Photo: Belize National Female U-17 Volleyball Team – Bronze Medalists
by William Ysaguirre
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Sat. Sept. 28, 2024
Belize’s Under-17 girls won the bronze medal by 2 consecutive victories at the first-ever AFECAVOL Central American Female U-17 Volleyball Championships at the National Sports Institute (IND) volleyball gymnasium in Managua on Friday and Saturday afternoon, September 27-28.
Best attacker Imaun Marin hammered 14 kills, as she led Belize to their 3rd win, as they dominated El Salvador, 3-0, on Saturday. Akili Jones scored 12 hits and served 2 aces to win the first set, 25-15. Amayah Lino scored 5 hits, had 2 kill blocks and served an ace to tally 8pts. Twelve-year-old Jamie Espejo of Hummingbird Elementary served 3 aces, and Sara Safa served 4 aces to win the 2nd set, 25-8. Rhea Tsai and Abigail Sharp scored 2 pts each and Hannah Auil scored a hit, as they profited from El Salvador’s 25 errors to win the 3rd set, 25-22. Katya Cunza led the “cuzcatelecas” with 6pts, and Maria Rogel, Adriana Vargas and Maria Jimena Castaneda scored 4 pts each. Belize conceded 24 pts by unforced errors.
Marin hammered 14 kills and served up 2 aces to lead the Belize girls to their 2nd win, 3-1, over Honduras on Friday. Jones scored 12 hits and served an ace to win the first set, 25-12. Lino scored 7 hits and served 2 aces, and MVP Sara Safa served up 7 aces, scoring 2 hits and a kill block for 10pts, as Belize won the 2nd set, 25-17.
Ruth Villegas led Honduras’ counterattack with 11pts, and Enny Cecilia Ramos scored 9pts. Belize conceded 30pts by unforced errors, allowing Honduras to win the 3rd set, 25-18. Tsia scored 4pts, Jamielee Espejo scored 3pts, Jaycee Usher added 2pts, and Auil scored a hit, as they profited from the “catrachas’” 35 errors to win the 4th set, 25-14.
The Belize girls were rebounding from a heartbreak loss, 1-3, to the hosts Nicaragua on Thursday night. Marin was voted MVP of the match, as she hammered 18 kills, scored 2 kill blocks and served an ace to lead Belize with 21pts. Jones hammered 12 hits and served 6 aces, as they forced the host to extra points to win the first set, 26-24. Lucia Ruiz and Luisa Rios led Nicaragua with 12pts each, as they also took the 2nd set, 25-16.
Lino scored 6 hits and 2 blocks, Tsai scored 6 hits, Safa scored 5pts, and Jaycee Usher scored a point. They also profited from the host’s 25 errors to win the 3rd set, 25-20. Alas, Belize conceded 37pts by errors, as the “pinoleras” won the 4th set, 25-21.
Belize finished 3rd in the rankings with 14pts, following a 0-3 loss to the gold medalists, Costa Rica, who tallied 21pts from 5 wins. Nicaragua took silver with 19pts, after their only loss, 2-3, to Costa Rica on Friday night.
Belize won 6 individual awards, as Akili Jones won Best Server by serving 16 Aces, Best Scorer with 84 pts and 2nd Best Attacker with 67 hits, a 31.9 percent efficiency. Dasialynn Thurton won Best Libero with 186 excellent receptions and Best Defense with 133 digs. Imaun Marin won Best Attacker, scoring 67 hits – a 32.88 percent success rate.
Costa Rica’s Amanda Campos won the Most Valuable Player award, Nadia Granados won Best Setter, and Charlotte Martinez won 2nd Best Blocker. Nicaragua’s Maria Ebanks won Best Blocker, while Guatemala’s Melissa Guerra won Best Opposite, and Harumi Monney won Best Blocker.