Costa Rica comes back against Nicaragua and remains undefeated

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 27, 2024.- Costa Rica pulled off almost a miracle to defeat Nicaragua 3-2 (25-22, 19-25, 18-25, 26-24, 15-9) on the penultimate day of the 1st Central American U17 Girls’ Championship of AFECAVOL.

Nicaragua had a 21-13 lead in the fourth set, which would have secured their fourth victory of the tournament, but Costa Rica had other plans. Little by little, they pressed until tying the score at 23 and taking the match to the fifth set after a spectacular 26-24 comeback.

In the fifth set, Costa Rica took advantage of the confusion of the home team, which couldn’t find a way to stop the spikes of Luciana Vargas, Nicole Leiva, and Amada Campos, as well as the strong serving of the Costa Ricans. 

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With this victory, Costa Rica now needs to secure their match against Honduras at 4:00 p.m. to claim the gold medal undefeated. Meanwhile, Nicaragua will face Guatemala at 6:30 p.m. to compete for the silver medal, and Belize will seek to enter the medal tally in their match against El Salvador.

Nicaragua was superior in attack with 57-35, both teams tied in serving with 11, and Costa Rica was better in blocking with 10-5, with the home team committing 47 unforced errors compared to the winners' 32.

Costa Rica's top player was Campos with 13 points, followed by Leiva with 12 and Vargas with 11. Nicaragua's best scorers were Luisa Ríos with 12, Lucía Columna with 11, and Ana Carolina Rodríguez, also with 11. 

Nadia Granados, Costa Rica captain: “We were super nervous at several points during the game, but both teams responded very well. In the fourth set, I think we were behind, but we managed to pull through with maturity and a cool head. Yes, I feel super proud, especially with the entire crowd against us, there was a lot of pressure, but it’s an incredibly strong sense of pride. We still have one more win to secure tomorrow and give it our last effort”.

Kareen Richard, Costa Rica coach: “Many had already given up on that fourth set, but the courage and pride of these players came through. We also had to make some tactical adjustments in the third set, including moving the opposite player to the middle, and although the results didn’t show at first, it paid off in the end. I also want to highlight the players who came off the bench and changed the course of the game. As I told them this morning, the team is 12 players, it’s 12, and it’s great to be able to look at the bench and find solutions.”