‘We’re going to take this cup’ – Katondoka

The MTC Volleyball National League (VNL) women’s log leaders, NamPol, are confident nothing will stop them now from taking the championship, after making it through the season’s second leg unbeaten so far.

During the fourth round of the MTC VNL, held at the Rundu Trade Fair Hall on Saturday and Sunday, the side proved too strong for its opponents, announcing themselves as the first team to record back-to-back straight-sets victories early in the round.

Their unfortunate victims included two-time defending champions Revivals, over whom they now hold a straight-sets double after first coming out on top 3-0 in Otjiwarongo in March and repeating the same scoreline last weekend.

NamPol ladies also beat Afrocat Ladies and home-based Blaze Aces on their way to a dominant 27-point tally after nine matches, six points clear at the top.

Speaking to Sport Wrap after their dominant display in the round, coach Marjatha Katondoka was all smiles and could not hide her side’s title ambitions.

“The [girls’] performance was very good. We came prepared and have been training for many days for this round.

“We knew we would come here and beat [our opponents] 3-0. We are still going to train hard [after this]. We assure you, we’re going to take this cup,” said Katondoka.

Revivals’ title hopes slipping

In second place, six points behind, are the once-mighty Revivals with 21 points after nine matches, having picked up two 3-0 wins in the round against Afrocat Ladies and University of Namibia (Unam) Queens.

The home-based Blaze Aces retained their third-place position in the standings, having picked up a 3-1 win against Namibian Defence Force (NDF) Phoenix in their only other encounter of the round to move to 15 points after nine matches.

Unam Queens also retained fourth place on the log despite a shaky run in the round, which included a 3-0 loss to Kudos, as the side ended the round with a 3-1 victory over Six Stars, whose search for a first win this season continues.

Kudos’ two victories in the round, including a 3-0 win over Six Stars, plucked the side from the jaws of relegation, moving from seventh to fifth. They are tied on points with NDF Phoenix, but hold a superior set ratio of 0.80 to 0.76.

Afrocat Ladies struggled in the round, picking up only one win from three matches, beating Six Stars 3-0.

New league leaders

In the men’s section, the fifth-to-eighth-place log standings remained unchanged, while the top spot, once held by NDF Raptors, gained new owners in Namibian Correctional Service (NCS).

Similar to NamPol ladies, NCS were a side in form and stormed to straight-sets victories to pick up maximum points against NamPower, NamPol and Unam Hard Hitters.

The results put them top of the table on 25 points after nine matches, one point ahead of second-placed Raptors, who only featured twice in the round, beating home sides Calvary Eagles 3-0 and Brutal Pact 3-1 to move to 23 points after eight matches.

NamPol sit third after winning two of their three matches in the round, beating Brutal Pact 3-1 and surviving a scare from a stubborn NamPower side, who pushed them to a fifth set and forced the sides to share points in a 3-2 victory.

Brutal Pact’s defeats saw them lose ground in the round and they now sit fourth after only managing a single Kavango derby win over experienced Calvary Eagles, in a match that went down to the wire before the newly promoted side won 3-2.

Other encounters saw NamPower pick up their only victory of the round, beating Calvary Eagles 3-0, while Afrocat C’s search for a first win continues to elude them after they fell 3-0 to Unam Hard Hitters.

– [email protected]