The national volleyball championship, organised by the Malta Volleyball Association (MVA), got underway this weekend at the Cottonera Sports Complex, with the opening round already producing some surprising results.

This season, all senior teams will face each other during the first round before the competition splits into the Super League and First Division for the second round onwards, according to the teams’ final standings from last season. This new format aims to increase competitiveness and generate even greater interest in Malta’s premier volleyball competitions.

The opening weekend certainly lived up to expectations, with several noteworthy results.

In Saturday’s opening match, the relatively young Depiro side, competing in the First Division last season, recorded an impressive 3–0 victory over Falcons, a team accustomed to playing in the Super League. Coached by Charles Gauci, Depiro took the first set 25–21 before comfortably winning the second 25–13. However, they had to dig deep in the third set before securing a narrow 28–26 victory to complete an excellent opening performance.

In another encounter, Birkirkara defeated Paola Executive Security 3–0. Coached by Dalton Caruana, Birkirkara bounced back strongly from their defeat against the same opponents in the John Bugeja Cup, played just a few weeks earlier. They took the first set 25–21, followed by victories of 25–20 in both the second and third sets. It was a disappointing performance from Paola, coached by Michael Magro, who will be looking to respond in their upcoming fixtures.

Flyers also began their campaign with a convincing 3–0 win over Birkirkara Reds. Flyers dominated the opening two sets, winning 25–13 and 25–14, before sealing the match with a closer 25–23 victory in the third.

In the final match of the day, reigning champions Swieqi Phoenix Nium made a strong start to their title defence with a straight-sets victory over newly promoted Mgarr. Under the guidance of Leonard Zammit Munro and Justin Montesin, Swieqi controlled the match from the outset, winning the first set 25–16, the second 25–14 and the third 25–12.

With the new championship format bringing all senior teams together in the opening round, the first weekend has already shown that the competition could be more unpredictable and exciting than ever.

Photos credit: Marvic Micallef

Seniors League

Falcons vs Depiro 0-3 (21-25, 13-25, 26-28)

Birkirkara vs Paola Executive Security 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-20)

Flyers vs BKVC Reds 3-0 (25-13, 25-14, 25-23)

Mgarr vs Swieqi Phoenix Nium 0-3 (16-25, 14-25, 12-25)

Under 19

Paola Cool & Kiwi vs Phoenix Tough Cookies 0-3 (16-25, 11-25, 16-25)

Swieqi Phoenix Volley Maniacs vs BKVC Vixens 0-3 (14-25, 14-25, 6-25)

Under 17

Paola Maypole vs Swieqi Phoenix Block ‘N Roll 0-3 (9-25, 7-25, 10-25)

Depiro vs Falcons 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-12)

BKVC Thunder Spikes vs Flyers 1-3 (27-25, 19-25, 23-25, 24-26)

Photos credit: Marvic Micallef