After winning the first set 25-21, Karnali Yashvis, the defending champions, reached set point on the second set of the first match of the second edition of the Everest Women’s Volleyball League on September 5, with their opponent, Pokhara Ninjas, at 18. But the Ninjas grabbed two consecutive points and reached 20, holding Yashvis in need of one more point.

As Ninjas’ Mina Sunar served to close the gap further, Yashvis’ libero Rasmita Dura received it cleanly for the Brazilian setter Ana Flavia Galvao, who then set the ball behind for Safiya Pun. Pun jumped as if she was going to spike it hard, but as she saw Punam Chand jumping for the block, she adjusted mid-air to lightly tap the ball over Chand and get the second set with a score of 25-20.

For someone who has been following Nepal’s women’s volleyball scene, Pun’s swift thinking was not new. A middle blocker herself, Pun knows well how other blockers would react when the opponent is getting ready for a spike, especially Chand, with whom she shares the jersey while playing for the country.

Pun, who wears the No 10 jersey for the national squad as well as Karnali Yashvis, is 5 feet and 8 inches tall, not too tall for a volleyball player. But she has a long experience in the game, having started playing when she was in grade eight. And she hasn’t looked back since.

From a volleyball-loving village

Pun hails from ward 10 of Galkot Municipality in Baglung district, a region where volleyball is still the most-loved sport. And her family has also been close to the sport.

“My father was a volleyball player at the local level, and so was my elder brother,” Pun told the Post. “As my family and the whole village loved the sport, I was attracted towards it from my early childhood.”

Pun went on, “Volleyball is played everywhere in our village. It allowed me to learn a lot from seeing others play. And I had my father and brother teaching me as well. It helped me grow in the sport.”

Pun’s game started being recognised as she kept playing on. She started being a well-known player within the district, and then she was scouted for a departmental team—the Tribhuvan Army Club.

“I came to Kathmandu with a friend in 2016 to join the Army team. It was my first trip to the capital city,” said Pun. “I was happy to be in Kathmandu, a city I had only seen in some movies of Rajesh Hamal.”

Three years later, Pun’s skills earned her a spot on the national team. She donned the national jersey during the AVC Central Asia Zone Championship in Bangladesh in 2019.

“It was like a dream come true,” she said. “When I first played volleyball, I had never thought of reaching this stage. I started dreaming of it when it had been a couple of years I had been playing.”

Nepal had won gold in Pun’s debut tournament for the country. Since then, Pun has been one of the regulars for the Nepal national women’s volleyball team, winning a silver in the 2019 South Asian Games, gold in the 2021 AVC Central Asia Zone Championship, bronze in the 2023 CAVA Challenge Cup and silver in the 2024 CAVA Nations League.

‘I want to keep playing’

Pun enjoys it when she shuts down the opponent spikers and earns points for her team. She also likes to spike whenever she gets the chance. “But more than all, I want to be on the court with the ball,” she said with a sad voice. The sadness stemmed from the postponement of the second edition of the Everest Women’s Volleyball League, Nepal’s first franchise-based volleyball event.

The tournament that began on September 5 was cancelled on September 9 due to the anti-corruption protests erupting throughout the country, including in Pokhara.

The six teams had played three matches each by the time the organisers decided to back down. Pun’s Karnali Yashvis and Lalitpur Queens were the only two teams that were unbeaten in their respective three matches.

“Everything turned upside down in a day,” Pun said. “We were all left devastated by the loss of lives. As the situation was not normal, the tournament was postponed.”

Issuing a statement, the EWVL organisers said, “The remaining seven matches will continue from the current points table. The dates for the resumption of matches will be decided in close coordination with the Nepal Volleyball Association, our six franchisees, and our associated sponsors, with the highest priority given to safety, security, and suitability.”

Foreign players have already returned to their respective countries with no certainty of returning when the second edition resumes.

“All the players, including foreigners, were disappointed for not getting the chance to complete the tournament,” Pun said. “We want to return to the court as soon as possible. There is no better joy than that.”

With the Dashain festival at the doorstep, Pun is preparing to go to her hometown of Galkot. “Right now, I can divert my mind due to the festivals and enjoy the days with my family,” she said. “But once it is over, I will be searching for the court again. The court is where I belong.”