Hilma Nalupe
After months of intense competition, the 2025 MTC Volleyball National League (VNL) ended last weekend.
Keetmanshoop Correctional Facility Volleyball Club, Mighty Gunners Volleyball Club, Otjiwarongo Nampol Volleyball Club and Ball Busters Volleyball Club face relegation.
While the disappointment was evident among the relegated teams, their spirit remains unbroken.
Instead, they are regrouping, reworking and refocusing on climbing back into the league.
For Keetmanshoop Correctional Facility Volleyball Club, head coach Elia Paulus described the setback as a wake-up call and an opportunity to rebuild.
“Relegation is not the end. It’s a lesson and a stepping-stone. We are confident that, with hard work, discipline and unity, we will bounce back and reclaim our place in the national league,” he said.
He added that the team has already started a restructuring process, focusing on improved training programmes and enhanced player development.
The club also plans to involve the broader Keetmanshoop community in its rebuilding efforts.
Meanwhile, Otjiwarongo Nampol Volleyball Club’s public relations representative Naemy Shikulo reflected on a season of challenges that tested the team’s unity and mental strength.
She said the team will implement more structured training sessions, focusing on tactical improvement and defensive consistency while also investing in mental conditioning and team bonding to strengthen communication on the court.
“This is not the end of our story. It’s only the beginning of a stronger chapter. Every set, every serve and every game will be played with the passion of a team that knows what it means to fall and rise again,” Shikulo said.
Ball Busters Volleyball Club coach Riana Ndozi said the team’s focus will be on rebuilding its squad after losing several players to other teams.
“We are looking for new players and training hard to re-enter through the Namibia Volleyball Federation qualifiers, and then work our way back to the VNL,” Ndozi said.
On the men’s side, Mighty Gunners Volleyball Club also dropped out of the league alongside Keetmanshoop Correctional.