Venezuela Off to a Strong Start at Girls’ U17 Pan American Cup

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, May 26, 2026.– Venezuela opened the Girls’ U17 Pan American Cup with a straight-set victory over Costa Rica, winning 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-16) on the opening day of competition at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Both teams compete in Pool C, where Venezuela showcased its offensive power and consistency to begin the tournament on the right foot.

Venezuela recovered from an early three-point deficit (0-3) in the opening set and quickly took control behind the strong play of Yalesca Colina and middle blocker Victoria Sanoja.

Costa Rica showed visible improvement in the second set, led by opposite hitter Esmeralda Ugalde and outside hitter Luciana Vargas, managing to keep the score close for much of the frame. However, Venezuela regained control midway through the set, with Fabianny Carima contributing key points to maintain momentum.

In the final set, Venezuela jumped to a comfortable five-point advantage at 14-9 and continued applying pressure with powerful attacks to close out the match in straight sets.

Venezuela’s dominance in attacking points (37-19) proved decisive in securing the victory. The South Americans also led in blocks (6-4) and service aces (7-4). Venezuela benefited from 25 Costa Rican errors while committing 18 of their own.

Venezuelan captain Andrea Paez said the team needed time to adjust at the start of the match. “Like every first match, we were adapting to the court. It’s a very open space, which we’re not used to. We controlled the game, and the result was better than we expected,” Paez said. She also highlighted the team’s attitude in overcoming the early deficit in the first set.

Yalesca Colina led Venezuela with 13 points, supported by middle blocker Victoria Sanoja with 12 points. Victoria Cobeña was Costa Rica’s leading scorer.

Costa Rica captain Charlotte Martínez viewed the match as an important learning experience despite the loss. “We had difficulties adjusting as a team. We have several new players in our squad, which was challenging. I believe we could have done better,” Martínez expressed.

On the second day of competition, Venezuela will have a rest day, while Costa Rica faces Mexico in Pool C action. The tournament continues through May 31 in Tegucigalpa.