VOLLEYBALL – AL Ahli completed the Top Six undefeated last night while Nabih Saleh kept their Golden Square semi-final hopes alive in the 2024-25 Isa Bin Rashid Bahrain Volleyball League.
Ahli posted a hard-earned victory in four sets against Muharraq, while Nabih Saleh edged past two-time defending champions Dar Kulaib in a five-set thriller.
Both matches took place at Isa Bin Rashid Volleyball Arena, located at Isa Sports City in Riffa.
In Ahli’s win, they were dominant in the first set but Muharraq fought valiantly in the second to level the game at 1-1. Swedish professional Jacob Link supplied the set-closing spike.
In the third, Ahli cruised and were gifted the set-advantage with a Sayed Hashem Issa service error.
Ahli then made the most of their 2-1 advantage in the fourth set, and points from French professional Joachim Panou and Hasan Haider helped them close in on their target. Another Muharraq error on serve then gave them match point, and Panou obliged to seal a 3-1 (25-17, 27-29, 25-17, 25-22) result.
Also playing key roles for Ahli in their win were Mohammed Anan, Hani Alawi, Sayed Mohammed Al Abbar, and Hussain Sultan, among others.
Ahli secured their 10th win in as many outings to wrap up their campaign in the Top Six with a pristine record. They have secured the number one seeds heading into the Golden Square. Muharraq suffered their fourth loss to go with six victories as the second-ranked team on the table.
In last night’s other match, Nabih Saleh kept an eye on the semis with a come-from-behind victory over Dar Kulaib.
Nabih Saleh secured their fourth win in 10 games to tie on the standings with Al Najma, who have a game to play. Najma will take on Al Nasser in the Top Six’s concluding fixture this evening, scheduled for a 7pm start. Their clash will confirm the final cast of clubs in the Golden Square semi-finals, with the last spot being contested between Nabih Saleh and Najma. Nasser are already out of the running having lost all nine of their games to date.
In Nabih Saleh’s win, they conceded the first two sets but then stayed alive with a gritty performance in the third. They laboured ahead 22-18 but Fadhel Abbas spearheaded a Dar Kulaib surge as they tied it at 24-apiece. But Nabih Saleh replied, taking the next point with a monster double block by Ali Marhoon and Emad Salman on Abbas, and were able to secure the set the next rally.
Nabih Saleh rode their momentum into the fourth frame to tie the match at 2-2 and send it into the tie-break. There, it was a toss-up as neither team conceded. An Abbas smash gave Dar Kulaib an 18-17 edge, but Nabih Saleh levelled it at 20-apiece. Mohammed Jassim then gave them the crucial lead, and then paired up with Marhoon for a double block to seal their victory with a 3-2 (22-25, 20-25, 26-24, 25-20, 22-20) score line.
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