By Sachit Subba • Volleyball • Sep 11, 2026 15:40 PM • 34 views
Karnali Shivaraj beat the Kathmandu Reds 3 to 1 in the playoff round at the National Sports Council covered hall in Tripureshwar to book a place in the Extreme Energy Drink Nepal Volleyball League championship match. The result sent them straight to the weekend title game.
The set scores were 25 to 21, 20 to 25, 25 to 23 and 25 to 22. Karnali took the first set, Kathmandu levelled in the second, and Karnali then closed out the next two sets by narrow margins.
The win was especially important for Karnali, as Kathmandu had beaten them 3 to 1 in the league phase two days earlier. That was Karnali's only loss of the tournament, and they responded with an adjusted strategy in the playoff stage.
Karnali will face the Annapurna Spiker Kings in the final on Saturday. Annapurna reached the final directly after topping the six-team table with four straight wins, 12 points, and an unbeaten record. Karnali must now overcome the tournament's most dominant team.
Three further franchises left the tournament during the league phase; the Sagarmatha Smashers, the Madhesh Warriors, and the Khaptad Falcons did not make it to the playoff stage.
The Nepal Volleyball Association provided direct support for the Kedia Group in organising this competition. A total prize fund of 32 lakh rupees was set up, the biggest-ever prize distribution in Nepali volleyball history. The winning team will receive 20 lakh rupees, and the financial commitment makes Saturday's match even more important for both teams.
The tournament was made possible by support from companies. Extreme Energy Drink is the title sponsor, and Ncell is the connectivity partner. The organisers also partnered with Yeti Carpet, WorldLink, DAV School, Himalayan Life Insurance, the Nepal Tourism Board, Rajhans Oil, and digital partner X Age.
