adminMzingaye Sibanda Sports Reporter
Bulawayo Metropolitan Province boys and girls’ volleyball teams booked their places in today’s finals of the Zimbabwe National Youth Games at Milton High School.Bulawayo girls’ volleyball team beat Harare Metropolitan 3-2 while the boys overcame Mashonaland East 2-0 in their semi-final matches played yesterday.
The Bulawayo and Harare girls’ semi-final match was the epic of the day with so much tension as if it was a soccer match involving the country’s top giants Highlander and Dynamos.
The game lived up to its billing with Bulawayo leading the first set 25-21 but went to lose the next two sets 15-25, 17-25.
The home side bounced back and drew level in the fourth set with a 25-19 victory forcing the game into a decider.
Bulawayo won the decider 20-18 but the girls from the capital gave them a good run for their money as the match was played on game point five times.
Bulawayo’s girls team coach Vulindlela Moyo who is also the senior national team gaffer praised his charges for being resilient even when they were trailing behind.
He also thanked the home crowd who cheered them all the way.
“It was a tight match, we made tactical positional changes after seeing that we were vulnerable on one side and by so doing we opened our attack. We also had good support which kept us going,” said Moyo.
He said they were looking forward to the final against Masvingo who they beat in the group stages.
“We don’t have pressure because they are the ones that have the home work after losing in the first match but we are not taking them lightly,” he said.
The Bulawayo girls team which has never won a medal since the inauguration of the National Youth Games in 2003 are on course for their first piece of silverware.
Masvingo booked the final berth after beating Mashonaland East 3-0 in the best of five sets in the semifinal.
Meanwhile, Bulawayo boys’ volleyball team are yet to be beaten in this edition of the National Youth Games and yesterday they white-washed Mashonaland East 3-0 in the semifinal to book a place in the finals.
Mashonaland Central beat Masvingo 3-0 in the other semi-final.
The finals will start tomorrow at 10am at Milton High School.
Results
Boys
Position playoffs
(9/10) Midlands 2 , Matabeleland North 0; (7/8); Manicaland 2, Matabeleland South 0; (6/5) Mashonaland West 2, Harare 0.
Semifinals
Bulawayo 3,Mashonaland East 0; Mashonaland Central 3, Masvingo 0.
Girls
Position playoffs
(9/10) Mashonaland West 2, Matabeleland North 0;(7/8) Manicaland 2, Mashonaland Central 0; (6/5) Midlands 2 Matabeleland South 1.
Semifinals
Bulawayo 3, Harare 2; Masvingo 3, Mashonaland East 0.
Online Reporter