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Unbeaten Unam Kings target MTC VNL

• 6 Hours Ago

Unbeaten Central Volleyball Association (CVA) League leaders University of Namibia (Unam) Kings believe they are ready for top-tier volleyball after a flawless run through most of the first-leg matches.

With only two matches left in the first leg of the season, the men’s side has made it clear that it does not plan to let up in the return fixtures either, as it continues to push for promotion to the MTC Volleyball National League (VNL).

In the CVA League’s most recent round, which saw matches staged at the Unam Main Campus netball courts and Khomas Nampol Hall in Windhoek, Kings stormed to back-to-back straight-sets (3-0) victories in their two encounters.

Their first opponents were Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) Blazers, whom they routed 25-9, 25-12 and 25-14, before overcoming Training Establishment 25-17, 25-14 and 25-15 to retain top spot with 25 points after nine matches.

Focus on big games

Speaking to Sport Wrap after their victory over Blazers, Kings captain Danny-Boy Daniel laid out their ambitions.

“We came into the game knowing that we’re going to take the three points home. We’re trying to maintain the lead and stay top of the league so we can go to the [Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF) Cup] and ultimately qualify for the MTC VNL,” he noted.

Asked what the victory means for the team’s confidence going into the rest of the season, he said it means everything, noting that they need all the help they can get as they prepare for the upcoming “big games”.

“Our focus is on the upcoming big games against big teams in the league. We’re trying to focus on that, not small teams,” he remarked.

Nust Blazers retained sixth place on the log with 10 points after six matches, despite not picking up any points in the round.

Only other unbeaten team

In second place are Kudos, whose sole straight-sets victory over Unam Kings D saw them retain their place with 20 points after seven matches. Kudos are the only other team still undefeated this season.

Third-placed City of Windhoek were stunned by Afrocat D, who handed them a straight-sets defeat. However, City’s narrow 3-2 victory over Khomas Nampol saw them retain their place on the log with 18 points after 10 matches.

In fourth place are NDF Hurricanes, who won both their matches in the round. They routed Afrocat A in straight sets before being pushed to five sets by Afrocat E, where they eventually secured a narrow 3-2 victory.

The fifth and sixth places on the log also remain unchanged, with Afrocat D and Nust Blazers retaining their positions on 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Seventh place has a new owner in Nust Falcons, whose 3-0 victory over Afrocat A helped them leapfrog Khomas Nampol and draw level on 10 points with Blazers, who hold a superior set ratio of 1.18 to Falcons’ 0.82.

Other men’s clashes

Khomas Nampol sit eighth, with their sole point of the round coming from a 3-2 loss to City of Windhoek, moving them to nine points.

Afrocat E also earned a point from their five-set loss to Hurricanes, before later beating Falcons 3-2. That result helped them leapfrog Training Establishment and move into ninth place on seven points.

Training Establishment failed to pick up any points in the round and sit tenth with four points, followed by Unam Kings D on three and Afrocat A, who are still searching for their first point of the season.

NCS also unbeaten

The women’s division featured only two matches, with Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) winning their sole encounter against Revivals A in straight sets to stay unbeaten at the top of the league on 15 points.

NCS captain Frieda Iindongo welcomed the victory, but admitted her team could have executed coach Mutasa Kudakwashe’s game plan better.

“We have got three points in the pocket, but I feel we could have followed the coach’s instructions better in this game. [Kudakwashe] wanted us to give more of the ball to [Revivals A], as it would have caused unforced errors to our advantage,” she recounted.

NCS’ victory came against a team still fighting for its first point of the season at the bottom of the table.

In second place are City Warriors with 10 points, followed by Nust Elite in third with nine.

The other women’s encounter of the round saw Afrocat Titans pick up their first win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Unam Queens B, leapfrogging the latter into sixth place on four points after four matches.

Queens B sit second-last in seventh place with three points after four matches.

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