Venezuelan volleyball won 3-2 over Guatemala in the U-23 Pan American Championship

Published at: 02/08/2025 04:24 PM

The Venezuelan men's under-23 volleyball team advanced to the semifinals of the NORCECA U-23 Pan American Cup, after beating Guatemala 3-2 in a tight match that extended to five sets, at the Dome Sports Center of Zone 13 in Guatemala City.

Faced with a motivated local rival and with the support of its fans, Venezuela demonstrated its position as the undefeated leader of Group A, imposing its game and capacity to react at key moments.

The first set was balanced until point 14, when the national sextet showed better attack and block, taking an advantage that they managed to score 25-20 on the scoreboard. In the second period, Guatemala responded strongly and, after an exchange of points, took the set 25-23 to level the score. The third set once again had Venezuela as the protagonist. With greater precision in the serve and forcefulness in the attack, he took advantage of the loss of the locals at the end of the set to take it 25-21.

However, Guatemala did not give up. In the fourth, he rallied the fifth set after winning 27-25. In the final instance, Venezuela set its pace from the first minute, showed a complete game in every aspect and, with a resounding 15-6, closed the game to secure its place among the top four in the tournament. The most outstanding Criollos were Carlos Berríos with 20 points, the product of 19 attacks and a blockade, and Yoisbel Galeno with 19 units contributed with 19 shots and one arrest.

With this victory, Venezuela finishes as the absolute leader of Group A with three wins in three games. Guatemala is in second place (2-1), followed by Costa Rica (1-2) and Suriname (0-3). The next rival of the national team will come out of the quarterfinal qualifiers that Guatemala and Mexico, and the United States and Costa Rica play this Friday. The technical director of the Venezuelan sextet, Yanni Capuzzi, highlighted the team's character to impose its game system, without losing focus or giving in to pressure from Guatemalan fans who turned to their team.

Mazo News Team/MINDEPORTE