20 Mar 2017

Police VI volleyball team for men has started the Africa club championships on a bad footing after losing two games in a row for their group stage matches.

The continental tournament held at Tunis in Tunisia has attracted 17 volley ball teams from best clubs across the continent.

The first match for Police VI was played on March 18 evening.  They played against Dounaes from Burkina Faso and they were walloped 3-1. 

According to the match statistics, Police VI played 17-25, 25-21, 22-25 and 23-25.

Police VI coach Thatayaone Ngwanaotsile said in an interview that they had lost more services in the first set and their block was porous at some point. 

In the second set, they however managed to correct their block and as a result had an upper hand on that set because they managed to stop each and every ball that was coming from their opponents’ side aiding them to win some points by service in the second set.

In the third set, Ngwanaotsile said they did not start well because Dounaes was leading by eight points to one from the beginning of the set. 

They nevertheless, managed to chase and catch them at 11 points. 

From there, the difference of the score was one or two points in Police VI’s favour until at 19 points where their opponents left them and capitalised on their mistakes to finish the set.

The fourth set Ngwanaotsile further said that they started well and had a lead of five points but they failed to maintain the margin. 

He mentioned that most of the time their opponents were attacking them from behind but failed to stop them and close the margin until they clinched the set and it was all over.

For his part, Police VI setter, Tjiyapo Madeluka also said in an interview that they started the game slowly as opposed to their opponents who had played the previous day and as such it was an advantage for them as they were used to the court.

Police VI’s plan to play them more center did not materialize since Dounaes’ block started in the centre forcing Police to restrategise. 

Madeluka also stated that it was at this particular time that they realised that their libero was good at receiving then they opted to serve to their outside attackers.

In the third set he said, they allowed them to score 7-1 and fought hard to cover. 

Unfortunately fatigue led them to lose the set.

Police VI’s second game against University of  Kibungo from Rwanda on Sunday was not an easy one as well. 

The fact that Police VI’s libero was not well made the Rwandan side smash them 3-0. 

As a contingency plan, they had to move Happy to play outside. 

At full time the score was 25-15, 25-21 and 25-22.

“Had we had a better pass, we would have played better than this,” he said. 

However, the boys are still adamant that since this is their first time in these competitions, it is a learning curve for them. 

They believe that if they are knocked off from the quarter final stage, they will then compete for positions and make sure they get a better position from 9 to 17.

Police VI were to play their third game March  against Assarya from Libya. ENDS