WOLVES OFF TO A FLYING START

Darlington Gatsi

UZ Wolves’ bid for back-to-back volleyball league glory got off to a flying start over the weekend after they won all their opening games.

UZ Wolves men’s team dismantled league debutants, Old Hararians, 3-0.

Coach Erasmus Mupukuta said the opening encounters have set the foundation for this year’s campaign to win the title.

“Winning your first game always relieves you of pressure,” he said.

“We are happy with our solid performance.

“This is a league and we, obviously, can’t celebrate and sit on our laurels as if we have won the championship.

“This is just but one match.

“We are continuing to work hard in correcting our shortcomings. We take each game as it comes as each game has its own unique challenges.

“Every match in the league has a bearing on the overall result.

“The weekend result is a significant step towards the next stage of the competition and, ultimately, towards the podium.”

UZ Wolves had a lukewarm pre-season, losing the Zimbabwe Open to Harare City and winning the MNL tournament.

“We can’t really use our pre-season matches as a yardstick for the season’s competition.

“The pre-season preps gave us an opportunity to correct one or two grey areas we still have to work on.

“The season is still in its infancy, you can never prepare enough for a match, let alone a league game.

“Our main goal is to perform better than in our last outing and become competitive and entertaining.

“We want to keep on improving with each game. Winning for us would be a bonus,” he said.

Meanwhile In the women’s category UZ Wolves beat rivals Manyame Falcons 3-1 in a repeat of the Zimbabwe Open tournament.

“It is a good thing that the league is finally back. We are excited and happy. We will mainly play our young players,” said UZ Wolves women’s coach, Jonathan Gava.