Players fight for the ball.

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 22: Al-Sulaibikhat claimed a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Al-Arabi in the third round of the volleyball league, while Al-Qadsia secured a 3-1 win against Burgan. The win took Al-Sulaibikhat to 8 points, sharing the top spot with Kuwait Club. Al-Arabi sits in third with 7 points, alongside Al-Qadsia, while Burgan remains at the bottom with just one point.

In the first match, Al-Arabi looked poised for a third consecutive win, taking the first two sets 28-26 and 25-22. However, Al-Sulaibikhat bounced back, winning the next two sets 25-21 and 25-23 to force a decisive fifth set, which they clinched 15-11 for a crucial victory at the top of the table.

In the second match, Al-Qadsia dominated the opening set 25-16, before Burgan fought back to take the second 26-24. The yellow-clad side returned strongly to secure the final two sets 25-16 and 25-21, earning all three points and marking their second win of the tournament.

The league format sees teams compete in a preliminary round within a single division. The top six teams advance to the Premier Division, split into three groups, with the championship awarded to the team with the most wins. The team finishing first in the preliminary round earns an advantage in the next stage. Teams ranked seventh to tenth, along with the youth national team, compete in the First Division, also divided into three groups.