The 2026 National Division 1 and 2 Volleyball League entered an exciting third day with intense clashes, dramatic rallies, and standout performances across the men’s and women’s categories as teams continued their battle for supremacy.
Key Highlights:
- Light Spikers upset NAF Rockets 3-1 in a major Day 3 result.
- Caliphate Spikers and the Nigeria Immigration Service women’s team recorded victories.
- Light Spikers’ coach praised his team’s confidence against experienced opponents.
- Nigeria Immigration Service beat Sword VC, while Wikki Spikers won a tough five-set match against Katsina United.
- Teams continue battling for promotion and qualification in the league.
Fans witnessed thrilling encounters in both divisions, with several matches producing closely contested sets and impressive displays of determination from emerging teams.
In the women’s category, Caliphate Spikers secured a hard-fought straight-set victory over ACE, winning 3-0 despite strong resistance from their opponents.
The match saw Caliphate Spikers narrowly edge the first two sets 26-24, 26-24 before wrapping up the contest with a 25-19 win in the third set.
Speaking after the match, Caliphate Spikers coach Abdullahi Ibrahim described the encounter as challenging but praised his players for showing resilience.
“Well, I feel excited. The game was challenging, but to God be the glory, we were able to overcome,” he said.
“It’s actually an improvement because today’s challenge was much tougher than yesterday’s.”
The coach explained that fatigue affected his team’s previous performance following a stressful journey to the competition venue.
“We took yesterday’s performance as fatigue from the journey by my players,” he added.
Also in the women’s division, Nigeria Immigration Service defeated Plateau team 3-1 in another entertaining fixture.
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The Immigration side took the first set 25-22 before dominating the second set 25-17. Plateau responded with a spirited 25-21 victory in the third set, but Nigeria Immigration Service regained control to seal the match with a 25-20 win in the fourth set.
One of the major highlights of the day came in the men’s Division One category, where Light Spikers stunned relegated NAF Rockets with an impressive 3-1 victory.
Light Spikers claimed the opening set 25-21 before NAF Rockets fought back to take the second set 25-22. However, the newly promoted side showed remarkable composure to win the next two sets 25-22 and 25-15.
Reacting after the victory, Light Spikers coach Mohammed Idris expressed confidence in his team’s ability despite facing a more experienced side.
“Well, I feel excited. I feel good enough,” he said.
“Rocket is just relegated from the Premiership. They are experienced, while our team is just coming up from Division Two.”
He said defeating a team recently relegated from the topflight serves as a major morale boost for his players.
“If we are winning against somebody that has just been relegated from the Premiership, then it is encouraging for us,” he stated.
“We are never under pressure to meet anybody. Even if we are playing a Premiership team today, we are not under pressure.”
The coach added that his players were focused on maximizing their abilities and fighting for every point.
“Everybody must play what they know how to play. You can’t play more than what you know. It’s one Mikasa we are playing, and it’s the points we need,” he said.
In another men’s Division One clash, Nigeria Immigration Service defeated Sword VC 3-1 after a fiercely contested encounter.
Immigration won the opening set 25-23 and narrowly edged the second set 27-25 before Sword VC responded strongly with a 25-21 third-set victory. However, Immigration closed out the match comfortably with a 25-16 win in the fourth set.
Meanwhile, Wikki Spikers survived a dramatic five-set battle against Katsina United in one of the most entertaining matches of the day.
Wikki Spikers won the first two sets 26-24 and 25-21 before Katsina United mounted a comeback by taking the next two sets 25-22 and 25-17 to force a deciding set.
With both sides battling intensely in the final set, Wikki Spikers eventually held their nerve to secure a narrow 15-13 victory and complete a 3-2 triumph.
In the men’s Division Two category, Niger Brass produced a dominant performance to defeat Caliphate Spikers 3-0.
Niger Brass controlled the game from the start, winning the sets 25-19, 25-18, and 26-24.
Fire Service also recorded a convincing straight-set victory over Kuje Spikers, winning 3-0.
The encounter ended 26-24, 25-11, 25-18 as the Fire Service showcased superior coordination and attacking strength.
With the competition entering a crucial stage, teams are intensifying their push for qualification and promotion, while fans continue to enjoy high-quality volleyball and dramatic contests across both divisions.
