Sport-S, KAVC have it all to do in volleyball finals

Kampala- We are one game into the Aziz Damani National Volleyball League finals.
Whatever the results from Game One of both men and women’s best of three finals that were held on Thursday (after this SCORE edition’s press time) at MTN Arena – Lugogo, Sport-S men and KCCA ladies have a lot to do to prove they are not last decade’s teams.
In a way they are. Then KCCA, the contenders last won the women’s title in 2006 before their dominant side that had won the title thrice in four seasons since 2003 got indisposed by a then rising Nkumba University in 2007.

Mental block
Sport-S have also suffered a decade of hunt in the men’s category, where their last title came in 2009. They are local volleyball’s nearly men after suffering defeat in five of the last 10 finals.
First to Nkumba in 2011. In 2012, they failed to Nemostars’ advantage – the first of three times, the others coming in 2015 and 2017. The other loss came against Sport–S in 2014.

In Nkumba University, KCCA face the most dominant side in ladies’ volleyball. One that has won the last two league titles and swept most of the one or two-day tournaments held here and in the region.
Ditto Sport-S, which takes on a Nemostars side that has won five of the last six men’s titles. It is a huge mental block that the challengers face to change their history.

Approach
The psychological advantage both Nemo and Nkumba have over other teams means that their opponents, however hungry and strong in depth they could be, are usually likely to approach these games from a defensive perspective.

More than how they will make points, Sport-S’s worry will be how to stop Nemo’s high scoring captain George Aporu.
In tough times, Nemo have always deployed Aporu to attack through the middle and should coach Andrew Okapis’s hand be forced again, an interesting match-up ensues between his talisman and arguably the best central blocker there is in Dickens Otim.

Defensively, that’s a good plan for Sport-S but how much does it take from captain Otim’s attacking prowess?
Also for Nkumba, Habiba Namala looks like she will worry KAVC more than her teammates will have to care about Eunice Amuron and Peace Busingye’s experience and varied attack.

Respect
However, both Nemo and Nkumba acknowledge the kind of experience they come up against in Sport-S and KCCA respectively.
“For the first time in a while, we cannot really guarantee how this will end,” Okapis said in the build-up to the final.
In coach Johnson Kawenyera, KCCA’s head coach Nason Bwesigye, has an ally that has beaten Nkumba before (in the 2016 final with Ndejje). Whether that’s a coaching combination that can overwhelm Tonny Lakony, who has won six titles for Nkumba, is something we wait to see.
What we can guarantee is that these are finals that call for taking more risks than caution.

National Volleyball League Winners
YEAR MEN, WOMEN
2019: To be determined
2018: Nemostars, Nkumba
2017: Nemostars, Nkumba
2016: Not Held, Ndejje
2015: Nemostars, Ndejje
2014: KAVC, VVC
2013: Nemostars, Ndejje
2012: Nemostars, Ndejje
2011: Nkumba, Nkumba
2010: KAVC, Nkumba
2009: Sport-S, Nkumba
2008: KCC, KAVC
2007: KAVC, Nkumba
2006: Sport-S, KCC
2005: Sport-S, KCC
2004: Sport-S, KAVC
2003: KAVC, KCC
2002: KAVC, KAVC

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