Costa Rica Comes from Behind to Defeat Guatemala

at the AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, October 15, 2026.– Costa Rica bounced back after dropping the first set to defeat Guatemala 3-1 (19-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-18) in the opening match of the AFECAVOL Women’s Central American Final Four Championship.

Guatemala took the lead by winning the first set 25-19, led by eight points from captain Ivana Sopegno and four from Andrea Garcés. However, Costa Rica improved its serving effectiveness starting in the second set, disrupting Guatemala’s offense and capitalizing on its opponents’ errors to take control of the match.

Tannia Carazo led Costa Rica’s offense with 16 points, followed by María del Sol Venegas with 15 and Tatiana Sayles with 14. For Guatemala, Natalia Pérez scored 16 points, while Ivana Sopegno added 14.

Costa Rica held the advantage in blocks 11-5, including four from Valeria Campos, and in aces 9-6, with Tatiana Sayles contributing three. Guatemala led in attacks 50-45 but committed 29 unforced errors compared to Costa Rica’s 21.

On Friday, day two of competition, Costa Rica will face Belize at 4:30 p.m., while Guatemala will take on Nicaragua at 7:00 p.m.

ALBUM FLICKR: COSTA RICA vs GUATEMALA

José Miguel Briceño, Costa Rica’s assistant coach: “We were really looking forward to playing Guatemala because we faced them at the Pan American Cup in Mexico and suffered a defeat. The beauty of sports is that you get another chance, and we approached this match as an opportunity for revenge.”

Briceño highlighted the adjustments made throughout the match: “We brought a different team, particularly with two setters who had not previously been part of our senior national team. We knew we had to make the most of our main strengths, such as our serve and our height at the net, and I believe we managed to do that at different stages of the match.”

“We improved as the match went on. We know the upcoming matches will be just as demanding, and we need to maintain the right attitude and be technically and tactically prepared to achieve the results we want,” he added.

Tatiana Sayles, Costa Rica’s captain: “We’re happy with the result, although it wasn’t our best match. It was a match where we had to adjust, and I believe our concentration was key to securing the victory. We made a lot of mistakes in the first set, but we managed to reduce them as the match progressed.”

“It’s a very short tournament where every point counts. Now we need to prepare for tomorrow’s match,” Sayles added.

Julio Domínguez, Guatemala’s head coach: “We have a team made up mostly of young players who need to gain competitive experience. We won the first set thanks to our patience and solid technical and tactical performance, but in the decisive moments, our lack of experience ended up affecting us.”

Ivana Sopegno, Guatemala’s captain: “Overall, I think we played quite well. We were able to adjust to the heat and the conditions, and we had some very good moments, although we also struggled with lapses in concentration. It’s only the first day of competition, and we still have a long way to go.”

“We’re a very close-knit and relatively new team, with some experienced players and others who are just getting started. This group has a lot of potential for the future, and we all get along extremely well,” Sopegno concluded.