponent. If there was something we had to learn today, it is very clear to us”.

Carmen Chávez, libero of El Salvador: “We always play with our hearts; every game we go in with the expectation of winning it. We put in the effort to obtain each victory, and that leads us to improve our attitude and show determination. We all contribute together, and each one does what we must do on the court. For us, losing 1-3 doesn’t disappoint us that much because Costa Rica is a great rival, and we hadn’t won a set against them in a long time”.

Honduras defeats Guatemala in straights sets

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 8, 2023 – Honduras secured their second victory of the tournament by defeating Guatemala 3-0 (25-11, 25-23, 25-19) to tart the third day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup.

Cecille Johnson led Honduras to victory with 12 points, scoring eight in the first set and four in the second when she had to leave the match due to a knee injury. However, middle blocker Ana Gabriela Marcelín contributed 9 points, and opposite hitter Dazly Durán added eight. For Guatemala, outside hitter María Santa Cruz scored 10 points.

Honduras held the advantage with a 30-26 lead in attacks, 7-4 in blocks, and 5-3 in service, with 33 points from unforced errors by their opponents compared to 20 committed.

On Saturday, Guatemala, that has no wins in three outings, faces Costa Rica at 1:30 p.m., and Honduras takes on Panama at 4:00 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

Dazly Durán, standout player for Honduras: “We feel excited, euphoric because we have two consecutive victories, and we hope to get into form for the upcoming tough matches. We must improve; we have the toughest games at the end, that’s why these early matches should help us fine-tune our team play. In the third set, we felt a bit discouraged due to Cecille’s (Johnson) injury, but we hope to have her back tomorrow”.

María Alvarez, captain of Guatemala: “Honestly, it has been a quite challenging tournament for us. We don’t know what’s happening; we didn’t expect these results in these matches. We came well-prepared, but I think fear of making mistakes got to us. We’ve been there, we’ve been close to winning sets, but they slipped away from us. We’re still standing, and we must keep going. We trained a lot for this, for a whole year, put in a great effort, the sets are there, but we need that final push”.

Costa Rica beats Nicaragua to remain undefeated

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 7, 2023 – Costa Rica prevailed over Nicaragua 3-1 (25-22, 16-25, 25-16, 25-23) to secure their second victory in the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup.

In a highly significant match to reach the top spot in the tournament and a rivalry from many years, both teams came out determined, but it was Costa Rica who took the first step by gaining an advantage thanks to their excellent serving and blocking, especially against Nicaragua’s outside hitters.

Costa Rica was better in blocking with an 8-2 advantage, while Nicaragua took the lead in attacks with 51-48. They tied in 5 blocking points, but Nicaragua conceded 30 points on unforced errors, compared to 26 from Costa Rica.

Opposite hitter Tatiana Sayles led Costa Rica with 19 points, including 15 attacks, three blocks, and one ace, while Marcela Araya contributed 15 points, including 14 attacks and one block. For Nicaragua, Lolette Rodríguez scored 14 points, with 12 attacks, one block, and one ace, joined by Juny Aguilera with 13 points, including 12 attacks and one direct serve.

On Friday, Costa Rica will face El Salvador at 4:00 p.m., and Nicaragua has a break.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “We knew Nicaragua wanted the victory just like us; the matches are always very tough. This game felt like a five-setter because it was so intense. They came out to give it their all, but we also have experience, determination, and the tactical plan to stand our ground”.

Tatiana Sayles, top scorer of Costa Rica: “All games are important, but this one is even more so because Nicaragua thrives when they play at home, their fans support them a lot, and they are very tenacious. We wanted to come and give our best, and we achieved this crucial win”.

René Quintana, coach of Nicaragua: “I am proud of the girls’ efforts. Sometimes, the winner isn’t necessarily the one who plays better or does things better, but the one who is luckier, and today, Costa Rica had luck on their side”.

Honduras comes from behind to defeat El Salvador in four sets

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 7, 2023 – Honduras recovered from losing the first set to defeat El Salvador 3-1 (19-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-23) with a victorious debut in the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup.

El Salvador started strong and confidently, taking the lead from the beginning against an unadjusted Honduras. But in the second set, Honduras regrouped and based on tactical work with their serves and effective blocking, turned the game around despite the efforts of their opponents.

Honduras led in attacks 40-39, blocks 7-3, and serves 10-6. Honduras made 34 errors compared to El Salvador’s 37.

Cecille Johnson was Honduras’ top scorer with 17 points, Ana Gabriela Marcelin scored 15, and Dazly Durán added 11. For El Salvador, Adriana Flores contributed 16 points, and María Jiménez Hunter finished with 12.

On Friday, Honduras will face Guatemala at 1:30 p.m., and El Salvador will take on Costa Rica at 4:00 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

Marcos Sugiyama, coach of Honduras: “The decision-making to change the attitude after the first set was important, we were very dry in the beginning, but things settled down, and from there, we could see that we could grow. The basics worked, and what we trained paid off”.

Bessy Inestrosa, captain of Honduras: “El Salvador is a very tenacious team, and it was a very complicated game, but thank God it went in our favor. The spirit played an important role in our comeback”.

Andrea Genova, coach of El Salvador: “In the morning, we had the injury of our starting libero, which forced us to make adjustments that didn’t work out in the end. It also affected us that we won the first set and then relaxed; I think that was crucial. We lost some discipline due to overconfidence, but tomorrow we have a tougher match, and we need to focus”.  

Belize recovers ground after defeating Guatemala 3-0

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 7, 2023 – Belize defeated Guatemala 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-22), securing their first victory after a loss in the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex.

For both teams, a win was crucial after losing on day one of the competition, and a second defeat would reduce their podium chances; it was team Belize who took advantage of the opportunities, especially with Nelissa Ramírez scoring 18 points and Nisaan Martínez with 10. María Santa Cruz was the top scorer for Guatemala with 14 points.

In the third set, with the score at 20-18 in favor of Guatemala, starting setter Avianka Ávila suffered an ankle injury that forced her out of the game, and Ayana Godfrey had to step in. Together with her teammates, they rallied to turn the score around and secure the set and the match.

Belize was better in attacks (35-30) and blocks 8-1 (with three from Martínez), while Guatemala led in service points (5-4). Both teams made 28 unforced errors.

On Friday, Guatemala, with two losses, will face Honduras at 1:30 p.m., and Belize will take on Panama at 6:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

José Fontes, coach of Belize: “After Guatemala’s defeat yesterday against El Salvador and despite some of our players having little preparation, we told them that we had to step onto the court with character and determination, with the desire to win because it was within reach. In the end, we had the situation with the setter, but the substitute player did the job, and we achieved an important victory that makes us think about bigger things”.

Avianka Avila, setter of Belize: “I am very proud of my team. We really worked hard, and it was a great improvement from yesterday. They really managed to take Guatemala out of the game. After the injury, the last two points were very exciting. I was frustrated because this was not the time to get injured, but I am very happy that my team had my support from the bench and could pull away on the scoreboard”.

Nicaragua starts with a straight set victory over Panama

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 6, 2023 – Nicaragua showed dominance in their debut by defeating Panama 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-15) in the conclusion of the first day of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex.

Nicaragua led in attacks 41-16 and blocks 5-3, with Panama taking the advantage in serves 6-2, but committed 27 unforced errors compared to 23 by their opponents.

Lolette Rodríguez and Fernanda Campos each scored 7 points for Nicaragua, while Hashlyn Cuero contributed 7 points for Panama.

On Thursday, Nicaragua will face Costa Rica at 6:30 p.m., while Panama has a rest day.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

René Quintana, coach of Nicaragua: “It’s always good to start with a win. We played against a Panama team that pushed us to tighten up at times, but the important thing is that we came out with the victory. I believe that in some parts of the game, the girls adapted to the opponent’s style of play, and that’s not good. We used the technical timeouts to make some adjustments, and they reacted positively”.

Erica Calero, captain of Nicaragua: “I think there are many things to tune up as the tournament progresses, but tomorrow, we have a tougher match (against Costa Rica). One key is to communicate a bit more because sometimes during the game, we lack that support and encouragement that we all need to give each other”.

Jenny Madrid, coach of Panama: “This is a team that is starting a process with a mix of veterans and under-23 juniors, and it will take some time to blend and achieve our objectives. It has been a couple of long days, and the idea is that as the tournament goes on, we will improve, especially in the technical aspect”.

Hashlyn Cuero, captain of Panama: “It was a long journey we made, but despite that, we came here very willing to compete. We are clear about the work we came to do here. As the days go by, we hope to improve because it’s a young team, and we have some experienced players”.

El Salvador strong over Guatemala

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 6, 2023 – El Salvador showed its strength in its debut by defeating Guatemala 3-0 (25-14, 26-24, 25-15) in the second match of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex.

After being dominant in the first set, El Salvador recovered from a deficit of up to 4 points at the start of the second set and fought until the end when they won the set 26-24 thanks to their counterattacks on a solid defense. In the third set, it was a complete dominance that allowed them to add five points to their standings.

El Salvador led in attacks 20-14 and serves 6-4, while both teams 5 points on blocks. Guatemala committed 45 errors compared to the winners’ 30.

María Hunter, Gabriela Funes, and Marcela Soriano each finished with 7 points for El Salvador. For Guatemala, María García scored 5 points.

This Thursday, Guatemala will face Belize at 1:30 p.m., and El Salvador will play against Honduras at 4:00 p.m.

El Salvador celebrates scoring a point

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

QUOTES

Andrea Genova, coach of El Salvador: “We started with a good match; Guatemala is a strong opponent who wanted to start well, and it turned out to be a good match. We managed to execute everything we practiced in the final phase of our preparation for this tournament. We need to improve our rest management since it’s a long tournament, and we must pace ourselves well. The team that is better physically prepared will excel in the crucial final games”.

Adriana Flores, captain of El Salvador: “We have been preparing for a year and a half, and this tournament was our main goal. We have a team that has been playing together for several years, and team synergy helped us a lot today. We knew how to play against Guatemala; we implemented the strategies planned by our coaches, and that helped us secure a convincing 3-0 win”.

Julio Dominguez, Guatemala’s assistant coach: “We faced a very strong and experienced opponent today, and our team didn’t come out with the right attitude. Our tactics and strategy didn’t produce any results, so we hope to transform what happened today. In these short tournaments, anything can happen”.

Costa Rica starts with a 3-0 victory over Belize

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 6, 2023 – Costa Rica began the defense of their title with a strong start, defeating Belize 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-21) in the opening match of the XXII AFECAVOL Women’s Senior Central American Cup at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex.

Marcela Araya was Costa Rica’s top scorer with 18 points, while Tatiana Sayles finished with 11. Nelissa Ramírez contributed 13 points and Nisaan Martínez added 8 for Belize.

Costa Rica dominated in attacks 37-22, blocks 6-3, and serves 8-4, while conceding 33 points due to errors that Belize couldn’t capitalize on, while they committed 24.

On Thursday, Belize will face Guatemala at 1:30 p.m., and Costa Rica will play against Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR FEMENINA

Marcela Araya of Costa Rica attacks

QUOTES

Pablo Acuña, coach of Costa Rica: “It was a tough start, we had a long trip yesterday, we didn’t find our rhythm as we arrived a bit late, so it was normal for them to start a bit timid, out of sync, somewhat inconsistent. But with each set, we improved, and the bench players, the best ones, started to adapt and did very well”.

Marcela Araya, captain of Costa Rica: “First of all, I want to thank God for the opportunity to be here. I’m very happy to be with my teammates. I think it was a very good game. It’s always challenging to adjust in the first match, to break the ice. I feel good, happy, and I believe the team did a good job, both the players on the court and those on the bench did very well, and that was crucial because we all are important for winning”.

José Fontes, coach of Belize: “In a way, I’m satisfied because the first game is always complicated, especially against a team like Costa Rica. Although they made too many unforced errors, it allowed us to maintain some balance until point 16. However, we couldn’t close out the match, and they deserved the victory”.

Nelissa Ramírez, captain of Belize: “I feel good. I think the first part was challenging because we had to break the ice, and the girls were nervous. I feel we played very hard, fought, and towards the end we lost energy, but at some point, we could have regained our momentum, but it didn’t happen”.

Williams and Araya of Costa Rica Central American Senior Beach Champions

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, August 26, 2023 – Undefeated and showcasing their remarkable improvement on the sand, Costa Ricans Ángel Williams and Kianny Araya were crowned champions of the 21st Central American Senior Beach Volleyball Championship, held in Guatemala.

Williams and Araya, who also hold the Central American under 21 title, defeated Nicaraguans Nahima Silva and Lolette Rodríguez 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) in the championship match to secure their first gold medal at the senior category.

“We conclude another tournament, emerged victorious, it was a tournament with a lot of pressure, but we achieved the result. We want to thank all the people who are always supporting us, all our coaches, and we are very satisfied with the outcome” highlighted Williams.

Araya, on the other hand, expressed that the result is that of the effort and sacrifice they have been working towards, “it’s the outcome of the constant effort we’ve been putting in to achieve this goal, which makes us very happy considering the news we just received that we are qualified for the senior world championship in Mexico. We thank all the people who support us”.

On their road to the gold medal match, champions Williams and Araya defeated Kathya Vásquez/Sofía Velázquez (ESA1) 2-0 (21-17/21-09) in the semifinals, while Silva/Rodríguez (NCA1) overcame Guatemala’s Natalia Girón and Paola Alvarado 2-0 (21-15/21-14).

Natalia Girón and Paola Alvarado team one of Guatemala completed the podium with the third place after defeating El Salvador’s Kathya Vásquez and Sofia Velázquez (ESA 1) 2-1 (15-21/21-18/11-15).

Nicaragua (silver medal), Costa Rica (gold medal), Guatemala (bronze medal)

AFECAVOL CENTROAMERICANO MAYOR DE PLAYA

Podium

GOLD: ÁNGEL WILLIAMS Y KIANNY QUESADA CRC1

SILVER: NAHIMA SILVA Y LOLETTE RODRÍGUEZ NCA1

BRONZE: NATALIA GIRÓN Y PAOLA ALVARADO GUA1

Results Day 3

P5-8: ESA2 2-0 GUA2 (21-18/21-08)

P5-8: CRC2 2-0 NCA2 (21-14/21-17)

SF: CRC1 2-0 ESA1 (21-17/21-09)

SF: NCA1 2-0 GUA1 (21-15/21-14)

F7: GUA2 1-2 NCA2 (12-21/22-20/12-15)

F5: ESA1 2-1 CRC2 (21-13/23-25/15-09)

THIRD PLACE: ESA1 1-2 GUA1 (15-21/21-18/11-15)

FIRST PLACE: CRC1 2-0 NCA1 (21-19/21-16)

Mora and López from Nicaragua, New Central American Beach Champions

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, August 27, 2023 – In a display of courage and determination on the court, Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Dany López emerged victorious against Franklin Flores and Armando Guatemala of El Salvador, to become the new monarchs at the 21st Central American Senior Beach Volleyball Championship.

Rubén Mora and Dany López reclaimed the title they had lost in 2021 to their compatriots Jefferson Cascante and Dennis López. This is the duos fourth title, having previously won the gold medals in 2015, 2018, and 2019.

In Sunday’s championship match at the sand courts of Campo Marte in Guatemala, Mora and López defeated the El Salvador 2-0 (21-19, 21-19) to win the gold medal undefeated.

On their path to victory, the champions overcame team two of El Salvador, Yoel and Christopher Guardado 2-1 (21-17/19-21/15-10) in the semifinals. In the other semifinal, Flores/Guatemala defeated Andy Leonardo alongside Edgar Maldonado (GUA1) 2-0 (21-16/22-20).

“We are very happy to earn another gold medal, this is our fourth medal as a pair, and we hope to continue winning more titles”, expressed Mora.

López, his teammate, highlighted the challenge of the tournament: “This was a somewhat challenging tournament because there are teams with a lot of experience and skill. Thankfully, things worked out for us again and we achieved the victory”.

Completing the podium was Guatemala’s duo of Andy Leonardo and Edgar Maldonado, who defeated the Guardado brothers 3-2 (20-22/23-21/15-09).

Dany López (2) and Rubén Mora (1) AFECAVOL Champions

AFECAVOL CENTROAMERICANO MAYOR DE PLAYA

PODIUM

ORO Rubén Mora y Dany López NCA2

PLATA Franklin Flores y Armando Guatemala ESA1

BRONCE Andy Leonardo y Edgar Maldonado GUA1

Results Day 3

F9: HON1 2-0 CRC1 (FORFEIT)

F7: BIZ1 0-2 CRC2 (12-21/14-21)

F5: NCA1 2-0 GUA2 (21-15/21-13)

SEMIFINAL: GUA1 0-2 ESA1 (16-21/20-22)

SEMIFINAL: NCA2 2-1 ESA2 (21-17/19-21/15-10)

THIRD PLACE: GUA1 2-1 ESA2 (20-22/23-21/15-09)

FIRST PLACE: ESA1 0-2 NCA2 (19-21/19-21)

Full slots in route to the medal contention

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, August 26, 2023 .- With steady pace in pursuit of the ticket to compete for medals, Ángel Williams/Kianny Araya (CRC1), Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado (GUA1), Nahima Silva/Lolette Rodríguez (NCA1), and Kathya Vázquez/Sofía Velázquez (ESA1), secured their spot in semifinals of the XXI Central American Beach Volleyball Championship, taking place in Guatemala, this Saturday.

In Saturday’s schedule, the teams completed their group stage matches. In Group A, Costa Rica’s number one team, Williams and Araya, clinched two victories, first defeating Zoé Ebanks/Reizeo Bruhier (HON) 2-0 (21-09/21-15), and then in an exciting match against Yvonne Soler/Laura Molina (ESA2), which finished 2-1 (18-21/25-25/15-10).

Soler/Molina (ESA2), had previously triumphed over NCA2 of Alejandra Rosales/M. Fernanda Jarquín 2-0 (24-22/21-10). Later, Girón/Alvarado (GUA1) defeated NCA2 2-0 (21-11/21-10). Guatemala 1 had previously overcome Honduras 2-0 (21-10/08-21).

In Group B, two matches were contested. Silva alongside Rodríguez (NCA1) were victorious 2-0 (24-22/21-10) against Costa Rica’s team 2, Sofía Vega/Aliza Aguilar. In the other duel, Vásquez/Velázquez (ESA1) triumphed over Maritza Zúñiga/Danna Aguilar (GUA 2), 2-0 (21-15/21-10).

With these results, the four teams that qualified for the semifinals will battle for their spot in the finals on Sunday, starting at 9 a.m., on the last day of activity on the sand courts of Campo Marte.

Nicaragua 1 in action

AFECAVOL CENTROAMERICANO MAYOR DE PLAYA

Results Women Day 2

GROUP A

-HON1 0-2 GUA1 (10-21/8-21)

-ESA2 2-0 NCA2 (24-22/21-10)

-CRC1 2-0 HON1 (21-9/21-15)

-NCA2 0-2 GUA1 (11-21/10-21)

-ESA2 1-2 CRC1 (21-18/23-25/10-15)

GROUP B

-NCA1 2-0 CRC2 (24-22/21-10)

-GUA2 0-2 ESA1 (15-21/10-21)

Williams/Araya and Silva/Rodríguez start with double victory in Women Central American Beach

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, August 25, 2023 – Angel Williams/Kianny Araja (CRC1) and Nahima Silva/Lolette Rodríguez (NCA1) opened the XXI Central American Senior Beach Volleyball Championship, which kicked off at Campo Marte in Guatemala City with two victories.

In Group A, Costa Rica’s team 1 of Angel Williams and Kianny Araya, secured two wins. First, they dominated Alejandra Rosales/M. Fernanda Jarquín (NCA2) with a 2-0 (21-12/21-11) victory, and then they triumphed over the host team of Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado (GUA1) by 21-12, 21-18.

Rosales and Jarquín (NCA2) later defeated Zoé Ebanks/Reizel Bruhier of Honduras 2-0 (21-12/21-07), while Girón and Alvarado (GUA1) came from behind to win 2-1 (17-21, 25-22, 15-8) against the Honduran team.

Yvonne Soler and Laura Molina (ESA2) won the only match they played against Honduras by 2-0 (21-6, 21-11).

In Group B, Nahima Silva along with Lolette Rodríguez (NCA1) triumphed 2-1 (15-21/21-7/15-10) against Guatemala’s team 2 of Maritza Zúñiga/Danna Aguilar, and against El Salvador’s team one, Kathya Vásquez/Sofia Velázquez 21-15, 21-14. Vásquez and Velázquez had earlier defeated Sofía Vega/Aliza Aguilar from CRC2 21-12 and 21-7.

Vega and Aguilar (CRC2) improved their record to 1-1 after defeating Zúñiga/Aguilar (GUA2) 21-13, 21-18.

This Saturday, starting at 9:00 AM, the second day of the qualification phase will be played, leading up to Sunday’s matches for positions and the teams advancing to the semifinals and finals.

AFECAVOL CENTROAMERICANO MAYOR DE PLAYA

Paola Alvarado of Guatemala digs

Women Results

Day 1

Group A

-CRC1 2-0 NCA2 (21-12/21-11)

-HON1 0-2 ESA2 (06-21/11-21)

-NCA2 2-0 HON1 (21-12/21-07)

-GUA1 0-2 CRC1 (12-21/18-21)

-HON1 1-2 GUA1 (21-17/22-24/8-15)

Group B

-ESA1 2-0 CRC2 (21-12/21-7)

-NCA1 2-1 GUA2 (15-21/21-7/15-10)

-CRC2 2-0 GUA2 (21-13/21-18)

-ESA1 0-2 NCA1 (15-21/14-21)

Reigning Champions Cascante/López start the Central American Senior Beach Championship on the right foot

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, August 25, 2023 – The reigning Central American champions Jefferson Cascante and Denis López (NCA1) started the XXI Senior Central American Beach Volleyball Championship on the right foot at Campo Marte in Guatemala City.

The current Central American champions Jefferson Cascante and Denis López from Nicaragua-1, in Group A, triumphed 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) over Edgar Martinez/Fabriel Nuñez from Belize.

Also from Nicaragua, Rubén Mora and Dany López in Group C, first defeated Daniel Dyner/Clifforth Lobo from Costa Rica 2-0 (21-17, 21-19) and number two team of Honduras, Wilfredo Vega/Manuel Serrano, 2-0 (21-13, 21-14).

In the same group, Franklin Flores and Armando Guatemala from El Salvador defeated Hondurans Wilfredo Vega/Manuel Serrano 2-0 (21-8, 21-12). Flores and Guatemala fought hard to control Daniel Dyner/Clifforth Lobo (CRC1) 2-0 (21-11/17-21/15-12).

Also, with a double victory in Group B, Guatemala’s Andy Leonardo and Edgar Maldonado (GUA1) prevailed 2-0 (21-18, 21-17) against twin brothers Yoel and Christopher Guardado of El Salvador-2, and then defeated the number one team from Honduras, Carlos Ramos/Irvin Reyes, 2-0 (21-17, 21-15).

This Saturday, the group stage will continue in the morning. In the afternoon, starting at 2:30 pm, matches will be played to determine the positions for the qualifiers. On Sunday, the games for positions, semifinals, and finals will be played.

AFECAVOL CENTROAMERICANO MAYOR DE PLAYA

Guatemala’s Andy Blanco battling against Honduras

Men’s Results

Day 1

GROUP A

-BIZ 0-2 GUA2 (11-21/12-21)

-NCA1 2-0 BIZ (21-14/21-16)

GROUP B

-GUA1 2-0 ESA2 (21-18/21-17)

-HON1 0-2 CRC2 (17-21/18-21)

-ESA2 2-0 CRC2 (21-16/21-18)

-GUA1 2-0 HON1 (21-17/21-15)

GROUP C

-ESA1 2-0 HON2 (21-8/21-12)

-CRC1 0-2 NCA2 (17-21/19-21)

-HON2 0-2 NCA2 (13-21/14-21)

-ESA1 2-1 CRC1 (21-11/17-21/15-12)

Teams ready for the AFECAVOL Central American Senior Beach Volleyball Championship

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, August 24, 2023. – Six countries in the men’s and women’s genders  will seek to become the new champions of the 21st edition of the Central American Senior Beach Volleyball Championship 2023 organized by AFECAVOL, from August 25 to 27 in Guatemala.

Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala as the host country concluded their preliminary interview on Thursday, presenting all the necessary documents and uniforms that make them eligible to be part of the Seniro Central American Beach Volleyball event.

The tournament, to be held at the sports facilities of Campo Marte, will kick off on Friday, August 25, starting at 9 a.m., with the first qualification matches. On Saturday, August 26, the quarterfinals will take place, and the event will conclude on Sunday, August 27, with the medal matches.

AFECAVOL CENTROAMERICANO MAYOR DE PLAYA

In the men’s field the 11 participating teams are divided into three groups: one group of three teams and two groups of four, as follows:

GROUP AGROUP BGROUP C
NCA1GUA1ESA1
BIZHON1CRC1
GUA2CRC2NCA2
 ESA2HON2

In the women’s division 9 pairs are divided into two groups as follows:

GROUP AGROUP B
GUA1ESA1
CRC1NCA1
HONGUA2
ESA2CRC2
NCA2 

In 2021, in El Salvador, the women’s champions were Natalia Girón and Estefanie Bethancourt of Guatemala, while Nicaraguans Denis López and Jefferson Cascante took the title in men.

Team Guatemala

AFECAVOL Senior 2021 Winners

Women: 1. Natalia Girón/Estefanie Bethancourt (GUA1); Ivonne Soler/Sofía Velásquez (ESA1); Valeska Hernández/Socorro López (NCA1)

Men: 1. Denis López/Jefferson Cascante (NCA1); Rubén Mora/Dany López (NCA2); Andy Leonardo/Luis García (GUA1)

Participating Teams: 21st Central American Senior Beach Volleyball Championship 2023

Men: Edgar Martinez/Fabriel Nuñez (BIZ); Daniel Dyner/Clifforth Lobo (CRC1); Julián Araya/Yulius Brown (CRC2); Orlando Flores/Armando Guatemala (ESA1); Yoel Guardado/Christopher Guardado (ESA2); Andy Blanco/Edgar Maldonado (GUA1); J. Miguel Izaguirre/Mario Ventura (GUA2); Carlos Ramos/Irvin Reyes (HON1); Wilfredo Vega/Manuel Serrano (HON2); Rubén Mora/Danny López (NCA1); Jefferson Cascante/Denis López (NCA2).

Women: Ángel Williams/Kianny Araya (CRC1); Sofía Vega/Aliza Aguilar (CRC2); Kathya Vásquez/Sofia Velázquez (ESA1); Yvonne Soler/Laura Molina (ESA2); Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado (GUA1); Maritza Zúñiga/Danna Aguilar (GUA2); Zoé Ebanks/Reizel Bruhier (HON); Nahima Silva/Lolette Rodríguez (NCA1); Alejandra Rosales/M. Fernanda Jarquín (NCA2). 

Carlos López from Guatemala MVP of AFECAVOL Men’s Central American Championship

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 12, 2023 – With an outstanding performance, outside hitter Carlos López from the Guatemala was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 22nd edition of the AFECAVOL Men’s Central American Volleyball Championship on Saturday, August 12.

Carlos López, alongside his teammates, celebrated Guatemala’s fourth consecutive title. El Salvador won the silver medal, and Belize secured the bronze medal.

For the first time in the history of the Championship, the Best Scorer award was given to two players, Rodrigo Chávez from El Salvador and Andy Blando from Guatemala, both scoring a total of 120 points each.

Guatemala dominated the individual awards, taking four of them spread across two players. In addition to being the Most Valuable Player, Carlos López earned the First Best Spiker award. His teammate Andy Blanco stood out with the Best Service award and one of the Best Scorers awards.

MVP Carlos López (Guatemala)

Belize received three individual awards, with Ernest Broaster as the Second Best Spiker, Karym Coleman as the Best Opposite, and Raheem Flowers as the Best Receiver.

Panama also secured three individual awards. Miguel Medina was recognized as the Best Libero and Best Defense, while his teammate Astergio Díaz was awarded as the Best Setter.

Nicaragua’s Emilio Andrews earned the award for the Best First Blocker, and Manuel Platero from El Salvador received the award for the Second Best Blocker of the championship.

Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player (MVP): Carlos López, GUA

1st Best Spiker: Carlos López, GUA

2nd Best Spiker: Ernest Broaster, BIZ

1st Best Blocker: Emilio Andrews, NCA

2nd Best Blocker: Manuel Platero, ESA

Best Setter: Astergio Díaz, PAN

Best Opposite: Karym Coleman, BIZ

Bext Libero: Miguel Medina, PAN

Best Receiver: Raheem Flowers, BIZ

Best Defense: Miguel Medina, PAN

Best Service: Andy Blanco, GUA

Best Scorers: Rodrigo Chávez, ESA / Andy Blanco, GUA 

Guatemala becomes Four-time AFECAVOL Champion! 

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 12, 2023 – Guatemala only needed one set to become the Champion of the 22nd edition of the AFECAVOL Men’s Central American Volleyball Cup, and they achieved this against Panama on the last day of competition, winning the game 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-18). 

Guatemala comfortably dominated in attacks with a 16-point difference, tallying 41-25. The blocks, were 10-4 in favor of Guatemala, while in services, Panama was more effective with 6 to 3.

Panama earned 22 points from Guatemala’s errors and conceded 21 to their opponent.

Outside hitter and captain of Guatemala, Carlos López, with 18 points, all from attacks, was the top scorer for his country. For Panama, outside hitter Félix Williams scored 14 points, with 10 from attacks, one from a block, and two from service.

Guatemala finished the tournament with five wins and one loss, while Panama closed with two wins and four losses.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Reider Lucas, Guatemala Coach: “I said at the beginning in the preliminary inquiry that it was going to be a very balanced tournament, and at the same time, it was going to be very competitive due to the rivalry among the countries. This makes the event even more beautiful. As you can see, the champion is decided on the last day. We are very happy; this is the fourth edition we have won. We trusted a lot of young athletes, and we knew that with them, we could achieve a result. We have athletes with a longer life in volleyball, which helps us a lot within the group. We missed some athletes due to personal commitments, but they are part of this process.”

Horacio Angulo Calderón, Panama Coach: “We faced a quite solid team; we tried to play our game, but Guatemala worked very well. The assessment I make of the tournament is that it’s quite competitive. Guatemala lost to Costa Rica. The teams came to do their job, and it shows that fatigue reveals many things at some point; my team fell due to physical fatigue, we tried and fought until the end.”

Nicaragua defeats Belize in the last match of the tournament

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 12, 2023 – With a score of 3-1, Nicaragua emerged victorious against the hosts in the final match of the AFECAVOL Men’s Central American Volleyball Cup, 25-18, 14-25, 25-19, and 32-30.

Belize dominated in blocks 14-5 and in services with 5-2. In the attack, both countries were tied at 57.

The top scorer of the match was Dennis García from Nicaragua, who scored 24 points, 21 from attacks, and three from services. For Belize, the top scorer was Ernest Broaster with 20 points, 14 from attacks, three from blocks, and three from services.

Belize and Nicaragua concluded the tournament with a record balance of three wins and three losses.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Albert Humes, Belize Coach: “The team has put heart and unity to make our country proud, but it hasn’t been good enough for us. We must go back to the drawing board and see where we have deficiencies and resolve them. This has been a great tournament that I have been training for over 30 years, and this is a process where I have seen the teams so competitive, for example, Honduras loses one day and then wins the next day, a constant up and down. So, this is a beautiful tournament this year, and I hope we continue to have tournaments like this. The quality of the product produced by AFECAVOL and delivered to the world is excellent, and we have shown that we can reach the level of major competitions”.

Jorge Mena, Nicaragua Coach: Did not attend the interview. 

Honduras defeats Costa Rica in five sets 

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 12, 2023 – In the second match of the final day of the AFECAVOL Men’s Central American Volleyball Cup, Honduras defeated Costa Rica in five sets: 26-24, 25-21, 25-27, 19-25, 15-12. 

With a narrow difference, Honduras dominated the attack 63-62. The blocks were in favor of Costa Rica, with a difference of one, 10 over nine. The services belonged to Honduras 7-4.

The top scorer for Honduras in the match was outside hitter David Villatoro, with 27 points, 25 from attacks, and two from blocks. For Costa Rica, opposite hitter Andrey Quintero scored 18 points from attacks, two from blocks, and one from service, totaling 21 points.

Honduras and Costa Rica concluded the tournament with two wins and four losses.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Marco Sugiyama, Honduras coach: “Analyzing the tournament, there was a lot of competition between the teams, a lot of imbalances among us, but we need to start the next competition with better performance in order to compete for medals. I am happy with the boys, the competition is very good, and it has been a great joy to participate. We will be better prepared for the next competition”-

Johan Morales, Costa Rica coach: “I am disappointed in myself, I did not expect these results because we have a fairly strong selection. We came with a goal that was not achieved. It was a tournament with many ups and downs, with teams that caused surprises. We knew the two strongest rivals were Guatemala and Nicaragua, and coincidentally, we beat them. We forgot about the other teams. The blow of anxiety and happiness from beating the Champion after approximately eight years of not doing so was a double-edged sword because on the next day, when we played against El Salvador, a team we knew because they even practiced in Costa Rica, they beat us 3-0 and there the team declined psychologically. We tr

Belize dreams of reaching the podium

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 11, 2023 – Belize defeated Costa Rica 3-1 with set scores of 12-25/25-16/25-19/25-18, and their aspirations to secure a spot on the podium of the XXII Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup of AFECAVOL remain alive.

Belize has three wins and two losses in the tournament, while Costa Rica stands with two wins and three losses.

Belize dominated  44-41 in attacks, 9-6 in blocks and 5-3 in services. The home team scored 29 points from opponent errors, while Costa Ricans earned 28 points from their rival’s mistakes.

Francis Hauze was Belize’s top scorer with 14 attack points, on two block points, and two service points, accompanied by Ernest Broaster with 16 points and Karym Coleman with 15 points.

Japheth Reid, with 10 points (seven from attacks and three from blocks), was Costa Rica’s top scorer.

Belize will face Nicaragua at 7:30 pm, and Costa Rica will take on Honduras at 5:00 pm on the last day of competition.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Ernest Broaster, Outside Hitter of Belize: “We started poorly in the first set, but we recovered in the second, third, and fourth. We played a very good match. The serving pressure was good, our passing was phenomenal; when our passing is good, everything else is good, and it’s all about producing blocks. I feel that tomorrow, if we maintain our passing at a high level, we can defeat Nicaragua in three sets. We just need to come out with fast play and not start slow, apply pressure from the beginning, and finish it that way”.

Richard Smith, Outside Hitter of Costa Rica: “Happy to be in Belize, unfortunately, it wasn’t our tournament. Today’s match was exciting, a face-off, with a Belizean team that has been improving for a while. They have renewed many players and have been dedicated to preparing the players. They have players in foreign university leagues, and right now, they are showing results. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the capacity to rise. The whole week has been a roller coaster for the team, especially emotionally. Also, I think we lacked a little more preparation to get here. We congratulate Belize, who gave us a lesson on the work they’ve been doing at the Central American level”.

Guatemala reaffirms its desire for Gold

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 11, 2023 – Guatemala defeated Honduras 3-1 in the second match of the sixth day of the XXII Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup of AFECAVOL, and with this score, the dream of a fourth championship this Saturday in the tournament’s closing.

Honduras complicated the actions in the second set of the match; however, Guatemala showed its determination and won the game 25-15/22-25/25-14/25-22.

Guatemala led in all areas of the match, surpassing Honduras 51-37 in attacks, 11-9 in blocks, and 5-4 in services. Guatemalans earned 30 points from opponent errors, while Honduras scored 26 points from their opponent’s mistakes.

The top scorer of the match for Guatemala was Pablo Pérez with 17 points, including 13 on attacks and four on blocks. For Honduras, David Villatoro scored 21 points, with 20 on  attacks and one block.

With this victory, Guatemala reaches four wins and one loss, while Honduras has one win and four losses.

Guatemala will face Panama at 2:30 pm, and Honduras will compete against Costa Rica at 5:00 pm on the last day of competition.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Andy Blanco, Opposite of Guatemala: “Very happy, although it wasn’t the result we expected. Honduras came in playing very well. We’ll wait for tomorrow against Panama, and we’ll go out with a new attitude. As the team leader, I’m very content because we are very united. We are a young team, I’m the most experienced and oldest player. They are very talented young players, good camaraderie. We characterize ourselves as athletes as a whole, and I will continue supporting them, fighting every match”.

Arturo Durán, Outside Hitter of Honduras: “We had a very interesting match against the current Central American champions. It was a quite intense duel for us since we have quite a few rookies in the team. Even in this case, we put up a good fight. We hope that for the next process, this team continues to be formed with young and tall players, and we can put Honduras back on the podium”.

El Salvador closes tournament with victory

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 11, 2023 – El Salvador won in three consecutive sets over Nicaragua, completing their six matches in the XXII Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup of AFECAVOL.

With set scores of 25-21/25-14/25-21, El Salvador dominated the match. With a 10-point difference, El Salvador dominated in attacks 45-35, blocks 14-4, and services 4-1. Nicaragua scored 16 points from opponent errors, while El Salvador earned 12 points from unforced errors.

The top scorer of the match for El Salvador was outside hitter Rodrigo Chávez, who tallied 20 points for the victory on19 attacking points and one blocking point. On the other hand, for Nicaragua, opposite Dennis García scored 13 points, 12 on attacks and one from a block.

El Salvador finished the event with a record of 4 wins and 2 losses. Nicaragua will face Belize tomorrow at 7:30 pm. Nicaragua stands with 2 wins and 3 losses.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Franklin Flores, Opposite of El Salvador: “This was an important match because we were fighting for a medal here, and the result had to be 3-0. We entered the match fighting, playing good volleyball just like yesterday against Costa Rica. We’re happy with the result and hope that everything goes well, and nothing takes away our medal. Grateful to the coaching staff for their trust in me, we leave with a good feeling and happy with our performance in the tournament”.

Tito Valdivia, Corner for Nicaragua: “Things didn’t go as planned and trained in the morning. We didn’t enter with a good attitude, so we’ll have to wait for the results and the match tomorrow.”

Guatemala stifles Belize’s shout of victory

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 10, 2023 – In the final match of the day, Guatemala, in straight sets 25-19/25-19/26-24, stifled Belize’s shout of victory in front of hundreds of fans at the Belize City Civic Center, to keep leading the standings of the XXII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup.

Guatemala dominated in attacks 35-30 and in service points 10-4. The blocks were in favor of Belize 10-4. Guatemala earned 26 points from unforced errors, while Belize scored 18 points from their opponent’s errors.

The top scorer for Guatemala was Andy Blanco with 14 points, 8 from attacks and 6 from services. For Belize, Karym Coleman converted 10 points from attacks, three from blocks, and two from services, totaling 15 points.

Guatemala holds three wins and one loss, while Belize has two wins and two losses.

The tournament’s excitement continues on Friday at 5:00 pm with Guatemala facing Honduras and at 7:30 pm Belize taking on Costa Rica.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Erik Flores, Opposite of Guatemala: “We knew it was a very tough opponent because they were playing at home and had the support of the crowd; we knew this place would be packed. Our goal was to win, and we achieved it. Given how the competition has gone, with some countries losing matches and dropping sets, we knew it was important. We were coming off a loss against Costa Rica, but that didn’t affect us because we knew we could fight for the championship. Costa Rica’s loss today gives us even more possibilities, and the closest rival was Belize, so we had to win for the ultimate goal”.

Ernest Broaster, Outside hitter of Belize: “This was a shaky night. We faltered in passing, and the attack wasn’t working for us; our service also failed us. We didn’t reach our goal, which is the gold medal, but we’re still in contention for the silver medal; we can win it, but we just need to win the next two matches”.

Panama secures second victory of the tournament

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 10, 2023.- Panama needed four sets to defeat Honduras 3-1 (24-26, 25-18, 27-25, 25-18) on the fifth day of competition in the XXII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup.

Honduras started by winning the first set 26-24, however, the Panamanians claimed the next three 25-18/27-25 and 25-18. Panama was superior with dominance in attacks 57-49 and blocks 14-6.

Both teams tied at 3 in services. Honduras earned 29 points and Panama 27 from opponent’s errors.

The top scorer for Panama and the match was Jason Quintero with 20 points, 19 on attacks and one from blocks. For Honduras, David Villatoro scored 16 points, 15 on attacks and one from blocks.

Panama secured their second victory in the tournament, with a balance of two wins and three losses. Meanwhile, Honduras has one victory and with today´s match, they accumulated three losses.

The event taking place at the Belize City Civic Center continues with the schedule on Friday at 5:00 pm, with Honduras facing Guatemala and Panama is the team with the day off.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Miguel Medina, Libero of Panama: “The match was quite challenging for us in the first set. We had been in the lead and didn’t maintain the advantage, which cost us the set. The guys focused more and pursued the goal of winning because it puts us in a position to dream about the medal table. Thanks to God, the perseverance of our young team helped everyone contribute their bit and secure the victory. Honduras fought hard and didn’t let us pull away until the last set”.

Irvin Reyes, middle blocker of Honduras: “We didn’t take advantage of the opportunities in the match, but we need to keep working and have the confidence that things will start going better for us”.

El Salvador defeats Costa Rica comfortably

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 10, 2023.- El Salvador defeated Costa Rica 3-0 in the first match of day five of competition in the XXII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup with scores of 25-13/25-18/25-13.

The match was dominated by El Salvador in all areas, with 35 attacks to 26, 13 blocks to 5, and 4-2 in serves.

El Salvador scored 23 points from opponent errors, while Costa Rica scored 11 points from unforced errors.

El Salvador improved their win-loss record to 3-2. Costa Rica has a record of 2 wins and 2 losses.

The top scorer of the match was Rodrigo Chávez with 17 points, 13 on attacks and four on  blocks, his teammate Franklin Flores was close behind with 16 points.

For Costa Rica, Gilbert Solano scored six points from attacks and one a block for a total of 7 points, being the top scorer, followed by Richard Smith with 6 points.

The event taking place at the Belize City Civic Center continues Friday at 2:30 pm with El Salvador facing Nicaragua and at 7:30 pm Costa Rica will compete against the hosts.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Rodrigo Chávez, outside hitter of El Salvador: “This was a complicated match from a tactical point of view, our coaches read the other team very well, at this stage of the tournament, we’ve had time to study our opponents and that makes the matches more competitive. In this case, we found the key. Costa Rica stood up well, but perhaps the fatigue from last night’s game affected them, however, they are a very strong team and El Salvador showed a very different face from the previous matches. We are very grateful to the guys and coaches for boosting our spirits and we hope to maintain this rhythm of play”.

Oscar Ramírez, outside hitter of Costa Rica: “It was a very emotional match, unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for us. El Salvador read us very well on the court. Now, we need to prepare for tomorrow’s match, it’s another final to aim for the medal we came for”.

Guatemala defeats Nicaragua in three sets 

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 8, 2023. Guatemala only needed three sets to secure victory against Nicaragua with scores of 31-29, 25-19, and 25-14 in the second match of the third day of competition at the XXII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup. 

The first set was the most thrilling of the game, with both teams going point by point in pursuit of victory. Eventually, it was Guatemala who emerged victorious, dominating in attacks 45 to 36, in blocks 10-7, and in services 10-2. Both teams committed a similar number of unforced errors, with Nicaragua recording 16 and Guatemala 17. 

With 18 points for his country, outside hitter Carlos López led Guatemala to victory with 15 points from attacks, one on blocking, and two on serves. On the other hand, Tito Valdivia contributed 11 points from attacks, one point from blocking, and one point from serving, totaling 13 points as the highest scorer for Nicaragua. 

On Wednesday, August 9th, Guatemala will face Costa Rica at 7:30 PM, and Nicaragua will play against Panama at 2:30 PM. 

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA 

INTERVIEWS

Carlos López, Outside hitter of Guatemala: “Today we managed to play a better game as a team, correcting many mistakes. We had better team cohesion, which helped us achieve a favorable result and giving us confidence for the what’s left of the competition”. 

Álvaro Solís, Setter of Nicaragua: “Guatemala is a tough opponent that pressured us from the beginning with their serves. In 2021, when we won the bronze, we lost to the same two teams: Costa Rica and Guatemala. So, we still aspire to make it to the medal podium and will continue working for the upcoming matches, which I believe will be within our reach. This is not over, and all countries are at the same level”.  

Leaders succumb to El Salvador

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 7, 2023. With a score of 3-1, El Salvador claimed victory against Panama, who had been leading the standings until today, in the first match of the third day of competition in the XXII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup.

With closely contested sets of 26-24, 23-25, 25-21, and 26-24, El Salvador secured the win in a match led slightly in the attack by the winners, 61-57.

Panama dominated in blocks, 12-10, and both teams were tied at 3 in serves. El Salvador gathered 26 points from their opponent’s errors, while Panama earned 22 points on El Salvador’s errors.

From El Salvador, Rodrigo Chávez once again stood out, contributing 17 points on attacks, two on  blocks, and two aces, totaling 21 points.

Uriel Batista continued to lead Panama’s scorers, as he converted 19 attacking points and three blocks, for a total of 22 points.

On Wednesday, August 9th, El Salvador will face Honduras at 5:00 PM, and Panama will play against Nicaragua at 2:30 PM.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Diego Cerón, Libero of El Salvador: “We’re still in the fight for what we came for. The possibility of winning gold is still alive; we don’t lose sight of that mindset. The team has very high expectations. Since we left our country, we knew that this tournament would present a lot of challenges, but we Salvadorans are known by not giving up, and we will keep fighting until the end”.

Oswald Marschall, Outside hitter of Panama: “Unfortunately, we faced a defeat today that shouldn’t have happened. It put us in a tough spot for the medal tally, but we have a team with both youth and experience, which I know will serve us well in tomorrow’s game. Congratulations to El Salvador for putting up a good match”.

Belize achieves a titanic comeback against Panama

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 7, 2023.- Once again, the hosts made use of their home advantage and didn’t allow themselves to fall easily in front of their fans, rallying back from a 0-2 set deficit and extending the last match to a fifth set on the second day of the XXII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup.

With a 3-2 victory against Panama, Belize managed to rally back and win the match 20-25/19-25/25-23/25-18/15-11.

Attacks were dominated by Panama, 59-52. Belize took the lead in blocks with 14-12 and in services 8-4.

Belize earned 30 points from opponent’s errors, while Panama got 27 points on the home team’s errors.

The top scorers of the match were Ernest Broaster from Belize with 20 points, 14 from attacks, 3 from blocks, and 3 from services, and Uriel Batista from Panama with 16 attacking points, 2 from blocks, and 2 from services, for a total of 20 points.

This Tuesday, August 8, Panama will face El Salvador at 2:30 pm, and Belize will play against Honduras at 7:30 pm.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Elton Anderson, Captain of Belize: “It was a very hard match. We fought hard, and thankfully we won in the end. We feel very tired, it was difficult, but we managed to win, so we’ll try to rest and come ready to face Honduras tomorrow.”

Otto Othon, Captain of Panama: “In tonight’s game, we played well in the first two sets. We have many young players, and it was an experience for them and for us, and the match went to five sets. We need to correct what couldn’t be achieved and hope to play a good match against El Salvador tomorrow”. 

Guatemala debuts with a five-set victory against El Salvador

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 7, 2023. – The current Central American champions, Guatemala, made their debut with a 3-2 victory (22/25, 25/19, 18/25, 25/20, 15/9) over El Salvador in the XXII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup.

The sets alternated between the two countries, leading to a decisive fifth set. El Salvador started by winning the match, but Guatemala bounced back to claim the second set, setting the stage for a highly contested challenge.

Guatemala was powerful in their attack, tallying 68 points against 45. Both teams scored 15 points from blocks, and Guatemala led in service points with 8 against 2. El Salvador earned 36 points from Guatemala’s errors, while Guatemala capitalized on 14 errors by their opponent.

Andy Blanco propelled Guatemala to victory as the top scorer of the match, contributing 28 points with 23 attacks, 2 blocks, and 3 service points. On the other side, El Salvador’s outside hitter Rodrigo Chávez achieved 22 points, with 19 from attacks, 2 from blocks, and one from service.

This Tuesday, August 8, Guatemala will face Nicaragua at 5:00 pm, and El Salvador will play against Panama at 2:30 pm.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Carlos López, Captain of Guatemala: “We started off in good energy, but throughout the game, we lost focus and made many reception errors, which complicated our journey and led us to extend the match. However, in the end, we achieved the result, which is to win”.

Juan Carlos Vargas, Captain of El Salvador: “We didn’t secure the victory, but we put up a fight. A quite extended 3-2 match, a lot of passion on the court because we were playing against the reigning Central American champions of the past years, and that always motivates us to play well and better. We had a player injured in the fourth set, which made it difficult for us to close the fourth and fifth sets properly. Our spirits are high, there are still four games to go, and we’re looking forward to giving our best performance tomorrow with the goal of winning”.

Costa Rica triumphs against Nicaragua in the AFECAVOL Senior Men’s Cup 

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 7, 2023. – The second day of the XXII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup saw the first match of the day between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, which was decided in four sets 3-1 (25-22/25-22/20-25/25-20) for Costa Rica. 

Costa Rica dominated in attacks with a 17-point difference, 62 to 45, and in services 4 to 2, securing their first victory of the tournament. Blocks were in favor of Nicaragua with a six-point difference, 16-10. 

The top scorer of the match was Costa Rica’s outside hitter Ricky Vargas with 24 points, on 23 attacks and one ace. In the Nicaraguan team, the top scorer was Dennis García with 17 points, 14 from attacks, and 3 from blocks. 

This Tuesday, August 8, Costa Rica is the team with a day off, while Nicaragua faces Guatemala at 5:00 pm. 

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

 INTERVIEWS 

Emmanuel Villareal, Captain of Costa Rica: “This was a very important match for us after the defeat against Belize on the first day. It was a match against an excellent Nicaragua that never gives up, that defends a lot. We had to attack strongly and improve our blocking. We are very happy and with the intact goal of winning the tournament. Tomorrow, we have a day off, and on Wednesday, we will defeat Guatemala”. 

Miguel Castillo, Captain of Nicaragua: “Today’s game got away from us because we are inconsistent in reception. We knew we were up against a tough opponent, and unfortunately, we couldn’t close the fourth set to go into a fifth. The tournament is just starting, and we will continue to give our all to finish with a medal”.  

El Salvador defeats Belize in Five Sets

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 6, 2023.- The closing match of the inaugural day in the XXII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup saw the most closely contested game between hosts Belize and El Salvador, with scores of 25-22/13-25/25-23/22-25/15-13 in favor of El Salvador.

In a match that extended to the fifth set at the Belize City Civic Center, the spectators were treated to a thrilling matchup that was dominated by Belize in attacks (58-57) and blocks (14-8), while both teams tied at four each in the service category.

El Salvador earned 31 points from their opponent’s errors, while Belize secured 30 points from Salvadoran mistakes.

The top scorer of the match for El Salvador was Rodrigo Chávez, the outside hitter, who secured 26 points on 24 attacks, one block, and one service point.

On the Belizean side, two of their players accumulated 40 points. Outside hitter Karym Coleman scored 17 points from attacks, one from blocks, and two from serves, totaling 20 points. Meanwhile, his teammate Francis Hauze also contributed 20 points, including 16 from attacks, three from blocks, and one from serves.

On Monday, August 7, El Salvador will face Guatemala at 2:30 PM, and Belize will take on Panama at 7:30 PM.

ESA VS BIZ-XXII COPA CENTROAMERICANA DE VOLEIBOL

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Gabriel Linares, El Salvador’s coach: “We had to start against the home team, and we knew it wouldn’t be easy because they’re a team that has been working together for quite some time. We knew we had to give our best, and it was reflected in the scores. We had to go to the fifth set, but in the end, we steered the ship right. We worked on our serves, which we were struggling with, and thanks to God, we managed to secure the game in our favor”.

Albert Humes, Belize’s coach: “The defeat tonight was very disappointing. I believe that both the players and the coaches made mistakes at some point in the game, and El Salvador capitalized on those mistakes. El Salvador did their homework studying us; they didn’t use power but played intelligent volleyball, and that cost us the match”.

Nicaragua beats Honduras in Central American Championship debut

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 6, 2023.. The Nicaraguan National Team started their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Honduras (25-13/19-25/25-18/25-19) in the XXII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup organized at the Belize City Civic Center.

The first set was dominated by Nicaragua, with a comfortable 12-point lead, securing the set at 25-13.

Honduras was determined to level the match and managed to win the second set with a score of 25-19.

In the third and fourth sets, Nicaragua maintained their dominance despite Honduras putting up a fight. The Nicaraguan team secured victories with scores of 25-18 and 25-19, winning the match 3-1.

Nicaragua outperformed Honduras in attacks (43-40), serves (14-4), and blocks (6-5). Nicaragua earned 31 points from opponent errors, while Honduras secured 26 points from their rival’s mistakes.

Outside hitter Jonny Zeledón emerged as Nicaragua’s top scorer with 14 points, including 10 from attacks, 1 from blocks, and 3 from serves. On the other side, also outside hitter David Villatoro from Honduras scored 16 points, making him the highest scorer with 14 points from attacks, one from blocks, and one from serves.

NCA VS HON VILLATORO (11)-XXII Copa Centroamericana Masculina

On Monday, August 7, Nicaragua will face Costa Rica at 2:30 PM, while Honduras will have a free day in the schedule.

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA

INTERVIEWS

Jorge Mena, Nicaragua’s coach: “The match got complicated for us; we lost a set, which wasn’t our intention. However, the players improved as the game progressed. This is just the beginning. What we wanted was to win the match. Tomorrow, we have another game against Costa Rica, and we’ll aim for the victory”.

Marco Sugiyama, Honduras’ coach: “We started the game a bit poorly, slow. We need to accelerate our process for the next match. I’ll be talking to the players, and I hope to bring about a change for the next game”.

Panama defeats Costa Rica in first game of the Central American Championship 

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 6, 2023.- The Panama Men’s Volleyball Team made a triumphant debut with a 3-1 victory over Costa Rica (25-17/25-20/22-25/25-15) at the XXII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Volleyball Cup.  

In the first match of the day and the tournament at the Belize City Civic Center, Panama displayed determination to secure the win. They clinched the first set with an eight-point lead (25-17). 

Panama’s dominance continued into the second set. While Costa Rica occasionally closed in on the score, the Panamanian players persisted in their pursuit of victory, ultimately securing the set 25-20. 

Costa Rica entered the third set determined to extend the match, taking the third set with a tight three-point lead over Panama, 25-22. 

Coaches Horacio Angulo of Panama and Johan Morales of Costa Rica spoke with their players ahead of the fourth set, one hoping to win the match and the other aiming to tie it for a decisive fifth set. 

Panama dominated the fourth set with a 10-point lead, finishing the match with a score of 3-1. 

Panama’s offense attacking in the match was evident, with 50 points compared to Costa Rica’s 44. Panama also outperformed in blocks, 16-7, and serves, 8-4. 

Panama earned 23 points from their opponent’s errors, while Costa Rica secured 22. 

Panama’s opposite hitter Uriel Batista was determined, scoring 26 points, including 21 from attacks, 1 from blocks, and 4 from serves. For Costa Rica, opposite hitter Gilbert Solano scored 15 points, all from attacks. 

CRC VS PAN URIEL BATISTA-XXII Copa Centroamericana Mayor Masc (25)

On Monday, August 7, Panama will face Belize at 7:30 PM, while Costa Rica will compete against Nicaragua at 2:30 PM. 

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA 

INTERVIEWS 

Horacio Angulo, Panama’s coach: “We had two sets heavily in our favor that we were able to secure. Costa Rica is a challenging team, especially with coaches who understand volleyball and have worked a lot on their float serves, which somewhat gave difficulties to my team’s reception. We managed to take the third set, and in the fourth set, I made a couple of adjustments, subbing out one player and bringing in a young 19-year-old, Gherson Ortíz, who is a rising star in volleyball. The team played well with the system we’ve practiced in Panama, and thank God, we secured the victory”. 

Johan Morales, Costa Rica’s coach: “We knew it wouldn’t be an easy match. Panama inflicted a lot of damage with their serves; we couldn’t control them. When we did manage to control them, we ended up one-on-one, but our attackers couldn’t close. These are things we need to change; in such a fast  tournament, we can’t afford to stay down or give up. We know our purpose here, and we still have five matches to make certain changes to achieve it. I brought mobility to the team with significant changes, but in the end, it didn’t work out. We made too many unforced errors, and our defensive tactics were lacking. We weren’t at our best, so now we need to regroup and come to play against Nicaragua, another tough opponent”.  

Teams want to be on the podium of the Men’s Central American AFECAVOL Cup 

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 5, 2023 – On August 6, 2023, the competition for the XXII Central American Cup Belize 2023 will begin, and the teams want to earn a place on the podium, as expressed by the coaches during the preliminary inquiries held on Saturday, August 5. 

During the presentation, the Control Committee verified the paperwork and official uniforms that will be used during the competition, which will take place at the Belize City Civic Center. 

In the last edition, Guatemala took first place, Costa Rica came second, and Nicaragua was third, these last ones made history after 30 years of not stepping onto the Central American podium.

As the defending champion, Guatemala will seek to become a four-time champion, having won the 2017, 2018, and 2021 editions, aiming to catchup with Costa Rica with six titles and approaching Panama, the country that has won the most titles in the region with eight gold medals in total. 

AFECAVOL COPA MAYOR MASCULINA 

INTERVIEWS 

Albert Humes, Belize Coach: “Our tournament objective, being the host, definitely means we want to win. That’s the primary goal of this Belizean team. But we also want our country to feel proud and ensure that our fans, our families, and everyone enjoys the quality that Belize has to show to the world”.  

Reider Lucas, Guatemala Coach: “Our goal is to try to have a good competition. We come to give our all in each match. It’s a very close competition, and there’s a lot of rivalry among the Central American countries, which makes it more emotional and much more competitive. We will try to fight in every match and perform well in the competition. The players are eager to play, and we believe it will be a good competition”. 

Gabriel Linares, El Salvador Coach: “We have been preparing to regain the space we had lost within the elite of Central American volleyball. We are aware that the tournament will be tough, and we have high expectations of being among the top three on the podium”. 

Marco Sugiyama, Honduras Coach: “I am happy, and we are ready. We will fight to pave the way for future achievements”. “Our objective is to compete for a medal, and we will give it our all. We have prepared well, with a united group, and expect a surprise from us”, added Marvin Ulloa Molina, assistant coach. 

Jorge Mena, Nicaragua Coach: “The purpose is to be on the podium and try to improve our position we achieved last time. We come to compete and give it our all on the court as a team and bring Nicaragua forward without returning empty-handed to our country”. 

Johan Morales, Costa Rica Coach: “We come to this new Central American Cup with great enthusiasm. We did very well last time but fell short. The goal this year is to win the gold, which is extremely difficult with well-prepared teams. But in the end, I believe we have what it takes to compete, and the boys are highly motivated with a strong sense of unity”. 

Horacio Angulo, Panama Coach: “Our expectation is to make it to the medal standings, something we haven’t achieved in many years. We have a young team, from a group that ranges from U21 to U23. We will try to bring something back to our country, God willing”.

Belize host of the XXII AFECAVOL Men’s Senior Central American Championship

BELIZE CITY, Belize, August 1, 2023.- Belize will be hosting the twenty second AFECAVOL Men’s Senior Central American Championship from August 6 to 12 at the Belize City Civic Center.

Reigning champion Guatemala will seek their fourth consecutive title, after winning the past three editions of the tournament (2017, 2018, 2021), for an overall five Central American titles in the history of the event.

In the last edition held in Guatemala City in 2021, Costa Rica finished second, and Nicaragua finished third. After 30 years of not making it to the Central American podium, Nicaragua won the bronze medal, their first-ever medal in the history of the event was also a bronze, during the sixth edition of the Cup held in Honduras in 1991.

Panama is the country with the most titles in the region, with a total of eight, followed by Costa Rica with six.

Teams will arrive in Belize City on Friday, August 4th. The Preliminary inquiries will take place on Saturday, August 5th, and the competition will kick off on Sunday, August 6th, with three daily matches.

Competition schedule:

Sunday August 6

14:30  Costa Rica v Panama

17:00  Nicaragua v Honduras

19:00  Inauguración

19:30  El Salvador v Belize

Monday August 7

14:30  Costa Rica v Nicaragua

17:00  Guatemala v El Salvador

19:30  Panama v Belize

Tuesday August 8

14:30  El Salvador Panama

17:00  Nicaragua v Guatemala

19:30  Belize v Honduras

Wednesday August 9

14:30  Panama v Nicaragua

17:00  Honduras v El Salvador

19:30  Guatemala v Costa Rica

Thursday August 10

14:30  El Salvador v Costa Rica

17:00  Honduras v Panama

19:30  Belize v Guatemala

Friday August 11

14:30  Nicaragua v El Salvador

17:00  Guatemala v Honduras

19:30  Costa Rica v Belize

Saturday August 12

14:30  Panama v Guatemala

17:00  Honduras v Costa Rica

19:30  Belize v Nicaragua

Year by Year medalists

YearGoldSilverBronze
1974PANGUAESA
1976PANGUACRC
1977GUAESACRC
1987CRCPANGUA
1989CRCGUAPAN
1991HONPANNCA
1993PANESAHON
1995PANHONGUA
1997HONGUACRC
1999CRCGUAPAN
2000CRCBIZHON
2002PANCRCHON
2004PANHONCRC
2006PANCRCGUA
2008PANGUACRC
2010CRCESAGUA
2012GUAPANHON
2014CRCGUAHON
2017GUAESAHON
2018GUACRCESA
2021GUACRCNCA

Composite

TeamGoldSilverBronzeTotal
PAN83213
CRC64414
GUA57416
HON22610
ESA0426
BIZ0101
NCA0022

Félix Sabio prepares proposals for AFECAVOL

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, January 18, 2023.- AFECAVOL President Félix Sabio held an important working session in Guatemala with AFECAVOL General Secretary Carlos Enrique Santis Rangel to present several proposals for the improvement of volleyball in the Central American zone.

The objective of Sabio’s two day visit in Guatemala was to discuss several details about AFECAVOL 2023 activities to develop and improve the sport in Central America.

Among the topics discussed were the actions of the Central American Volleyball Association legal status in Guatemala.

The 2023 events were another matter discussed, prior to the AFECAVOL General Assembly that will be held in Guatemala City at the end of February or beginning of March.  

Felix Sabio AFECAVOL President in working session with Enrique Santis AFECAVOL General Secretary and other AFECAVOL members

Also, the working commission meetings were scheduled, where information will be prepared for discussion at the General Assembly.

In another project for this year that President Felix Sabio presented, is the agreement with new strategic allies that will contribute to his objectives set for the region.

Costa Rica wins Under 21 beach women’s gold of AFECAVOL

PANAMA CITY, Panama, November 13, 2022.- Angel Williams and Kianna Araya won 2-0 (21-14, 21-12) to Paola Alvarado/Ana Sofía Arévalo of Guatemala, winning the XIV Under 21 Beach Volleyball Central American title.  

Paola Alvarado couldn’t keep the title she won last year, up against Williams/Araya superior level of play shown during the entire tournament.

In the semifinal Williams/Araya prevailed 2-0 (21-8, 21-14) against Sofía Vega and Aliza Aguilar, also from Costa Rica.

While Paola Alvarado/Ana Sofía Arévalo of Guatemala beat Karla Tovar/Daniela Soza of El Salvador 2-1 (18-21, 24-22, 15-4) in the other semifinal.

In the match for third place, Vega/Aguilar of Costa Rica beat a difficult El Salvador of Tovar/Soza 2-1 (21-11, 19-21, 15-13).

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Kianny Araya – Angel Williams Costa Rica

Sunday’s match

NCA 2 d 2-0 ESA 2 (21-14, 21-10) places 9-10

NCA 1 d 2-1 PAN 2 (21-11, 19-21, 15-11)

PAN 1 d 2-1 GUA 2 (18-21, 21-14, 15-12)

GUA 1 d 2-1 ESA 1  (18-21, 24-22, 15-4)

CRC 1 d 2-0 CRC 2  (21-8, 21-14)

Bronze Medal   CRC 2 d 2-1 ESA 1 (21-11, 19-21, 15-13)

Final CRC 1 d 2-0 GUA 1  (21-14, 21-12)

Costa Rica Under 21 men’s Central American Beach Volleyball Champion

PANAMÁ CITY, Panama, November 13, 2022.- Julian Araya/Jhostin Varela (CRC 1) were crowned Under 21 Central American Champions after beating twin brother Christopher Guardado/Yoel Guardado of El Salvador 2-0 (23-21, 26-24) in a great final at the XIV Under 21 Beach Volleyball Central American Champion of AFECAVOL.

Araya/Varela left behind in semifinals Luis Cascante/Deyner López (NCA 2) 2-0 (21-12, 21-11), a rematch of last year’s semifinal.

While the Guardado twins beat Nicaragua-1 of Cristopher Cascante/Evans Solís 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) in the other semifinal.

The Guardado brothers, fell last year to Nicaragua, and this year they came close to the crown but Araya’s good defense and Varela’s effective blocking took over El Salvador.

In the all-Nicaraguan match for third place, Luis Cascante/Deyner López beat Cascante/Solís 2-0 (21-16, 21-18).

Tournament Page

Julian Araya/Jhostin Varela Costa Rica

Sunday’s match

Pos 9-10. CRC 2 d 2-1 BIZ (21-18, 14-21, 15-12)

Semifinal

ESA 1 2-0 NCA 1 (21-16, 21-17)

CRC 1 2-0  NCA 2 (21-12, 21-11)

Pos 7-8. GUA 1 2-1 Pan 1 18-21, 21-12, 15-9

Pos 5-6. ESA 2 2-1 GUA 2. 21-13, 19-21, 15-11

Pos 3ro NCA 2 2-0 NCA 1 21-16, 21-18

Final    CRC 1- ESA 1 23-21, 26-24

Final positions:

1.- CRC 1; 2.- ESA 1, 3.- NCA 2, 4.- NCA 1; 5.- ESA 2; 6.- GUA 2; 7.- GUA 1; 8.- PAN 1; 9.- CRC; 10.- BIZ, 11.- PAN 2

Costa Rica ensures a berth in women’s final

PANAMÁ CITY, Panama, November 12, 2022.- Costa Rica ensures a berth in the women’s finals at the XIV Under 21 Beach Volleyball Central American Championship with its teams facing in semifinals, while Guatemala and El Salvador will play for the other ticket.

Sofía Vega and Aliza Aguilar will face Angel Williams and Kianna Araya, both teams from Costa Rica, while Paola Alvarado/Ana Sofía Arévalo of Guatemala will meet Karla Tovar/Daniela Soza of El Salvador.

Vega/Aguilar won two matches on Saturday to finish second in pool A, which Paola Alvarado/Ana Sofía Arévalo of Guatemala won.

First, they beat Alexandra Reyes/Carmen Alvarez of El Salvador 2-0 (25-15, 21-11) and then they qualified after a 2-0 (21-16, 21-13) win to Nahima Silva/Alejandra Rosales of Nicaragua.

While Alvarado/Arévalo won 2-0 (21-8, 21-10) over Karla Ortiz/Yeilin Hernández of Panama and then prevailed 2-0 (21-7, 21- 12) against Reyes/Alvarez (ESA 2).

In pool B, Williams/Araya (CRC) won 2-0 (21-10, 21-07) to Danna Aguilar/Sofía Rodríguez of Guatemala and then they beat Panama of Krisleen González/Ekaterina Ureña 2-0 (21-14, 21-9).

Second place went to Salvadorians Tovar/ Soza, who lost 1-2 (18-21, 21-17, 12-15)  against Aguilar/Rodríguez (GUA) and finished with a 2-0 (21-11, 21-19) victory over Nicaragua’s Ella Daniele Resau/Yulimar Alvarado.

Guatemala Paola Alvarado/Ana Sofía Arévalo

Saturday’s results

CRC 2 d 2-0 ESA 2 (25-15, 21-11)

GUA 1 d 2-0 PAN 1 (21-8, 21-10)

CRC 1 d 2-0 GUA 2 (21-10, 21-07)

NCA 2 d 2-0 PAN 2 (21-16, 21-19)

NCA 1 d 2-0 PAN 1 (21-17, 21-11)

GUA 2 d ESA 1 (21-18, 17-21, 15-12)

GUA 1 d 2-0 ESA 2 (21-7, 21-12)

CRC 2 d 2-0 NCA 1 (21-16, 21-13)

CRC 1 d 2-0 PAN 2 (21-14, 21-9)

ESA 1 d 2-0 NCA 2 (21-11, 21-19)

Sunday’s schedule

ESA – NCA2 9:00 a.m.

NCA 1- PAN 2 9:45 a.m.

GUA 2 – PAN 1 10:30 a.m.

GUA 1- ESA 1 11:15 – Semifinal

CRC 1- CRC 2 12:00 md Semifinal

Puestos 7-8 12:45 p.m.

Puestos 5-6 1:30 p.m.

Por medalla de bronce  2:15 p.m.

Final 3:00 p.m.

Nicaragua will meet El Salvador and Costa Rica in men’s semifinals

PANAMA CITY, Panamá, November 12, 2022.- Teams from Nicaragua will meet El Salvador and Costa Rica in the men’s semifinals of the XIV Under 21 Central American Beach Volleyball Championship on Sunday.

Luis Cascante/Deyner López (NCA 2) beat Rafael Vargas/Gabriel Vargas (ESA 2) 2-0 (21-10, 21-19) in the first quarterfinal match to advance into the semifinals against Julián Araya/Jhostin Varela (CRC 1), who finished first in pool C.

Last year Araya/Varela lost the bronze medal to another Nicaraguan team and now they’ll try to advance into the final.

While, pool A winners, Cristopher Cascante/Evans Solís of NCA 1, prevailed 2-0 (21-12, 21-13) over José Miguel Izaguirre/Mario Ventura (GUA 2) in quarterfinals and in semifinals will face twins Christopher Guardado/Yoel Guardado of El Salvador who won pool B.

Cascante faced Guardado twins in last year’s final match, after they eliminated the number one team of Nicaragua.

Tournament Page

Evans Solis NCA – José Izaguirre GUA

Saturday’s results (pool-play)

NCA 1 d 2-0 ESA 2       (22-20, 21-13)

GUA 1 d 2-0 CRC 2      (21-18, 21-15)

ESA 1 d 2-0 NCA 2       (21-11, 21-15)

BIZ d 2-0 PAN 2           (21-16, 21-16)

CRC 1 d 2-0 GUA 2      (21-19, 21-10)

Quarterfinals

NCA 2 d 2-0 ESA 2       (21-10, 21-19)

NCA 1 d 2-0 GUA 1     (21-12, 21-13)

Clasificación 7-10

PAN 1 d 2-0 CRC 2      (21-16, 21-14)

CRC 2 d 2-0 BIZ           (21-15, 21-17)

Sunday’s schedule

CRC 2- BIZ Posiciones 9-10     9:00 a.m.

ESA 1- NCA 1 – Semifinal       9:45 a.m.

CRC 1 – NCA 2 – Semifinal     10:30 a.m.

PAN 1- GUA 1 Posc 7-8           11:15 a.m.

GUA 2- ESA 2 Posiciones 5-6  12:00 md

Por medalla de bronce           1:00 p.m.

Final                                        2:00 p.m.

Three countries in strong battle at U21 men

PANAMA CITY, Panama, November 11, 2022.- El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica showed strength at the beginning of the XIV Under 21 Central American Beach Volleyball championship being held at Ciudad Deportiva Irving Saladino in Panamá City.

In pool A, Cristopher Cascante/Evans Solís won 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) over Gherson Ortiz/ Kevin Acosta (PAN 1), while Rafael Vargas/Gabriel Vargas (ESA 2) beat Panma in three sets.

Christopher Guardado/Yoel Guardado of El Salvador in pool B, started with two victories, against Daniel Delgado/Roberto Recinos (GUA 1) and Yulius Brown/José Fernández (CRC 2), but Brown/Fernández grabbed an important win 2-1 (25-23, 17-21, 18-16) over Luis Cascante/Deyner López (NCA 2).

In pool C, Julian Araya/Jhostin Varela (CRC 1) beat Panama of Denzel Arboine/Rommy Santos 2-0 and then they won 2-1 (19-21, 21-16, 15-8) to Ernest Broaster/Eugen Benguche of Belize.

First places of each pool will be decided on Saturday, followed by the quarterfinal round, while first place of pool B and C will advance directly to the semifinals to be held on Sunday.

Tournament Page

Friday’s results

ESA 2 def 2-1 PAN 1      (21-16, 19-21, 15-12)

ESA 1 def 2-0 CRC 2      (21-13, 21-13)

NCA 2 def 2-0 GUA 1     (21-19, 21-15)

CRC 1 def 2-0 PAN 2      (21-13, 21-11)

GUA 1 def 2-0 BIZ         (21-16, 28-26)

NCA 1 def 2-0 PAN 1      (21-16, 21-17)

CRC 2 def 2-1 NCA 2      (25-23, 17-21, 18-16)

ESA 1 def 2-0 GUA 1      (21-11, 21-14)

GUA 2 def 2-0 PAN 2      (21-15, 21-16)

CRC 1 def 2-1 BIZ         (19-21, 21-16, 15-8)

Saturday’s schedule (pool-play)

ESA 2- NCA 1 9:00 a.m.

GUA 1- CRC 2 9:45 a.m.

NCA 2 – ESA 1 10:30 a.m.

BIZ – PAN 2 11:15 a.m.

GUA 2- CRC 1 12:00 md

Grupo A: Cristopher Cascante/Evans Solís (NCA 1), Rafael Vargas/Gabriel Vargas (ESA 2), Gherson Ortiz/ Kevin Acosta (PAN 1).

Grupo B: Christopher Guardado/Yoel Guardado (ESA 1), Daniel Delgado/Roberto Recinos (GUA 1); Luis Cascante/Deyner López (NCA 2), Yulius Brown/José Fernández (CRC 2).

Grupo C: Julian Araya/Jhostin Varela (CRC 1), Ernest Broaster/Eugen Benguche (BIZ), José Miguel Izaguirre/Mario Ventura (GUA 2), Denzel Arboine/Rommy Santos (PAN 2).

Guatemala and Costa Rica lead the women’s tournament

PANAMA CITY, Panama, November 11, 2022.- Guatemala and Costa Rica dominated their pools in the start of the women’s tournament of the XIV Under 21 Central American Beach Volleyball championship.

In pool A, Guatemala 1 with Paola Alvarado/Ana Sofía Arévalo, won in their two outings. First they beat Nahima Silva and Alejandra Rosales (NCA 1) 2-0 (21-15, 22-20) a Nahima Silva y Alejandra Rosales (NCA 1) and then against Sofía Vega y Aliza Aguilar (CRC 2) 2-0 (21-16, 21-18).

Silva/Rosales won 2-0 over Alexandra Reyes/Carmen Alvarez, of El Salvador, who also beat Panamanians Karla Ortiz/Yeilin Hernández 2-0.

In pool B, Angel Williams and Kianna Araya of Costa Rica, won 2-0 (21-10, 21-9) over El Salvador (Karla Tovar/Daniela Soza), and then they beat Nicaragua (Ella Daniele Resau/Yulimar Alvarado) 2-0 (21-10, 21-12).

The second ticket to semifinals will be a tough battle and will be decided in Saturday’s matches. In pool A,  Silva/Rosales (NCA 1), Ortiz/Hernández (PAN 1) and Vega/Aguilar (CRC 2) with one victory each could advance.

In pool B, Aguilar/Rodríguez (GUA 2) and Resau/Alvarado (NCA 2) will play a decisive match to advance against El Salvador and Panama respectively.

Tournament Page

Friday’s results

NCA 1 def 2-0 ESA 2      (21-4, 21-5)

CRC 2 def 2-1 PAN 1      (15-21, 21-15, 15-11)

ESA 1 def 2-0 PAN 2      (21-15, 24-22)

NCA 2 def 2-0 GUA 2     (21-17, 21-18)

PAN 1 def 2-0 ESA 2      (21-17, 21-19)

GUA 1def 2-0 NCA 1      (21-15, 22-20)

CRC 1 def 2-0 ESA 1      (21-10, 21-9)

GUA 2   def 2-0 PAN 2    (22-20, 21-18)

GUA 1 def 2-0 CRC 2     (21-16, 21-18)

CRC 1 def 2-0 NCA 2      (21-10, 21-12)

Saturday’s schedule

CRC 2 – ESA 2 9:00 a.m.

PAN 1 – GUA 1 9:45 a.m.

GUA 2 – CRC 1 10:30 a.m.

NCA 2- PAN 2 11:15 a.m.

NCA 1 – PAN 1 12:00 md

ESA 1 – GUA 2 12:45 p.m.

ESA 2- GUA 1 1:30 p.m.

CRC 2- NCA 1 2:15 p.m.

PAN 2- CRC 1 3:00 p.m.

NCA 2- ESA 1 3:45 p.m.

Pool A: Guatemala 1 (Paola Alvarado/Ana Sofía Arévalo), Nicaragua 1 (Nahima Silva/ Alejandra Rosales), Panamá 1 (Karla Ortiz/Yeilin Hernández), Costa Rica 2 (Sofía Vega/Aliza Aguilar), El Salvador 2 (Alexandra Reyes/Carmen Alvarez).

Pool B: Costa Rica 1 (Angel Williams/Kianna Araya), El Salvador 1 (Karla Tovar/Daniela Soza), Guatemala 2 (Danna Aguilar/Sofía Rodríguez), Nicaragua 2 (Ella Daniele Resau/Yulimar Alvarado) y Panamá 2 (Krisleen González/Ekaterina Ureña).

Nicaragua men will face a great challenge at AFECAVOL U-21 Beach

PANAMA CITY, Panama, November 10, 2022.- XIV Under 21 AFECAVOL Beach Volleyball Central American Championship will have 11 teams of six countries competing in three pools at Ciudad Deportiva Irving Saladino.

In men, Nicaragua has defending champion Cristopher Cascante playing with Evans Solís, and their second team of Luis Cascante/Deyner López.

2021 runner up, twins Christopher Guardado/Yoel Guardado of El Salvador, has another strong pair with Rafael Vargas/Gabriel Vargas.

Costa Rica with two duos: Julian Araya/Jhostin Varela, and Yulius Brown/José Fernández, who will try to improve fourth place in the past edition of the tournament. From Belize, Ernest Broaster/Eugen Benguche.

Guatemala is competing with Daniel Delgado/Roberto Recinos, and José Miguel Izaguirre/Mario Ventura. Panama has Gherson Ortiz/Kevin Acosta and Denzel Arboine/Rommy Santos.

Tournament Page

El Salvador

Pool A: Cristopher Cascante/Evans Solís (NCA 1), Rafael Vargas/Gabriel Vargas (ESA 2), Gherson Ortiz/ Kevin Acosta (PAN 1).

Pool B: Christopher Guardado/Yoel Guardado (ESA 1), Daniel Delgado/Roberto Recinos (GUA 1); Luis Cascante/Deyner López (NCA 2), Yulius Brown/José Fernández (CRC 2).

Pool C: José Miguel Izaguirre/Mario Ventura (GUA 2), Denzel Arboine/Rommy Santos (PAN 2).

First places from pool B and C advance directly into semifinals, while the first place from pool A will face second of pool C, second of pool A will face second of pool B to win their spot in the semifinals.

Friday men’s schedule

PAN 1 vs ESA 2            9:00 a.m.

ESA 1 vs  CRC 2           9:45 a.m.

GUA 1 vs NCA 2          10:30 a.m.

CRC 1 vs PAN 2           11:15 a.m.

BIZ vs GUA 1               12:00 md

NCA 1 vs PAN 1           12:45 pm

CRC 2- NCA 2              13:30 p.m.

ESA 1 – GUA 1             14:15 p.m.

PAN 2 – GUA 2            15:00 p.m.

CRC 1 – BIZ     15:45 p.m.

Guatemala to defend AFECAVOL U-21 Beach title

PANAMA CITY, Panama, November 10, 2022.- The women’s field of the XIV Under 21 AFECAVOL Beach Volleyball Central American Championship starts Friday at Ciudad Deportiva Irving Saladino with 10 teams from five countries.

From Guatemala, defending champion Paola Alvarado will compete this time with Ana Sofía Arévalo, who finished fifth in last year’s edition, the team is expected a great level from the experience of both players. Danna Aguilar and Sofía Rodríguez is Guatemala’s second team.

From Costa Rica, features last year’s runner up Angel Williams and bronze medalist Kianna Araya, also Sofía Vega and Aliza Aguilar.

Nahima Silva and Alejandra Rosales is the number one team of Nicaragua, and Ella Daniele Resau and Yulimar Alvarado is the second team.

Karla Ortiz will play with Yeilin Hernández, while Krisleen González alongside Ekaterina Ureña, represent Panama. El Salvador with Karla Tovar/Daniela Soza, and Alexandra Reyes/Carmen Alvarez.

Tournament Page

Panama

Pool A: Alejandra Rosales), Panamá 1 (Karla Ortiz/Yeilin Hernández), Costa Rica 2 (Sofía Vega/Aliza Aguilar), El Salvador 2 (Alexandra Reyes/Carmen Alvarez).

Pool B: Costa Rica 1 (Angel Williams/Kianna Araya), El Salvador 1 (Karla Tovar/Daniela Soza), Guatemala 2 (Danna Aguilar/Sofía Rodríguez), Nicaragua 2 (Ella Daniele Resau/Yulimar Alvarado) y Panamá 2 (Krisleen González/Ekaterina Ureña).

Friday women’s schedule

NCA 1 vs  ESA 2           9:00 a.m.

PAN 1 vs  CRC 2          9:45 a.m.

ESA 1 vs PAN 2            10:30 a.m.

GUA 2 vs NCA 2          11:15 a.m.

ESA 2- PAN 1               12:00 md

GUA 1- NCA 1             12:45 pm

CRC 1- ESA 1               13:30 p.m.

PAN 2 – GUA 2            14:15 p.m.

GUA 1 – CRC 2            15:00 p.m.

CRC 1 – NCA 2             15:45 p.m.

José Pablo Pérez MVP: “We are family”

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, October 24, 2022.- José Pablo Pérez, opposite of Guatemala was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the XIX AFECAVOL Men’s U21 Central American Championship, helping his team win the gold medal, the last time was in 2015.

Pérez was the leading scorer of his team with 103 points, 83 on kills, 7 blocks and 13 “aces”. His best match was scoring 26 points against Nicaragua, one of the most challenging matches of the tournament.

Pérez also won the honors of Best Server and Best Opposite; the best receiver was El Salvador’s libero Fernando Navarro, who also was recognized as Best Libero. The Best first blocker was Hakan Godoy of Belize and the Second-Best Blocker, Kevin Acost of Panama.

The First Best spiker was handed to Emanuel Pérez of Panama, and Gabriel Vargas of El Salvador the Second-Best spiker.

The Best defense was Nicaraguan libero Axel Gutierrez, Best setter Adolfo Rivas of Guatemala. The Best scorer Dowshel Smith, of Costa Rica with 126 points.

Tournament Page

Pérez: “It’s an award for the team”

José Pablo Pérez said that the individual awards are the result of playing as a team. “We see ourselves like a family, not only as a team. Without them I wouldn’t achieve anything. I am glad, I was expecting one individual award, but not three, I’ve worked really hard, and this is result of that work”.

“More than a team we are a family, we are brothers and that’s the key for success, team union”.

Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama win the medals

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, October 24, 2022.- Guatemala was crowned undefeated champion at the XIX AFECAVOL Men’s U21 Central American Championship, while Nicaragua finished second place and Panama in third.

On Monday, the last day of the event, Nicaragua beat Belize 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-12) to finish second place. With five victories and one loss, Nicaragua was overcome by Guatemala who won the gold medal and Panama finished with bronze. In the past tournament in 2019, Nicaragua was gold, Panama silver and El Salvador bronze.

Evans Solís was the best scorer of Nicaragua with 16 points, while Víctor Cruz and Angelo Guadamuz with 6 points each. For Belize, Preston Smith with 9 and Eleazar Mejía with 8 points as well as Hakan Godoy.

Also on the last day of competition, Panama defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-09) to secure the bronze medal. Emanuel Pérez was the best player for Panama with 12 points, while Víctor Pérez and Víctor Aráuz scored 8 points each. For Honduras, Jonathan Meza and Alejandro Lobo finished with 10 points each.

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Panama was better 31-28 in attacks, 9-1 in blocks and 9-7 in serves, committing 13 errors against 28 from their opponents.  

While beat El Salvador 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 25-22) to finish with three wins and three losses.

El Salvador committed 27 errors that cost them the loss because Costa Rica only committed a total of 12, with advantage of 44-41 in kills and 5-2 in serves; both scored 7 in blocks.

Dowshel Smith scored 23 points and Johan Cerdas 12 for Costa Rica, while Gabriel Vargas scored 22 and Abner Cano 12 for El Salvador.

Final Positions

1.- GUA; 2.- NCA; 3.- PAN; 4.- CRC; 5.- ESA; 6.- BIZ; 7.-HON

Nicaragua wins silver medal beating Belize 3-0

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, October 24, 2022.- Nicaragua beat Belize 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-12) to finish second place at the XIX AFECAVOL Men’s U21 Central American Championship.

With five victories and one loss, Nicaragua was overcome by Guatemala who won the gold medal and Panama finished with bronze. In the past tournament in 2019, Nicaragua was gold, Panama silver and El Salvador bronze.

Evans Solís was the best scorer of Nicaragua with 16 points, while Víctor Cruz and Angelo Guadamuz with 6 points each. For Belize, Preston Smith with 9 and Eleazar Mejía with 8 points as well as Hakan Godoy.

Nicaragua did better in attacks 31-24, both teams scored one point from serves, and Beliz did better in blocks 9-1, four from Godoy, Belize committing 37 errors, against 20 of their opponents.

Tournament Page

Gabriel Navas Nicaragua

Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua: “We accomplished our goal of reaching the podium with a generation who hasn’t won a medal. They wanted to be champions, the boys worked really hard, we failed against Guatemala, but then they recovered and focused in crucial matches like Costa Rica. We are second place, which isn’t bad, we are giving this victory to Nicaragua, we are satisfied and happy”.

Panama wins 3-0 against Honduras to reach the podium

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, October 24, 2022.- Panama defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-09) to win at least the bronze medal at the XIX AFECAVOL Men’s U21 Central American Championship.

With four victories and two losses, Panama will wait for the result between Nicaragua and Belize, if Nicaragua wins, they finish with the silver medal and the Panamanians with bronze, a loss from the host would grant the silver medal to Panama.

In the last tournament in 2019, Panama finished with the silver medal behind Nicaragua; their last gold medal was in 2001.

Emanuel Pérez was the best player for Panama with 12 points, while Víctor Pérez and Víctor Aráuz scored 8 points each. For Honduras, Jonathan Meza and Alejandro Lobo finished with 10 points each.

Panama was better 31-28 in attacks, 9-1 in blocks and 9-7 in serves, committing 13 errors against 28 from their opponents.  

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Panama celebrates victory over Honduras

David de León, captain of Panama: “We are super satisfied with our performance, thank God for all the blessings, for allowing us to win and reach the podium after so many years of struggles and the sacrifices. We were united up to the end, despite the difficulties, like transportation, but we left all in Gods’ hands, we are thankful for the victory and for Panama. Not everyone knows the sacrifices and they only criticize, but we try not to pay attention, we are here, and we played for a good result”.

Jonathan Caballero, coach of Panama: “I am excited, I have no words, I am proud of the guys, they are warriors, they came to battle for a medal, without saying the color, we wanted to be medalists with young players that are the future, we hope to work to put Panamanian volleyball in high again. The guys told me, we want to take home a medal for our country and work as a team and in the past two days they did a great team effort”.

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Costa Rica ends with 3-0 victory over El Salvador

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, 24 de octubre 2022.- Costa Rica beat El Salvador 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 25-22) to finish with three wins and three losses at the XIX AFECAVOL Men’s U21 Central American Championship.  

El Salvador committed 27 errors that cost them the loss because Costa Rica only committed a total of 12, with advantage of 44-41 in kills and 5-2 in serves; both scored 7 in blocks.

Dowshel Smith scored 23 points and Johan Cerdas 12 for Costa Rica, while Gabriel Vargas scored 22 and Abner Cano 12 for El Salvador.

Costa Rica finished with 19 points in three victories and three losses and will have to wait for the result between Panama and Honduras to decide the bronze medal. El Salvador ended with a record of 2-4 for fifth position.

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Costa Rica celebrates victory over El Salvador

Alberto Blanco, coach of Costa Rica: “We were playing at a strong level, but we had a rare set back against Panama, but I believe the teams’ position goes in relation to their work; Guatemala and Nicaragua are working well, Panama and we are going one step at a time. We’ve had difficulties in putting together a national team for the past years because our players are studying abroad, they’ve been playing in other countries and it’s hard to have a good team”.

Alexander Polanco, coach of El Salvador: “This has been a bitter experience, we didn’t have a setter to manage the players, but he’s young, he only has one tournament, and it wasn’t too demanding. In general, the team could’ve given more, we lost close matches and that discouraged the group and they fell, not because they are capable. The team is young, and we are satisfied with their projection”.

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