As the CAVA Under 19 Volleyball Tournament took place in Colombo during the past week, the court turned electric with a spectacular display of dominance, finesse, and heart, giving the victory to the Kyrgyzstan lasses. From a roaring performance by Sri Lanka to clinch third place to a closely fought Nepal – Kyrgyzstan battle that kept fans on edge, the tournament once again proved why it’s a jewel of the CAVA Volleyball scene.
Third Place match – Sri Lanka vs Maldives
Sri Lanka took the first point of the first set through a misjudged dig of the Maldives. When the Maldives was leading by 03 – 02 points, Sri Lanka launched a fine attack and cruised to a lead with 09 – 04 points, and the Maldives opted for a time-out to break the rhythm of the hosts. However, the time-out was never able to put the brakes on Sri Lanka, as the hosts managed to clinch another 10 straight points, and Maldives tried out their luck by taking the second and final time-out. Sri Lanka cruised to a win without any sort of a challenge, shattering the hopes of visitors. (Sri Lanka 25 – 06 Maldives)
Sri Lanka started the second set with the same rhythm that they left with in the previous set. Without wasting any time, they accumulated 8 points with highly technical play. When the scores read 08 – 01, the Maldives took a time-out. The Maldives failed to perform better even after the break, but a few service errors and silly mistakes by Sri Lanka escalated the Maldives’ points tally to 11 points. When Sri Lanka was leading by 22 – 11 points, the Maldives tried out their second time-out, but it was in vain as the hosts easily clinched the victory after the break by showing precision, pace, and polish. (Sri Lanka 25 – 11 Maldives)
The win of the third set was crucial for the Maldives to stay alive in the game, and they secured the first couple of points owing to some aimless spikes of the Lankan lasses. However, Sri Lanka recovered well from their initial mistake and managed to equal the points. Maldives gave a better fight in this do-or-die situation, but Sri Lanka gradually built a considerable lead. When the scores read 14 – 07, the Maldives took the first time-out. However, the Sri Lankans intensified the attack and tightened the pressure on the visitors. Hence, the Maldives opted for the 2nd time-out when the score read as 19 – 09. After the break, Sri Lanka managed to put a cherry on top of their victory by scoring the remaining 06 points in a row. (Sri Lanka 25 – 10 Maldives)
With this remarkable performance, Sri Lanka managed to steamroll their neighbours without any mercy and clinched the third spot of the 2nd CAVA Under 19 Volleyball Tournament. Hiruni Prabodha and the Skipper Sulakshana Pasinduni led the attack of Sri Lanka, while Nethmi Divyanjali and Nethya Minduli’s all-round brilliance secured an easy win for the hosts.
The Final – Nepal vs Kyrgyzstan
In the high-stakes Final, the two powerhouses, Nepal and Kyrgyzstan, battled it out for the coveted championship. Kyrgyzstan gave the first point through a misjudged service. Later, Nepal managed to build a 13-07 lead. Afterwards, the Kyrgyz lasses closed the gap by giving some joy to the spectators. However, Nepal held their nerve to clinch the first set by building an early advantage in the game. (Nepal 25 – 22 Kyrgyzstan)
Kyrgyzstan started the 2nd set with another misjudged spike shot, and Nepal managed to build a lead during the initial phase of the set (As 06 – 02 points). However, the strong Kyrgyzstan outfit never gave up and came back strong to win the set, astonishing the spectators. (Nepal 20 – 25 Kyrgyzstan)
During the third set, Nepal took the first point through a fine block. When Nepal was leading in the initial phase of the set, Kyrgyzstan launched a fine counterattack, and the ladies from the Himalayas retreated against the thundering spike shots of the tall Kyrgyz girls. (Nepal 21 – 25 Kyrgyzstan)
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Kyrgyzstan took the first point of the fourth set with a thundering spike, and the ball went out of the court after hitting on the block. Then a Kyrgyzstan player was penalised for carrying the ball. Though Kyrgyzstan managed to create an initial lead, the Nepal ladies struck back hard, and Kyrgyzstan was never able to recover. Hence Nepal took the victory of the set with ease. (Nepal 25 – 13 Kyrgyzstan)
After levelling the set victories, the fifth and final set was a stunner as both sides fought tooth and nail to clinch the championship they deserved. Nepal took the first point with a brilliant play and then gave away a crucial point by touching the net. When Nepal was leading by 07 – 04 points, Kyrgyzstan counter-attacked well to cut the deficit and gain the lead. The Nepal lasses may have felt the pressure afterwards and made some crucial mistakes, which helped Kyrgyzstan to build a lead in the final set. Kyrgyzstan completed their mission by 03 – 02 set by posing a fine block to a strong spike shot delivered by their opponent. (Nepal 11 – 15 Kyrgyzstan)
Special Awards
Best Outside Hitter 1 : Jenisha Biswakarma (Nepal)
Best Outside Hitter 2 : Harshani Nisansala Wijerathne (Sri Lanka)
Best Middle Player 1 : Rebika Lama Tamang (Nepal)
Best Middle Player 2 : Amirakulova Saikal (Kyrgyzstan)
Best Opposite Spiker : Raiana Baiamanova (Kyrgyzstan)
Best Setter : Aitbekova Perizat (Kyrgyzstan)
Best Libero : Anjila Pradhan (Nepal)
Most Valuable Player : Amirakulova Saikal (Kyrgyzstan)
Winners – Kyrgyzstan Team – Raiana Baiamanova (Captain), Gulmira Tulenova, Asylzat Maksutova, Sabina Nadirbekova, Mariia Tkacheva, Alina Alekhnovich, Nurzhamal Bolotbekova, Amina Zhakeshova, Asema Seiitbekova (Libero player), Saikal Amirakulova, Daiana Toktosunova, Perizat Aitbekova, Head Coach – Nurgiza Masimova
1st runners-up – Nepal Team – Jenisha Biswakarma (Captain), Krishma Dangi, Binita Rana, Mina Sunar, Ashika Kshetri, Sunita Khatri, Rebika Lama Tamang, Anjila Pradhan (Libero player), Nisha Mahar, Bhawana Tamang, Pratibha Chaudhary, Samjhana Nepali, Rai Kumar (Head Coach)
2nd runners-up – Sri Lanka Team – Sulakshana Pasiduni Abeyrathne (Captain), Hiruni Prabodha, Harshani Nisansala Wijerathne, Thisandi Thushmini, Pavani Pabasara, Tanashi Bhaghya, Apsara Nethmini, Vihangi Ahinsa, Chathsika Dilshani, Nethmi Divyanjali, Nethya Minduli, and Jineshi Madushani, Head Coach – Charles Thilakarathne,
