- Uganda 3-0 Burundi
- (25-17, 25-18, 25-5)
Uganda’s Lady Volleyball Cranes launched their CAVB Zone V African Nations Championship campaign dominantly on Monday, sweeping neighbours Burundi 3-0 at the Lugogo Indoor Arena.
While the hosts controlled the court from the opening serve to secure a well-deserved victory in front of a modest home crowd, Head Coach Protus Soita remains grounded, insisting his side is still a work in progress.
“The first game was a good one. Our ladies played well and they won,” Soita said in his post-match remarks.
“But as a team, I think there are many things to work on here and there.”
Despite a sharp offensive display, Soita noted that the team failed to fully execute their tactical blueprint, particularly on the defensive end.
The strategy going into the match was built on aggressive serving and a tight floor defence, a plan that was only partially realised.
To maintain their momentum in the tournament, the tactician is demanding a much more cohesive performance in their upcoming fixtures.
“We need to go into the next match more organised and better prepared,” Soita emphasised.
“In the next game, we have to organise our net defence so that it correlates with the back-court defence. Otherwise, our offence was good.”
The Lady Cranes’ quest for continental glory is set to get a significant boost following administrative hiccups that left the team short-handed during the opening match.
Soita revealed that documentation challenges had restricted his selection options, but confirmed that the issue has now been resolved ahead of their second group game.
“In the second game, we shall have more players available because most of them have now sorted out their documentation, which was a bit of a challenge for us initially,” the coach added.
With a reinforced roster and a clear blueprint for defensive adjustments, the Lady Cranes will look to build on their perfect start as the regional showpiece intensifies.
