Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE volleyball clubs that were competing in the Zone Six Club Championships in Botswana found the going tough with the University of Zimbabwe being the only team that reached the semi-finals of the tournament. The week-long championships started on December 14 and ended on Saturday with clubs from seven countries — Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe — fighting for honours in the men and women’s category.
Zimbabwe were represented by Stanbic Thunder, Black Rhinos and Support Unit in the men’s section while ZRP Raiderz, Support Unit and University of Zimbabwe battled it out in the women’s division.
Of the six clubs that competed only UZ, who were competing for the first time in the championships managed to reach the semi-finals but lost 0-3 to Kutlwano of Botswana.
They had earlier on dismissed the Namibian Defence Forces 3-1 to progress to the last four while Kutlwano had beaten another Zimbabwean team, Support Unit 3-0, in the other quarter-final. They were the eventual winners of the tournament in the women’s section. UZ then met Kalavango from Botswana in the third and fourth-place play-offs and lost 3-0 to finish on fourth position.
UZ coach, Erasmus Mupukuti, said the competition was a good learning exercise.



