Kathmandu, July 22:The Nepali women’s volleyball team lost to the invited Russian team in the first friendly match played at the covered hall of Dasharath Rangasala on Sunday. Filled with powerful and taller members than Nepali players, Russia dominated the first match with their height advantage. The blocks from Russia restricted Nepali spikers from forcing their way through while Nepali blockers could not stop the spikes from the opponents.

The young team led by experienced head coach Yuri Marichev, a former Turkish player, has been recognised as a national team by the Russian government for two friendlies with Nepal. 

Marichev’s team defeated Nepal in three consecutive sets with enough gap. The match showed the difference between a country that invests sufficiently in volleyball and one that does not. Using the right flank to spike the ball towards the court with her left hand, Russia’s No. 7 Anastasiya Azanova was a headache for Nepali blockers and receivers. 

Nevertheless, Nepal, who is playing to learn, showed promise against a team from the world’s top-ranking country in volleyball. Nepal earned 17, 19 and 15 points in the three sets they lost. 

The second friendly match between the two teams will be played at 5 pm on Monday. The two friendlies are to help Nepal prepare for the upcoming CAVA Women’s League.

First win in CAVA U-20

Nepali women’s U-20 volleyball team, which is participating in the CAVA U-20 Championship in the Maldives, was able to win its first match in the tournament on Saturday.

Nepali girls defeated the host in three consecutive sets (25-16, 25-9, 25-10). Earlier, Nepal had lost to Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan. Nepal lost to Sri Lanka by 1-3 sets (20-25, 26-24, 11-25, 18-25) and in three consecutive sets to Kyrgyzstan (25-27, 23-25, 17-25).

Nepal ranks third among the four teams in the table. Nepal will face Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka will face the Maldives in the playoffs.

The winners will progress to the final despite the earlier results in league format. The semi-final has been slated for July 22. The teams will then compete for the first and third spots in two matches to be played on July 23.