23 Jul 2018

The defending champions of the Mascom Volleyball League, Kalavango have failed to secure a spot in the league’s top three positions after losing 3-0 to Kutlwano in Molepolole on July 21.

 For Kalavango, failing to make it to top three means the team will not contest in the Zone VI championship this summer.

That comes after the volleyball federation recently announced that teams that will participate in the Zone VI tournament will be selected from both women and men teams that would have made it to the top three positions in round one of the Mascom Volleyball League.

Although the announcement came as a shock and rubbed the management of the club teams the wrong way, the coaches insist that their focus was not on the Zone VI championships but winning the league.

Kalavango coach, Isaac Thengelani said their focus was not on the zonal tournament, but to redeem self-confidence of the team.

Thengelani acknowledged that his team was not in the greatest of forms compared to the last time they won the league. 

At the moment, he said the team had no depth. 

“Having lost some of his quality players to other teams has been weakened the team. This leaves the team without power heaters although one of them is on maternity leave. This then leaves Monica Alfred to play as a utility player playing in all positions leaving the team porous creating opportunities for their opponents to expose them and score easy points as they do not have attackers,” he said.

Going forward, Thengelani said they would work hard as management of the team to get more versatile players adding that they were currently using seven seven players and had no reserve players.

For his part, Kutlwano coach Isaac Samuel said he was happy with the outcome as the game went according to plan.

He said the ladies made silly mistakes especially in the second and third sets where they easily lost points and had to come from behind to win both sets. 

He said the ladies made the habit of tossing the ball instead of attacking and  the change of tactics every time they were leading made it easier for Kalavango to convert all the tosses into points because they were a very mobile team. 

He said they believed in the offensive approach of play.

The game against Mafolofolo next weekend will determine whether they make it to top three. 

He said he was hopeful that the team would make it to top three.

The Mascom Volleyball League round one of the season will come to an end next weekend at a venue to be announced. ENDS