PANAMA CITY, Panama, December 10, 2006.- Panama ratified its supremacy in regional Volleyball winning the XIV Senior Central American Men’s Cup while defeating Costa Rica in four sets at the Roberto Duran Gymnasium. It was a match between the teams qualified in the top two positions during the preliminary round.

After losing the first set, the Panamanians triumphed in the next three and took the crown with a 23-25, 25-22, 28-26, 25-12 victory. They avenged the loss to the Costa Ricans suffered in five sets during the round robin phase.

It was the third consecutive title for Panama and seventh overall. They succeeded in 2002 in Costa Rica and repeated two years later in Honduras.

The performance by spiker Donaldo Urena was a key factor in the Panamanian win. Urena was the best scorer and blocker of the tournament and took the honors as the Most Valuable Player of the competition.

The victory earned Panama a ticket to participate in the next II Men’s Pan American Cup in Mexicali and Tijuana, México next June and in the NORCECA Men’s Tournament to be played in Florida, USA next September.

Guatemala finished in the third position defeating El Salvador 25-21, 25-19, 24-26, 25-21. Belize and Nicaragua finished in the fifth and sixth positions.

Panamanian Reynaldo Ortega won the recognition as best libero, defense and receiver and his teammate Horacio Angulo was elected as the best setter. The other two spots in the All-Star went to Guatemalans Jose Alfredo Gonzalez and Alejandro Gonzalez as best spiker and best server respectively.