Swieqi Phoenix Nium clinched the first honour of the 2025–26 volleyball season, lifting the John Buġeja Cup after winning both of their weekend fixtures at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

On Saturday, the team led by Leonard Zammit Munro and Justin Montesin defeated Paola Executive Security 3–1 to move a step closer to the title. A day later, they returned to court for a thrilling five-set clash against Flyers, eventually edging their rivals 3–2.

The match was a close contest throughout. Flyers, under the guidance of Steve Farrugia, started strong, taking the first set 23–25. Swieqi fought back to claim the second 25–24 but then lost the third 27–29. However, they produced an impressive comeback, winning the fourth 25–22 and the decisive fifth set 15–10. Notably, in the second set, Swieqi overturned a massive 21–8 deficit to take the lead — a turning point that underlined their resilience.

In the final match of the competition, Birkirkara overcame Paola Executive Security in another tight 3–2 encounter. Paola took the first set 16–25, but Birkirkara — led by Dalton Caruana and Stefan Decelis — replied with a 26–24 second set win. Paola regained the advantage 25–27, before Birkirkara levelled again at 25–23 and then sealed the match in the fifth set 15–13.

The John Buġeja Cup is traditionally used by clubs as a warm-up tournament ahead of the new Super League season, giving them the chance to test different players and rotations. This year’s results reflected the balance and competitiveness expected between the top teams. Remarkably, this marks the fifth consecutive year Swieqi Phoenix Nium have won the competition.

🏆 John Buġeja Cup – Results

• Swieqi Phoenix Nium vs Paola Executive Security 3–1 (25–14, 17–25, 25–10, 25–16)
• Swieqi Phoenix Nium vs Flyers 3–2 (23–25, 25–24, 27–29, 25–22, 15–10)
• Birkirkara vs Paola Executive Security 3–2 (16–25, 26–24, 25–27, 25–23, 15–13)

🏐 Youth Competitions

Under 19

• Paola Cool & Kiwi vs Depiro 0–3 (14–25, 16–25, 24–26)
• Swieqi Phoenix vs Birkirkara Vixeno 3–0 (25–9, 25–12, 25–5)

Under 17

• Swieqi Phoenix vs Birkirkara 3–0 (25–13, 25–13, 25–16)
• Flyers 1 vs Flyers 2 3–0 (25–14, 25–10, 25–9)
• Paola Maypole vs Phoenix Volley Maniacs 3–0 (25–12, 25–22, 25–24)
• Depiro vs Falcons 3–0 (25–8, 25–12, 25–19)