JEDDAH, 24 May 2008 — Al-Ahli outlasted Al-Hilal, 3-2, in a marathon five-set match to win the title in the Saudi Volleyball League yesterday at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium here.
Forced to a decider after Hilal beat them in the concluding league match, 3-2, Ahli showed why they are the best team all season long by taking care of business and coming back from two sets down in the no-tomorrow match to win by 21-25, 23-25, 30-28, 25-15, 15-12.
Hilal’s win on Thursday at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium put the Riyadh-based spikers equal with Ahli on 34 points, denying the home team an outright victory. Both teams played the finale as if it was a matter of life and death. They gave it their best shot, working up a mostly partisan crowd of 5,000.
The third set was the turning point of the match. Hilal, the defending champions, brought in the veteran Khaleel Hijji who helped his team tie the score at 25-25 despite being injured the day before.
Captain Ismael Al-Khaibary made it 27-26 in favor of Ahli and after another deadlock at 28-28 the young and talented Asaad Azouz was chief in closing out the set for Ahli 30-28. Ahli handily won the fourth stanza 25-15. Both teams, however, looked fagged out in the critical fifth set.
After Ahli grabbed a 12-11 lead on Azouz service winner, there was no looking back. Less than 7 minutes later the match was sewed up and Ahli were champions again after a three-year title drought.
“We are more than happy to be able to please the huge crowd who came to cheer for us. I’m glad we made them all happy and made our club and parents proud, “ Azouz told the press after the match.
“It was a hard game yesterday, and today it was the hardest but we had faith and we had a goal to achieve and thank God we did,” said Al-Khaibary.
