By Dismas Nuwaine
Picture this: You’re a defending champion of the interuniversity games and a finalist in the 2022 Uganda Volleyball Federation, the premier volleyball league in Uganda. You are arguably a club at the peak of its powers. Now, you’re playing against a non-league university side from the northwestern part of Uganda.
That is the situation that the UCU Doves found themselves in yesterday as they played a frail and fidgeting Soroti outfit. Like expected, it was largely a one-sided encounter as the Doves took the ball to the Soroti-based side.
The first set ended as the Doves registered an impressive 18-point difference with 25 points to 7 points. It was very clear from the start who was the boss and who was dictating the proceedings.
The Doves rested the majority of their most senior players, such as the towering Angiro Pascal and Nickson, who were watching from the stands, waiting to enter in case coach Isiage desired dangerous substitutes.
The second set ended 25-9 points in favor of the doves, and there was only a slight change in the last set as the doves won 25-11 points.
Though there was slight improvement from the Soroti outfit on a progressive basis, it was way too little, too late, and largely insignificant.
“The opposition side was not that threatening, and that’s why we powered through, but this is just the start,” said coach Isiagi. “After this, we are opening up and organizing ourselves for tomorrow,” continued Isiagi.
Lady Doves edge past Makerere
In a scintillating game of play, the Lady Doves won three hotly contested sets against a determined Makerere side in yesterday’s gigantic lady’s clash.
The first set ended with a six-point difference, with UCU having 25 points to Makerere’s 19 points. The Wandegeya-based side continued to narrow the gap in the second set, with a five-point difference of 25 to 20 points.
The last set was nothing short of drama as the Cardinals and the Makerere side took themselves toe to toe all the way from the word go. The give-and-take altercation had to finally end with a mere two-point difference between the two teams, as UCU won 25 to 23 points.
