The Maldives made a strong start at the Women’s CAVA Cup 2025 on Saturday as they defeated Bangladesh in three straight sets in their opening game of the volleyball tournament.
The second game of the tournament organized by the Central Asian Volleyball Association kicked off at the Social Center in Male’ on Saturday night.
The Maldives put on a bold performance, defeating Bangladesh in three straight sets of 25-18, 25-12, and 25-16.
Both teams appeared on equal footing when the game kicked off, but the Maldives soon took control and won the opening set. The Maldives made several blunders at the start of the second set, but later rectified the mistakes and maintained form throughout the rest of the game.
Maldives plays against Bangladesh in the Women's CAVA Cup on December 20, 2025. (Sun Photo/Moosa Nadheem)
The leadership and experience of the team’s captain Hawwa Rasheeda, Nareema Idrees, and setter Juzan Zareer was in sharp focus as they helped guide the team to make the important win.
Day 2 of the tournament will see Bangladesh face off against Kyrgyzstan in the evening game, and the Maldives against Afghanistan in the night-time game.
Four teams are competing for the Women’s CAVA Cup; Maldives, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan. Once the league round is over, the teams will advance to the semifinals; Rank 1 vs Rank 4 and Rank 2 vs Rank 3. The winners will play in the final on December 25, while the other teams will play a ranking match to determine the bronze medal winner.