Sport-S, KAVC draw first blood

Sport-S wiped the floor with Uganda Christian University (UCU) in the first game of the best of three National Volleyball League semi-finals at the Old Kampala Arena on Sunday.

The defending champions had a strategy, went vocal about it from the get go – as if to show clarity – and never wavered from it.

“We will use more of the middle and back court attacks but in defence, we will focus on the net,” their assistant coach Albert Gayi, said.

Sport-S were leading 7-2 in the first set when UCU coach Elias Isiagi called time out to disrupt the rhythm.

The decision helped as UCU gave us a fight and looked more like the side that beaten Sport-S 3-2 in the regular season.

In fact at some point they drew level at 14-14 and even took the lead to 15-14 but then unraveled like a pack of cards or a team that had used lots of energy to get to this point and lost the first set 25-19 as the champion’s net defence had what fans that filled the arena termed a “block party”.

UCU tried to fight back and led the first exchanges of the second set but they eventually lost momentum leading 11-10 and allowed Sport-S sail to 16-11 unchallenged.

Eventually, they were swept with 25-16 and 25-20 leads in the second and third sets.

Emotional rollercoaster

Earlier on Saturday, KAVC and Nemostars had taken their fans through a rollercoaster of emotions as the former came twice from behind to beat the six time champions 3-2 in the first men’s semifinal.

KAVC showed intent by leading the first exchanges 6-1 but Nemostars are at their best when they seem down and out. Somehow they popped back to lead at 12-11 and never looked back as they won the first set 25-22.

KAVC were largely cautious but whenever they found Geoffrey Onapa, he seemed ready to rattle feathers and attack Nemostars captain George Aporu, especially in the second set.

In fact at one point Aporu uncharacteristically lost his cool that he wildly contested a call from the umpire and received a caution as KAVC capitalized to win that set 25-18 with Innocent Ayo also finding his element to consistently attack Nemo’s short block.

Nemo largely had a two point cushion throughout the third set and won it 25-22.

The same strategy nearly worked in the fourth set but KAVC found a way to force errors when they were trailing 24-22 to draw level.

They went on to win 28-26 and force a decider – one in which Nemo never threatened to win until it was 14-13 in favour of KAVC.

Nemo made a change taking out Fahad Zzugu, who did a somewhat impressive job in the absence of Bernard Malinga, for Stephen Wandera in order to capitalize from the service box but KAVC received well and gave Onapa a chance to hit.

Nemo blocked but the ball fell back to Onapa and he made no mistake this time to get KAVC over the line.

NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE

Semifinals – Game One Results

Nemostars 2-3 KAVC

*KAVC lead best of three series 1-0

Sport-S 3-0 UCU

*Sport-S lead best of three series 1-0