Sport-S, VVC in finale

Diana Asiimwe of Sport-S (L) spikes as Doreen Akiteng and Winnie Nambeko of Nkumba try to block her out in vain during the Aziz Damani National Volleyball League semifinal playoffs at the Sport-S Ground in Nsambya. PHOto BY ISMAIL KEZAALA

KAMPALA- Vision Volleyball Camp (VVC) and Sport-S’ attacking prowess came to the fore as they respectively booked slots in the women’s and men’s finals of the Aziz Damani National League Playoff Series on Thursday in Lugogo.

The crowds were greeted by the now perennial blackouts in Lugogo but when action started at 7pm, Uganda Christian University (UCU) started as the better side in the ladies’ semifinal. Coach Protus Soita’s plan to make the VVC defence work seemed to pay off as their back-court and power attacking ensured they ran off with the first set 18-25 but quickly their momentum faded to lose the next two sets 25-18 and 25-21.

“I can say everything we practiced worked for us today but it came down to experience,” Soita said after the game. “They targeted our weak spots and we could not do much because we had utilized all our substitutions. It was partly a technical mistake that I should take responsibility for because when we were leading in the fourth set, I started to think of the decisive set,” he added.

UCU had picked up pace in the fourth set and at one point led 22-14 but unforced errors and poor reception got VVC crawling back into it with seven unanswered points – majority of them from the power of Margaret Namyalo’s serves that targeted and exposed Jackie Twikiriize’s reception on the other end of the net. “It was a hard game, which our opponents really wanted but we sorted it with experience,” VVC coach Hannington Nsubuga said.