Guatemala Opens the Central American Games

with a Straight-Set Victory over Panama

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, October 17, 2025.– Guatemala’s women’s team opened their campaign at the 12th Central American Games Guatemala 2025 with a convincing straight-set victory 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-19) over Panama, in their first Pool B match of the volleyball tournament held at the Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasium.

The host team will face Belize (1-0) on day two, while Panama (0-1) will seek their first win against Honduras (0-1).

Guatemala controlled the match from the start, with María García and Aury Álvarez leading the offense and a solid blocking line that contained Panama’s attacks. In the second set, the home team quickly pulled ahead (5-1), maintaining their advantage despite a strong response from captain Hashlyn Cuero and Angela Evans, Panama’s main scorers.

The third set took a dramatic turn as Panama jumped to a 14-11 lead, but Guatemala rallied to tie at 15 points and regained control of the game, closing with three consecutive aces by Jessica Caal to seal the victory in front of their home crowd.

ALBUM GUA vs PAN

Guatemala outperformed Panama in every category: attacks (38-30), blocks (6-5), and service points (6-0), while committing fewer unforced errors (19-25).

María García led Guatemala with 12 points, followed by Aury Álvarez with 10. For Panama, Angela Evans and Hashlyn Cuero each scored 12 points.

Aury Álvarez, captain of Guatemala: “Since the beginning of the year, we’ve been training hard. We’re a united, solid team and trust each other. The third set got complicated because we got a little overconfident, and Panama improved their performance — it was a mix of both. I think team unity will be key for the upcoming matches.”

Hashlyn Cuero, captain of Panama: “We knew how tough it would be to play against Guatemala at home. We improved as the match went on, but unfortunately, we couldn’t close the third set. Our reception got better, and that helped us in that set. Now we’ll analyze today’s mistakes, work on those areas, and come out more aggressive and determined from the start of tomorrow’s match.”