Kathmandu, November 28

Nepal women’s national volleyball team faced a 3-0 defeat at the hands of India in their second match of the tournament here at the NSC covered hall today.

Nepal, who had opened the campaign with an easy victory over Bangladesh yesterday, failed to save two set points before losing the opening set 26- 24. It was all India thereafter and the tourists registered 25- 12 and 25-16 wins in the second and third sets respectively.

Nepal and India have three points each, while Bangladesh are at the bottom of the three-team pool. India will play against Bangladesh in the last match of the league on Friday and the match will decide the group winners and runners-up. Nepal had defeated Bangladesh 25-9, 25-9, 25-11 in the tournament opener yesterday.

Nepal coach Jagadish Bhatta said the first set was the turning point of the match. “We should have won the first set and I believe we would have emerged victorious if we had taken the lead,” said Bhatta, who guided Nepal to gold medal victory in the first AVC Asian Central Zone Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship in Bangladesh earlier this month.

Nepal skipper Aruna Shahi said the team still had the hopes of reaching the semi-finals. “We were not under pressure in the first set and thought that we would win the match. But after losing the first set, the team came under pressure and we went on to lose the match,” she said.

In men’s section, India advanced to the semi-finals with a 3-0 victory over Bangladesh. India defeated Bangladesh 25- 18, 25-14, 25-15 in their first match and became the first team to make it to the last four with one match on hand.

India will face Nepal in the second match on Friday. The home team had faced a 3-2 defeat against Bangladesh. India are at the top of Group A with three points, while Bangladesh have two from two matches and Nepal are at the bottom with one point. In Group B, Pakistan registered a 25-16, 25-23, 25-15 victory over Maldives.