- Thursday Result: Equity Bank (KEN) 1-3 Sport-S (UGA) | 25-15, 21-25, 22-25, 20-25
- Friday Fixture: Sport-S (UGA) vs. Kepler (RWA) – 9:00 p.m. (EAT)
Sport-S Volleyball Club announced their arrival on the African men’s volleyball scene with a gritty 3-1 (25-15, 21-25, 22-25, 20-25) win over Equity Bank in their opening game at the CAVB Men’s Club Championship.
The S-Team was dull in the bright lights of Stade Petit in the opening set, committing unforced errors that gifted Equity a fast start. The Kenyan side used the early four-point advantage as a springboard for claiming the set, in which Nicholas Agaba struggled to cushion the ball and setter Marino Oboke was feeling out.
“The players were a little bit on tension [in the first set]. We were not settled, we were making so many unforced errors. We were not siding out, we were not receiving,” head coach Malic Damulira admitted.
With first-time nerves out of the way, the Ugandans started to take control of the game in the second set. The side nearly halved their errors from the opening set and also found rhythm in attack with Duke Kyomukama, Steven Mundua and Jonathan Tumukunde finding gaps to hit as Oboke started to explore and exploit Equity’s weaknesses.
Sport-S, who had momentum from the second set, built a six-point lead that helped the side claim the third set despite a late fight back from Equity.
“We need to start games better but also, even when we are in play, we need to manage them the right way. We lost concentration when we were leading by about seven points and they caught up to one point,” Damulira said.
Equity, under pressure to stretch the game, gifted Sport-S points in the fourth set by choosing to risk on serves.
Meanwhile, the other Ugandan side at the tournament, Nemostars, also started off with a victory. Nemo beat Egyptian side Petrojet in straight sets.
Sport-S return to action tomorrow (Friday, April 24) against one of the tournament favourites and home team Kepler at 9:00 p.m. (EAT).
