07 Oct 2024

Mag Stimela men has walloped Kalavango men 3-2 in the fifth and deciding set to win the match at the volleyball league encounter at Sir Seretse Khama Barracks (SSKB) on October 5.

Mag Stimela coach, Israel Mokane said his team started the game well winning the first set only to give away the next two sets relenting to pressure from their opponents to take the lead. Mokane said some of the players could not cope with the pace of the game but they could not make substitutions, as they came with a thin squad.

All in all they played well. Their play was much better compared to the previous encounters, he said. Mokane said due to challenges beyond his control, his players cannot train together, and therefore such a challenge is visible in the field of play as they fail to maintain winning combinations.

He said some were based in Mahalapye and others in Gaborone, only meeting as a team on match day. Kalavango player-coach, Monica Alfred, who was in charge of the match, said they started the game at a slow pace. She said generally the team played well even though they failed to maintain the momentum and focus on winning the match.

Alfred said despite players putting an extra effort, they were at times disadvantaged by weather conditions. She said playing in open courts exposed them to the heat and windy conditions was a challenge, as the players have to fight with the wind blow to control the ball.

Also, she said it was unfortunate more so that the players physical and mental fitness were not at the desired levels, affecting their play and even the desired growth of the game in general. She said it was unfortunate to observe that her team was not consistent. Alfred added that even though the ultimate goal was to get the positive results, their primary focus was on building a formidable team for the future, as most of the players were still young and learning.

She also said playing with students and other players who were committed to other responsibilities such as work, while others were staying outside Gaborone only joining the team a day before the games, was equally a challenge.

Alfred said the players hardily trained together, therefore affecting their combinations and performance in the court. She said some were students preparing for examinations, therefore were given an opportunity to focus on their studies. 

“We are happy with our performance. It is work in progress,” she said.

In the last match of the weekend fixtures at the SSKB, Kutlwano men defeated Kalavango 3-0. Coach Dopp Popo of Kutlwano said his team started the game on a low note, giving away soft points as they were failing to control easy balls from the opponent.

He said winning the first set was a hassle for his team. However, Popo said Big House gained momentum in the second set winning it with a convincing margin. Popo said he was happy with the fact that his team has since the beginning of the league season maintained a winning mentality despite under par performance.

Therefore, the coach said it was important for the team to work on improving their level of performance. In other matches played at SSKB Yaros (men) defeated Mafolofolo 3-0, Kalavango (women) defeated Mag Stimela 3-1.

Meanwhile, in the second match of the day, Mag Stimela (men) defeated Dikwena 3-0, while Mag Stimela (women) were given soft points due to the non-appearance of their opponent, Dikwena. ENDS