The various competitions organised by the Malta Volleyball Association continued over the weekend at the Cottonera Sports Complex. As was the case the previous weekend, the Senior League took centre stage, with three matches played.
Senior League
In Saturday’s match, two Super League teams faced each other as Flyers took on newly promoted Mgarr. Flyers secured a 3–1 victory after recovering well from losing the opening set 25–21. They bounced back strongly, winning the next three sets 25–17, 25–15 and 25–13 to claim their second victory of the season.
On Sunday, Birkirkara faced First Division side Depiro. The Birkirkara team, competing in the Super League, came into the match following a victory in their opening fixture against Paola. Depiro, meanwhile, had caused an upset the previous week by defeating Falcons.
This time, however, it was Dalton Caruana’s Birkirkara who came out on top, defeating Charles Gauci’s Depiro 3–1. Birkirkara won the first set 25–16, before Depiro levelled the match by taking the second 25–13. The Birkirkara side regained control to win the third set 25–15, but had to work extremely hard to close out the match in the fourth, eventually winning 33–31. The scoreline in the final set highlighted the resilience of a young Depiro side that proved to be a tough opponent for Birkirkara.
The final senior match of the weekend featured two First Division teams, Birkirkara Reds and Paola Executive Security. The Paola side, led by Michael Magro, produced a dominant performance to secure a comfortable 3–0 victory. Paola controlled the match throughout, winning the sets 25–9, 25–13 and 25–10.
Under-19 Competition
In the Under-19 competition, Depiro recorded a 3–1 victory over Paola Cool and Kiwi. Depiro took the opening set 25–14, but Paola responded by winning the second 25–22. Depiro then regained their momentum, comfortably taking the final two sets 25–11 and 25–16 to seal the win.
Under-17 Competition
Three matches were played in the Under-17 competition over the weekend.
Falcons faced Paola Maypole, with Paola producing a convincing performance to win in straight sets, 3–0. Paola dominated the match, winning 25–8, 25–5 and 25–15.
Swieqi Phoenix Block ‘N Roll secured a 3–1 victory over Flyers in a more competitive encounter. Flyers edged the opening set 25–23, but Swieqi Phoenix responded emphatically, winning the second set 25–4. They maintained their advantage to take the remaining sets 25–19 and 25–20.
In the final Under-17 match, Depiro defeated Birkirkara Thunder Spikes 3–1. Depiro narrowly won the opening set 25–23, before Birkirkara Thunder Spikes levelled the match with a 25–18 victory in the second. Depiro then regained control, winning the third and fourth sets by identical scores of 25–18 to claim the match.
All Weekend Results
Senior League
- Flyers 3–1 Mgarr (21–25, 25–17, 25–15, 25–13)
- Birkirkara VC 3–1 Depiro (25–16, 13–25, 25–15, 33–31)
- Birkirkara Reds 0–3 Paola Executive Security (9–25, 13–25, 10–25)
Under-19
- Depiro 3–1 Paola Cool and Kiwi (25–14, 22–25, 25–11, 25–16)
Under-17
- Falcons 0–3 Paola Maypole (8–25, 5–25, 15–25)
- Swieqi Phoenix Block ‘N Roll 3–1 Flyers (23–25, 25–4, 25–19, 25–20)
- Depiro 3–1 Birkirkara Thunder Spikes (25–23, 18–25, 25–18, 25–18)
Photos Credit: Francesca Pace