Nemostars win Ndejje Open
Nemostars Volleyball Club defeated Sky Volleyball Club to win the delayed 2016 Ndejje Open final at MUBS on Sunday.
The final, which was halted because of darkness at Ndejje University in February last year, had to wait for over a year to be decided.
Nemostars struggled in a first set; they had started with a comfortable 8-3 lead, but the lead vanished as Sky used a 6-0 run to take a 9-8 lead – their first time in the game.
There was no looking back for the National Clubs Championship holders as they rallied for a 25-21 that gave them the lead after set one.
Nemostars didn’t recover as Sky looked to be easing to the title. Cuthbert Malinga’s hard hit with Sky leading 24-23 ensured Nemostars had two sets to chase in order to lay hands on the title.
With a 3-straight sets loss looming, Nemostars woke up. They started the third set in style and rushed into a 6-2 lead before stretching it to 11-9 later on.
Fahad Zungu and Wilfred Masaba defended better on the net and their attack started to bite while Sky crumbled.
Malinga could hardly serve on court and he was well contained on the attack. Sky’s other attackers Emma Kato and Nicholas Dheyongera faded as the set went on and Nemostars took the set 25-17 to launch a comeback.
The fourth set still brought the best out of Nemostars with Captain George Aporu easily evading the Sky block to help the side to an 8-4 run. The lead stretched to 11-5 before Sky’s good run that cut the deficit to 4 points (19-16) later in the set.
Andrew Okapis’ charges temporarily switched off as the set went on and Sky came to within a point (24-23) but Nemostars beat them to 25 to force a decisive set.
Sky started the decisive set with more vigor and took a quick 5-2 lead before Nemostars closed in 6-8 at the switch of sides.
A 3-0 run gave Nemostars their first lead of the set and there was no turning back.
The game was tied at 10-all and 11-all wit Sky playing the catch up game but the Kololo outfit executed better to take the set, the game and the title.
The 2017 Ndejje Open tournament is set for March 18-19 at the university’s main campus in Luwero.