JEDDAH, 31 May 2008 — Though they missed to add the Saudi League Cup to their silverware last week, Al-Hilal spikers emerged champion at the three-day tournament titled “Al-Nokhbah Volleyball Championship.” Hilal inscribed their name on the Saudi Volleyball Federation Cup for the seventh time yesterday after downing Al-Ahli 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-18) in the final in Riyadh.
“It’s one of the best games I’ve played in. We pressured Ahli from the beginning and that helped us swing the final to our advantage,” said Hilal’s Naif Al-Buhassoun, adding, the finale of the Saudi League was tough and long but this was short and intense and we did not give them any breaks.
Though the Saudi League champions Al-Ahli began with a flourish in the first set, Hilal closed it 25-23 with some brilliant power plays. The second set saw improved performance from Hilal players at the net as they benefited from some strong blocking and stupendous serving by Ahmed Bakheit, who helped his side run out 25-15 victors in the set. Hilal were also indebted to Khaleel Hijji, who showed no signs of his injuries, as he turned in a stellar performance, especially in the third set, as Hilal sealed the win with a 25-18 romp. Hilal had previously won the Al-Nokhbah Cup six times while Ahli had won it twice. Yesterday’s match also provided ample proof that Hilal were the better team on the day and were deserved winners of the title. The victory also emphasized why Hilal players make up the majority of players in the national side.
Ahli’s captain Ismael Al-Khaibary, also a national player, attributed the cohesion of the players in the Hilal side to the difference in the two teams yesterday. He feels that the younger players in Ahli need a little more exposure to big matches and internationals in order to bridge this gap.
In Ahli’s opening match on Wednesday they outplayed Al-Khuwaildiah 3-0, while Hilal downed Al-Ittihad 3-0. On Thursday Hilal crushed Al-Khuwaildiah 3-0, and Ahli too beat Ittihad by an identical 3-0 margin. In the matchup for third place, Ittihad downed Al-Khuwaildiah 3-2 yesterday.
