Salina Shrestha (born May 8, 1998) is a women's professional volleyball player from Nepal. She is a member of the Nepal Women's Volleyball team[1] and plays for Lalitpur Queens in the Everest Women's Volleyball League.[2] Due to her valuable role she has been repeatedly awarded as the best libero in the Central Asian Volleyball Association championships.[3]
| Salina Shrestha | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Personal information | |||||||
| Nickname | Sallu | ||||||
| Nationality | Nepali | ||||||
| Born | 8 May 1998 Kathmandu, Nepal | ||||||
| Height | 145 cm (4 ft 9 in) | ||||||
| Volleyball information | |||||||
| Position | Libero | ||||||
| Current club | Lalitpur Queens (Captain) | ||||||
| Number | 18 | ||||||
| Career | |||||||
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| National team | |||||||
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Early life
editSalina, a student of New Diamond Academy, got introduced to volleyball when she was in Grade 7. New Diamond Academy, led by Kumar Rai, is a household name in Nepali volleyball, renowned for producing top women’s volleyball players.
Salina joined the institution, where Coach Rai recognized her height and potential and advised her to play as a libero, a specialized defensive position in volleyball.
In Nepali volleyball, departmental teams are traditionally considered the strongest. But in 2069 B.S., when New Diamond Academy won the NVA Club Championship by defeating top departmental sides [4], Salina played a crucial role as a key member of the squad.
However, earning a place in the national team took time. She was called up to the preliminary squad for the 12th South Asian Games in 2016 and the FIVB World Championship Qualifications in 2017, but she could not secure a spot in the final team on both occasions. Still, she did not give up. Salina continued to work hard and, in 2019, finally earned her place in the Nepal National Women’s Volleyball Team. Since then, she has firmly established herself as one of the team’s most valuable players. [5]
Club Career
editNew Diamond Youth Sports Club
editAs a student of New Diamond Academy, she began her volleyball journey with the institution. She first represented New Diamond Academy at the age of 15. Her performances attracted interest from several departmental teams, but she chose to remain with her homegrown club. More than a decade later she continues to represent the club, now known as New Diamond Youth Sports Club. [6]
Lalitpur Queens
editWith the introduction of South Asia’s first-ever women’s franchise volleyball tournament, the Everest Women’s Volleyball League (EWVL), in 2024, Salina Shrestha was selected as the marquee player for Lalitpur Queens. [7] Her outstanding performance both on and off the court played a key role in helping the team finish as runners-up in the inaugural season. [8]
Impressed by her impact, Lalitpur Queens retained her as their marquee player for the second season. [9] Although the team once again finished second in the 2025 edition, she was individually recognized with the Best Libero of the Tournament award.[10]
Personal Accomplishments
editBest Libero
edit- 2019 AVC Central Zone Championship,[11]
- 2023 AVC Central Zone Championship,[12]
- 2024 AVC Central Zone Championship
- 2025 Everest Women's Volleyball League
References
edit- ↑ "Women volleyball players from Nepal". Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ↑ "Nepal's mighty libero: Salina Shrestha's unmatched tenacity in Nepali women's volleyball". Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ↑ "Help Nepal, NPC win titles". Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ↑ Sureis (2016-09-20). "Help Nepal, New Diamond win volleyball titles". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
- ↑ "सलिना श्रेष्ठ : होचो कद, अग्लो खेल". Online Khabar. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
- ↑ "Nepal's mighty libero: Salina Shrestha's unmatched tenacity in Nepali women's volleyball - OnlineKhabar English News". 2023-06-14. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
- ↑ "EWV reveals list of players". GorakhaPatra. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
- ↑ Admin (2025-07-19). "Lalitpur Queens Finish as Runners-Up in Inaugural EWVL". Lalitpur Queens. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
- ↑ Timalsina, Prakash (2025-07-17). "ललितपुर क्विन्समा सलिना रिटेन". हाम्रो खेलकुद. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
- ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
- ↑ "2019 AVC Central Zone Best Players". Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ↑ "2023 AVC Central Zone Best Players". Retrieved 20 September 2024.