Ball Busters dominate at home in MTC VNL

Volleyball
MTC's volleyball backing in Katima Mulilo saw Ball Busters make the most of their home advantage.
Mariud Ngula
The MTC Volleyball National League’s second round, held in Katima Mulilo last weekend, saw the local side Ball Busters serve up home-court domination in the women’s section.

Namibia Volleyball Federation’s (NVF) top-tier league saw the hosts go up against Nampol Otjozondjupa in their sole women’s fixture, putting them away 3-1.

Speaking to this publication about the decisive victory, Ball Busters chairperson Amanda Samwaka said the team played the basics, and they proved to be sufficient for victory.

“They did not really give us a hard time. We only lost a set due to a couple of mistakes. We will now look into training harder, as the upcoming teams will be looking to give us a hard time,” she said.

Regarding their home advantage, Samwaka said their fans turned up in great numbers to cheer them on. “We had such a huge crowd of home supporters. We really had a blast, thanks to our fans,” she said.

Samwaka added that the team is now looking to have a complete tracksuit ensemble featuring their name, following challenges in the first round.

“We had identification issues in the first round, which led to management giving us a N$1 000 fine in the second round, claiming they didn’t notice all our players present on time for the parade. We have submitted an appeal on this, and hopefully management will attend to it promptly with the provision of our new kit for this season.”



Men’s division action

Another local side, Unam Hard Hitters, faced challenges in their two fixtures in the men’s division.

They first went up against newbies Mighty Gunners, where they lost by a narrow 3-2 margin, before bending the knee to Namibia Defence Force (NDF) Raptors in a tough straight-set loss.

Unam Hard Hitters were not the Raptors’ only victims in the one-day fixture, as they also claimed a decisive straight-set victory over their earlier victors, Mighty Gunners.

Reflecting on their straight-set victories, NDF Raptors captain Assel Sindano Daniel said it felt great to secure the maximum six points.

“You know, the team gave their all to pick up every point. I think the individual effort from each player made this achievement possible. Everyone really stepped up, and yeah, we won the games.”

In another men’s clash, defending champions Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) reigned over Calvary Eagles, clinching a 3-0 victory.



Current log leaders

The second round of the league concluded with NCS topping the men’s log standings with 12 points, having played four games. They are followed by NDF Raptors in second place with 11 points after playing four games and Nampol with six points after two games.

In the women’s division, the top three teams have only played two games so far. Unam Queens lead the leaderboard with six points, followed by Revivals in second with five points and NDF Phoenixes also with five points, separated by set ratios of 1.54 and 1.34, respectively.



MTC’s invaluable contribution

League coordinator Abert Khevare described the Katima round as highly competitive, with the local clubs and the region showing strong preparation.

“Spectators really came out in numbers to support their two representative teams. They all had a lot of fun, which is what volleyball is all about. Katima Mulilo brought people together and ensured that sport was the real winner at the end of the day, regardless of who won on the court,” he said.

Khevare also lauded MTC’s sponsorship, referring to them as true enablers of volleyball. “The league would not be able to continue without MTC’s invaluable funding, which makes travel and accommodation for the teams possible.

“As volleyball leadership, we are very grateful that a company like MTC came on board to ensure that a Namibian child, whether from Katima or Keetmanshoop, can be inspired by professional players and ultimately be encouraged to join the sport.”

The next round will be held in Otjiwarongo from 28 to 30 June.

- [email protected]