Sagarmatha Smashers Secure Second Consecutive Win; Thrilling Victory for Kathmandu Reds
Sagarmatha Smashers defeated Khaptad Falcons Sudurpashchim 3–0 on Saturday in Kathmandu, marking their second consecutive victory in the Extreme Energy Drink Nepal Volleyball League. Kathmandu Reds started their campaign with an exciting 3–2 win over Madhesh Warriors, with Ahmad Mustafa Khan being named ‘Player of the Match’. Madhesh Warriors have suffered back-to-back losses, with their foreign players underperforming in the opening two matches.
In the match held at the Dasarath Rangasala Covered Hall, Tripureshwor, Sagarmatha Smashers convincingly defeated Khaptad Falcons in straight sets, 3–0, to earn their second successive win in the Extreme Energy Drink Nepal Volleyball League (NVL) on Saturday. Sagarmatha established dominance by winning both the first and second sets with a strong margin of 25–18. They sealed the one-sided victory in the third set with a score of 25–19. This was the first match in the league to conclude in straight sets, making it a significant result.
Pakistani spiker Aimel Khan of Sagarmatha Smashers delivered an outstanding performance and was named ‘Player of the Match.’ He contributed a game-high 18 points. It is notable that he was also awarded ‘Player of the Match’ in the previous game against Madhesh Warriors. Fakhar Khan added 15 points for Sagarmatha, while Artem Kislyev and Bosco Date scored 12 and 10 points respectively for Khaptad. With this win, Sagarmatha leads the standings with 6 points.
Kathmandu Reds’ victory was equally thrilling. In the first exciting match of the day, Kathmandu Reds fought hard to edge past Madhesh Warriors in a grueling five-set match, winning 3–2. Madhesh claimed the first set 25–20, but Kathmandu bounced back in the second set, winning it 26–24 in a tiebreak to level the match. Kathmandu took the third set comfortably at 25–17 to lead 2–1. Madhesh responded by taking the fourth set 25–22, forcing a decisive fifth set. Kathmandu clinched the final set with a close 16–14 score.
Ahmad Mustafa Khan of Kathmandu Reds displayed a stellar performance, scoring 45 points and earning the ‘Player of the Match’ title. Captain Sunil Bohara added 24 points. Despite Jiwin Sebastian’s 33 points for Madhesh, his team could not secure the win. Kathmandu’s head coach Nrip Bahadur Bik expressed satisfaction with the victorious start, while Madhesh assistant coach Suraj Bhujel cited the foreign players’ subpar performance as the reason for their fifth-set defeat.
With the win, Kathmandu Reds gained 2 points, while Madhesh secured 1 point, confirming their presence in the points table. This loss marks Madhesh Warriors’ second consecutive defeat, the first being against Sagarmatha Smashers. The NVL has two more games scheduled for Sunday. At 4 PM, Annapurna Spikers Kings will face Kathmandu Reds in the first match, followed by Karnali Shivraj and Khaptad Falcons at 7 PM. Organized for the first time by Kedia Group, this men’s volleyball franchise league features six competing teams, with the champions set to receive a cash prize of NPR 2 million.