India Begin CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship With Thrilling Five-Set Win Over Nepal

India opened their campaign at the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship 2026 with a hard-fought five-set victory over hosts Nepal in Kathmandu, securing an important win to begin a new chapter under head coach Jana Kulan.

In a tense and emotionally charged opening pool clash, the Indian women’s volleyball team defeated Nepal 3-2 with set scores of 21-25, 25-20, 25-19, 21-25, 15-9. The contest lasted deep into the deciding set before India eventually pulled away to claim their first victory of the tournament. The result also marked India’s first win under newly appointed coach Jana Kulan, who has recently taken charge of the national side with the aim of rebuilding and strengthening the team ahead of bigger continental competitions.

For Indian volleyball, the victory represented more than just two points in the standings. It was an early glimpse into a potentially evolving style under the new coaching setup, with India showing improved tactical variation, resilience under pressure and the ability to recover from difficult situations during the match.

Playing in front of a vocal home crowd, Nepal started strongly and immediately put India under pressure in the opening set. The hosts displayed impressive energy in defence and repeatedly forced errors from the Indian side during long rallies. India struggled initially with consistency in serve reception and could not fully control the pace of the match. Nepal capitalised effectively and edged the first set 25-21, energising the home supporters inside the arena.

However, India responded well in the second set. The Indian players looked more settled tactically and began attacking with greater confidence through the middle and from the wings. Their blocking also improved significantly compared to the first set, helping them disrupt Nepal’s offensive rhythm.

India gradually built momentum and levelled the match by taking the second set 25-20.

The third set proved to be India’s best phase of the contest. With confidence growing, the Indian team played more aggressively and started dictating rallies far more effectively. Their improved serving pressure created multiple scoring opportunities, while the attack combinations looked sharper and more organised.

India secured the third set 25-19 and moved within one set of victory.

Yet Nepal refused to back down. Backed by strong crowd support, the hosts fought back bravely in the fourth set. India briefly appeared to lose concentration during crucial points, allowing Nepal to regain momentum through quick transitions and disciplined defending.

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The hosts eventually edged the fourth set 25-21 to force a deciding fifth set and push the match into a dramatic finish. At that stage, the momentum seemed evenly balanced.

But India produced their strongest response when it mattered most. The deciding set saw the Indian side raise their intensity considerably. The players attacked with more conviction, defended aggressively and maintained better composure during pressure moments. India quickly opened a lead and never allowed Nepal back into the contest.

The 15-9 scoreline in the final set reflected India’s control during the closing stages as they sealed an important opening victory. The win was especially significant because it came against the hosts in a difficult atmosphere and in a tournament where momentum can play a major role. The CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship continues to grow in importance within Asian volleyball, bringing together nations from both Central and South Asia under one competitive platform.

The Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) includes countries such as India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, alongside stronger Central Asian volleyball nations like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Iran. For India, the tournament provides a valuable opportunity to test themselves regularly against regional opponents while also building continuity under a new coaching structure.

India entered the competition ranked World No. 68 and were drawn in Pool A alongside Kyrgyzstan, Nepal and Maldives. Pool B features stronger sides Kazakhstan and Iran along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Kazakhstan, ranked World No. 35, and Iran, ranked World No. 47, are expected to be among the strongest contenders for the title. India’s immediate focus, however, will now shift towards maintaining momentum in the group stage.

The victory over Nepal was encouraging, but it also highlighted areas requiring improvement, particularly in maintaining consistency across sets and handling momentum swings during tight matches. Still, there were several positives for the Indian team. Most importantly, the players showed resilience after losing both the opening and fourth sets. Winning close matches away from home is often an important indicator of a team’s mental growth, and India demonstrated exactly that in Kathmandu.

The performance also offered an encouraging first glimpse of Jana Kulan’s tactical influence on the side.vIndia appeared more flexible in attack patterns and more organised defensively during key stretches of the match. While there is still work to be done, the signs from the opening contest were promising.

The Indian team will now face Maldives next as they continue their campaign in Kathmandu.

And after beginning with a dramatic five-set victory, confidence within the squad will certainly be growing.