How Sport-S Ladies collapsed to lose to Ndejje
Sport-S’ Renata Kamahoro goes up in attack against Ndejje Elites on Sunday. PHOTO/EMANZI NDYAMUHAKI
What you need to know:
With Ndejje shorthanded, Lydia Asimo, who is a natural middle blocker, was employed as a power player in the first two sets but struggled to get going.
The first two sets in the clash between Sport-S Ladies and Ndejje Elites on Sunday suggested there would be only one winner. Sport-S were in cruise control and had fun easing to a 2-0 lead.
Everyone who entered the service box made it hard for Ndejje to pass and process a clean attack and that worked for Sport-S to take the first set 25-18 and the second 25-17.
With Ndejje shorthanded, Lydia Asimo, who is a natural middle blocker, was employed as a power player in the first two sets but struggled to get going.
And once head coach Ronald Kitosi realised, he put Asimo back in the middle and brough on the experienced Peace Busingye to receive with Belindah Jepkirui and send Pearl Akankunda into the power position.
The switch paid off as Asimo was unplayable in the middle. Busingye, Jepkirui and libero Summayah Ndagire stabilized the pass and Ndejje started firing.
Ingrid Natukunda also replaced Clavinah Ochieng in the setting department and connected well with her attackers to beat the Sport-S net defence.
On the other end of the net, Sport-S made several errors. Aisha Kebirungi, Comfort Twesiime and Esther Tumwebaze started struggling to score.
Ndejje took the set 25-18 to emphasize their interest in the game. The momentum shift stretched to the fourth frame, which Ndejje took 25-14 to force a decisive and Sport-S were in real trouble.
From the possibility of a 3-0 win, Sport-S were now staring defeat in the eye as the race to 15 points started with Ndejje still on the front foot.
The teams switched sides with Ndejje carrying a four-point advantage (8-4) and despite a late charge by Sport-S to level scores a 13-13, Asimo and Akankunda had the final say to score the last points and secure the victory for Ndejje.
It was a tough game for us. We started badly, trying out a system that did not work out for the first two sets,” Kitosi said after the game.
“When we realised that it was not working, we had to change. We brought in Peace (Busingye) who stabilised the reception and that's how we got the comeback,” he added.
For Sport-S head coach Malic Damulira, there were several positives to take out of the match despite the dismal collapse and eventual defeat.
“This shouldn’t put us down. It should be a motivation and we just have to improve our play late in sets going forward,” Damulira said.
“We took the first two sets quite comfortably and relaxed in the third. I warned my players going into the third set that we needed to maintain the same level,” he added.
It was a Sunday of comebacks in the women’s division, with defending champions KCB-Nkumba also needing to fight from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 against Vision Volleyball Camp.
The other men’s clash saw Sky register their first win of the season, a 3-2 victory against Prisons. The men’s defending champions Sport-S made light work of the Ndejje Sharks to stretch their unbeaten run to six.
National Volleyball League
Results
Men
UCU Doves 3-0 Police
SKY 3-2 Prisons
Ndejje 0-3 Sport-S
Women
Nemostars 1-3 UPDF
KCB-Nkumba 3-2 VVC
Ndejje 3-2 Sport-S
