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Mzingaye Sibanda Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO outfit ZRP Raiders were booted out of the Zone Six Volleyball Club Championship following a 1-3 thrashing by Kalavango in Gaborone, Botswana on Thursday.ZRP Raiders won the first set 28-26 but failed to maintain the lead, going down 25-16, 25-16 and 25-19 respectively.
The loss ended the police side’s dream of ending Zimbabwe’s seven year title drought. The Bulawayo-based side lost their first match of the championships 0-3 to Mofolofolo but bounced back to beat Bob Cats of Botswana 3-1 and Namibia Defence Forces 3-2 to reach the knockout phase.
Veteran coach Vulindlela Moyo believes they lost to a better side.
“The competition was tough, we lost to a better team, the girls could have done better but they lost focus during the course of the game,” said Moyo.
Moyo praised his team’s effort to reach the knockout phase. “Bearing in mind that we were playing against the best in Southern Africa, it is an achievement to reach the knockout phase,” said the big bodied coach.
University of Zimbabwe were last night set to take on Botswana’s Kutlwano for a place in the final. In the men’s category Support Unit, Black Rhinos and Stanbic Bank all crushed out in quarter-finals stage.
Semi-final fixtures
Men: Police VI v Spiking Stars, BDF VI v Autoridade Tributaria
Women: Mafolofolo v Kalavango, Kutlwano v University of Zimbabwe
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter