Mexico improves 2-1 defeating Nicaragua and waits for final position in Pool A

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 23, 2023 .- Mexico defeated Nicaragua 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-13), improving their record to 2-1 and awaiting their final position in Pool A of the first NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Mexico (2-1) and Nicaragua (1-2) will have to wait for the result between Puerto Rico (2-0) and Honduras (0-2) to determine their final position. The first place of the pool advances directly to the semifinals, while the second and third will play in Friday’s quarterfinals.

The NORCECA U17 Championship grants three slots to the FIVB World Championship to be held in 2024.

Mexico comfortably outperformed Nicaragua with a 42 to 19 advantage in attacks and a 12 to 1 lead in service points. Nicaragua led in blocks 6 to 4. Both teams committed 17 unforced errors.

Mexico’s top scorers were opposite Yliana Zuñiga with 17 points on 11 kills  and a match-high of 6 aces, outside hitter Aitana Tanguma with 11 points on 8 kills, 2 blocks, and one ace, and middle blocker Brenda Esquivel with 9 points.

Keyling Olivas once again led Nicaragua with 7 points.

Mexico’s middle blocker Brenda Esquivel said, “Our attack was decisive, I am very satisfied with how well we did. The team needs to improve communication because we lose many balls due to our lack of communication”.

Denixa Zeledon, Nicaragua’s libero, said, “We needed to receive better; that made it difficult to score points from attacks. We will wait for the result of the next game, but I believe we will advance to the quarterfinals. We will fight every game”.