Kudos steal the show in Gobabis
Kudos were the standout performers in the fifth round of the MTC Volleyball National League (VNL), climbing from fifth to third after back-to-back victories at Gobabis Legare Stadium on Saturday.
The round marked the first time the country’s top-tier volleyball competition was staged in Gobabis.
The Windhoek-based side have not always occupied favourable positions on the log, but have gradually established themselves as contenders for the top places. Their improvement has been driven by the addition of experienced players to the line-up.
One notable addition has been player-coach Elina Veijo, who moved from the touchline into a playing role to add experience on court, a move that helped lift Kudos to fifth after the previous round.
The latest round saw Kudos survive a scare against Afrocat Ladies, coming from a set down twice before holding their nerve to win a rollercoaster five-setter 3-2 (16-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-15, 15-9).
More settled against Phoenixes
Kudos looked more settled in their second match against Namibian Defence Force (NDF) Phoenixes, despite being pushed 25-23 in the second set. They went on to complete a 3-0 (25-9, 25-23, 25-17) victory.
The two wins earned Kudos five points, two from the five-set victory over Afrocat Ladies and the maximum three against Phoenixes, taking them to 15 points after ten matches.
All teams across the women’s and men’s divisions have now played ten matches following the Gobabis round.
Kudos’ 15 points matched Blaze Aces’ total after the latter failed to collect a point from their 3-0 loss to Revivals.
However, Kudos moved ahead with a superior set ratio of 1.06 to Blaze Aces’ 0.95, leaving the latter in fourth place.
Reflecting on their opening-match scare, Kudos captain Hendrina Shoro admitted that Afrocat Ladies started strongly and disrupted their flow.
“I’ll give [Afrocat Ladies] credit for their great fighting spirit. We definitely struggled to find our footing in those opening sets.
“It was our first match after losing four of our players who transferred to different teams, [including former captain Albertina Shilelo, who joined Phoenixes],” she said.
Shoro said the departures forced Kudos to find a new rotation that would work for them going forward. She added that the side did not need to overhaul its entire system, but rather adjust its mentality to carry it through difficult moments.
“This team knows how to fight, even when we are out of system. We just locked in on our communication, focus and willingness to fight for each other until the end,” she said.
Shoro said that mentality carried them through the round and contributed to a more settled performance against Phoenixes, supported by improved passing and a more stable system.
“[We focused] on the first touch. Our passers gave us a steady foundation. Even when they pushed us hard in that second set, which ended 25-23, we didn’t panic.
“We minimised our service errors and [avoided] giving away free balls,” she said.
With four matches and two rounds remaining, Shoro hopes her side can maintain its discipline and open a comfortable points cushion over Blaze Aces.
“Being tied on points with a great team like Blaze Aces means we don’t have any room for error. We need clean 3-0 or 3-1 wins in the remaining matches every time we step onto the court,” she said.
Meanwhile, Revivals’ straight-sets victory over Blaze Aces moved them to 24 points, keeping them second and six points behind unbeaten leaders NamPol.
NamPol once again collected maximum points with a 3-0 victory over Unam Queens to remain top on 30 points.
The defeat saw Unam Queens drop from fourth to fifth on 14 points, one behind Kudos and Blaze Aces.
The bottom half of the table remained largely unchanged, with Phoenixes sixth on 13 points after beating Six Stars 3-0.
Afrocat Ladies occupy seventh place on nine points, while bottom-placed Six Stars remain in search of their first point of the season.
Raptors reclaim top spot
In the men’s division, the results largely went according to script, with the main change being NDF Raptors reclaiming top spot after winning both their matches in the round. They first saw off a spirited NamPower side 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 27-29, 25-16).
NamPower fought back to take the third set 29-27, but were unable to force the encounter into a fifth.
Raptors later routed Afrocat C 3-0 to remain unbeaten and move top of the standings on 29 points.
Previous round leaders Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) were made to work by newly promoted Brutal Pact. NCS took the opening two sets 25-20 and 25-11 before Brutal Pact fought back with 25-16 and 26-24 wins to force a tie-breaker.
However, NCS recovered to take the deciding set 15-9 and win the encounter 3-2 (25-20, 25-11, 16-25, 24-26, 15-9).
The victory earned NCS two points, keeping them second on 27, two behind the Raptors. Brutal Pact collected one point and remain fourth on 15.
NamPol sit third on 19 points after seeing off University of Namibia (Unam) Hard Hitters 3-0. NamPower are fifth on 13 points after losing their only encounter of the round.
Calvary Eagles occupy sixth place on ten points after coming from a set down to hand Afrocat C their second defeat of the round with a 3-1 (27-29, 25-16, 25-18, 25-15) victory.
Hard Hitters are battling relegation in seventh place on six points, while bottom-placed Afrocat C remain in search of their first victory, with only one point to show for their season so far.
