adminRicky Zililo : Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS won the Matabeleland South Volleyball Association’s invitational tournament men’s title after beating Gweru’s CATS 3-1 in the final played at ZRP Gwanda on Saturday.The tournament had six men’s teams, the Gweru duo of Air Force and CATS, Bulawayo’s Highlanders and Spartans as well as the host province’s ZRP Gwanda and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic.
On their way to the final, Highlanders won their Group A matches with identical 2-0 score lines against ZRP Gwanda and CATS.
Bosso went on to beat Group B runners-up Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic 2-0 in the semi-finals, setting a final with CATS, who had made the final by beating ZRP Gwanda 2-0 in the group stage.
CATS then beat Spartans 2-1 in the semi-finals. Spartans won the third place play-off by beating Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic 2-1.
Irvine Masimba, the Matabeleland South Volleyball Association’s vice-president, said the competition helped clubs prepare for the season that starts next week.
“This was more of a pre-season tournament and the clubs that participated really gave their best. They shrugged off pre-season rust and it was really entertaining. Unfortunately, we didn’t have all the clubs we had invited, but all the same, the six men and four women’s teams made the tournament a success,” said Masimba.
Spartans took the women’s trophy by winning all their games against ZRP Gwanda, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic and Air Force by identical 2-0 score lines.
Masimba thanked Itsanang Abu-Basuthu and Vulindlela Jasper Moyo, the national men’s and women’s respective coaches for gracing their tournament.
“The fact that we had national team coaches made the players work extra hard as they tried to impress them. It’s our hope that we will continue seeing players taking competitions seriously even when national team coaches are not around,” said Masimba.
Results
Men
Group A: Highlanders 2-0 ZRP Gwanda, Highlanders 2-0 CATS, CATS 2-0 ZRP Gwanda
Group B: JM Polytechnic 2-0 Airforce, JM Polytechnic 1-2 Spartans, Airforce 0-2 Spartans
Semi-finals: Spartans 1-2 CATS, Highlanders 2-0 JM Polytechnic
Third place playoff: Spartans 2-1 JM Polytechnic
Final: Highlanders 3-1 CATS
Women: Spartans 2-0 ZRP Gwanda, Spartans 2-0 JM Polytechnic, Spartans 2-0 Airforce, ZRP Gwanda 2-1 JM Polytechnic, ZRP Gwanda 2-0 Airforce
derick.khumalo