Staff Reporter
Windhoek-This year’s Bank Windhoek Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF) Cup came full circle with spectacular and highly contested finals at the UNAM main campus recently.
Four of the strongest teams advancing to the final round battled it out one last time to contest for podium spots.
After two competitive rounds in Swakopmund and Katima Mulio, volleyball action returned to the capital for the final bash.
Kicking off the action-packed day was the match between Oshikoto Nampol VC and Khomas Nampol VC, who battled for third place in the women’s division.
After some good volleyball action from both sides, the greater experience and individual class of the Khomas Nampol team proved to be too much for Oshikoto Nampol to handle, as the ladies from Khomas cruised to a convincing 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-10) victory and secured third place as well as N$6 000.
Next was the Navy VC men’s team from Walvis Bay, which took on Katima Mulilo’s UNAM Campus team. Although Navy VC put up a great fight, they could not prevent the team from Zambezi from bagging a comfortable 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-17) victory in the end. Katima Mulilo’s UNAM team also pocketed N$6 000 and various individual player awards.
UNAM’s Nchindo Sinvula led his team as captain and once again displayed a stellar performance with powerful outside spikes. He was also awarded the prestigious award for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the three tournament rounds.
In another clash, SKW women’s team faced a courageous NDF squad. The great individual class and physical strength of SKW, who fielded volleyball veterans like Elina Viejo, Loretha du Toit and MVP Chido Maisiri, saw them clinch the first set.
What initially seemed to be a one-sided match, turned into a heart-throbbing final, with both teams taking the following sets to even out a 2-2. NDF, led by the hard spikes of the promising Nokokure Kambatuku, had become stronger and stronger throughout the game and displayed excellent fighting spirit and great defensive work.
In the tie-break, NDF almost went for the title, leading 8-1, but SKW showed great spirit and took the final set 15-11 in the end beating a disappointed NDF with the final score of 3-2 (25-19, 23-25, 27-25, 18-25, 15-11).
The much anticipated men’s final turned out very similar to the previous match, with Khomas Nampol VC going into the game as the favourites facing a courageously fighting NDF side.
Khomas Nampol took the first two sets with great individual performances from players like Natangwe Messah, Panashe Chiguta and Rehabeam Hengari.
A lot of unforced errors and technical mistakes in the following two sets brought back the brave NDF team, led by legends Eddy Uuyepa and Andreas Engombe to even out the score to 2-2.
Again, the game had to be decided by a tie-break in which the great individual class of Khomas Nampol helped them secure the greatly celebrated title.
Both winning teams (SKW women, KNVC men) won gold medals, the prize money of N$10 000 as well as a trophy. The second placed teams of NDF (both women and men) took home a respectable N$8 000 and silver medals.
The event, once again proudly supported by Bank Windhoek as main sponsor, saw a great number of spectators come to the hall to cheer their teams and enjoy a day of top-class volleyball.