El Salvador wins exhausting five setter to Honduras

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, December 15, 2017. – El Salvador won exhausting five sets 3-2 (25-16, 23-25, 25-22, 20-25, 19-17) to Honduras in their last clash at the women’s Volleyball tournament of the XI Central American Games Managua 2017.

El Salvador won the dramatic party of sets that lasted over two hours to finish the event with 2-4 win-loss record and 8 points. For Honduras, with 2-3 record and 10 points, the loss comes as a spoiler while moving into tomorrow’s contest to Guatemala in which they need a straight victory to decide the bronze medal winner on point ratio.

Honduras held advantage in kills (47-41) and blocks (9-7); the difference came as El Salvador benefited from 56 opponent errors while committing 41. Both teams scored 8 points on aces.

Outside hitter Kathya Vasquez and middle blocker Denisse Rogel led El Salvador with 16 and 12 points respectively. Opposite Cecille Johnson was in charge of Honduras offense with 22 points; middle blocker Mariajosse Diaz added 12 points.  

On day six, Honduras (2-3) will face Guatemala (3-2) for the women’s bronze medal.

Capitan de El Salvador Adriana Flores: “We are satisfied to finish on a high note. We played united and this is how we should have performed the entire tournament, playing like we had nothing to lose. This team has young people and if we are able to keep together and improve, we may have a competitive team for a long time”.

Head coach of El Salvador Ingrid Rivas: “It was physically exhausting; our rivalry with Honduras comes from many years, they are very demanding. I think if my team would have performed like today, our outcome would have been different against other opponents. In the first set we played really fast and Honduras had no idea what our strategy was; as the game developed Honduras knew how to push harder. We are going back home to evaluate our performance and decide the necessary arrangements for our future”.

Head coach of Honduras Osiel Vasquez: “In the last set, El Salvador had six points from our service errors; my players did not carry on the instruction to just put the ball on the other side of the court and keep it moving”.