MANAGUA, Nicaragua, October 18, 2026.– Costa Rica’s Tatiana Sayles was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 3rd AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four, which concluded with Costa Rica claiming its first title following a thrilling five-set victory over host Nicaragua.
Sayles celebrated the championship, a goal the team had set before leaving Costa Rica, and praised her teammates’ unity and determination in securing the title after falling short in the previous two editions.
“We are extremely satisfied. We made history. After two Final Four tournaments, we finally achieved the victory we had been seeking since we left Costa Rica. That was our goal. We knew it wouldn’t be an easy tournament. All four teams fought incredibly hard, but after yesterday’s match, we were very focused,” said the MVP.
“As the saying goes, you can’t let a defeat get to your heart or a victory go to your head. Today, we all came in focused on achieving our goal. The team played extremely well, with great discipline, and I’m very proud of all my teammates. I’m a champion, and I’m very happy,” she added.
Rather than taking individual credit, Sayles shared the recognition with her teammates and particularly highlighted the contribution of Tannia Carazo, one of Costa Rica’s most experienced players.
“To me, this award belongs to the entire team. If I had to choose an MVP, I would have chosen Tannia. She had an outstanding tournament and never lets us lose confidence. It’s something we work on together, perhaps because we are the veterans of the team. All my teammates are incredible, and any one of them could have won this award,” Sayles said.
The MVP also praised 16-year-old setter Kelliany Asabi Rodríguez, who took on the responsibility of running Costa Rica’s offense in a senior-level competition.
“Asabi had an outstanding tournament. It’s very difficult to run a team in a senior tournament as a setter, which is one of the positions that carries the most pressure, and she handled it like a seasoned player. She has an incredible future ahead of her. The entire team supported her as much as possible, and we are very proud of her,” Sayles emphasized.
Costa Rica and Nicaragua led the individual awards with four honors each, while Belize and Guatemala received two awards apiece.
2026 AFECAVOL WOMEN’S FINAL FOUR INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Most Valuable Player (MVP): Tatiana Sayles – Costa Rica
Best Opposite: María Belén Arcia – Nicaragua
1st Best Spiker: María del Sol Venegas – Costa Rica
2nd Best Spiker: Fatoumata Camara – Belize
1st Best Blocker: Valeria Campos – Costa Rica
2nd Best Blocker: Sharlin Thorboun – Costa Rica
Best Scorer: Fatoumata Camara – Belize
Best Server: Andrea Garcés – Guatemala
Best Setter: Jimena Castellanos – Guatemala
Best Receiver: María Belén Arcia – Nicaragua
Best Digger: Marcela Roa – Nicaragua
Best Libero: Marcela Roa – Nicaragua