Guatemala Rallies Past Belize to Reach AFECAVOL U17 Final

 

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 3, 2026. – Guatemala rallied from one set down to defeat Belize 3-1 (19-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-17) and advance to the final of the II AFECAVOL U17 Girls’ Central American Volleyball Championship.

 

Guatemala, the undefeated winner of Pool A, will face the winner of the semifinal between Honduras and Costa Rica for the title. Belize will play for the bronze medal.

 

Belize made the stronger start, applying pressure from the service line and relying on the powerful attacking of Jamielee Espejo to claim the opening set. Guatemala responded in the second set with greater composure and tactical discipline, making the most of its middle attack to turn the match around.

 

Kamila Morales led Guatemala’s comeback with 25 points, supported by Appril García with 11 and Andrea Grijalva with nine. Morales consistently attacked through the middle, forcing Belize’s blockers to adjust and creating openings for Guatemala’s offense.

 

For Belize, Jamielee Espejo was the team's leading scorer with 20 points, followed by Kristen Simpson with 10.

 

Guatemala held the advantage in attacks (41-37) and service points (9-5), while Belize led in blocking (5-3). The decisive difference came in unforced errors, as Belize committed 41 compared to Guatemala’s 32.

 

Album de fotos en Flickr

 

Julio Domínguez, Guatemala’s head coach: “Every match in this tournament has been very even, especially from an emotional standpoint. The key was helping the team stay calm. These players do a great job of following tactical instructions, and we were able to regain our organization on the court. That made the difference today. This is a team that fights hard and understands that we have to take it one step at a time. The most important match is still ahead.”

 

Domínguez added: “Whenever you step onto the court, you want to win. We know this is a developmental age group, but every team comes here with the goal of winning. We’re enjoying this moment after reaching the final, and now we have to focus on the next match. God will decide the outcome.”

 

Kamila Morales, Guatemala’s leading scorer: “I’m very happy and grateful to all my teammates because everyone contributed to the team. I gave everything I had, and I’m glad I was able to help. Our plan was to take advantage of their tall block by speeding up our offense and moving the blockers with quick attacks. It worked very well. Now we have the final ahead of us, and we hope to come away with the victory.”