KCCA arrived at the National Club Volleyball Championship as the defending champions in both the men's and the women's competitions. They left with nothing.
Both KCCA teams started like title favourites. Both were knocked out before the final, and Sport-S took both trophies at the YES Centre in Nsambya on Sunday.
The men: out in the quarter-finals
KCCA men opened their title defence with a comfortable 3-0 win over KU. Their campaign ended in the last eight, when St. Charles beat them 3-1 in the quarter-finals.
St. Charles then came within a tie-break of the final. Against Sport-S in the semi-finals they lost the first two sets 25-8 and 25-19, won the next two 25-23 and 25-23, and only lost the deciding set 15-10.
The women: a 26-6 set, then a semi-final exit
KCCA women looked unstoppable at the start. They beat UPDF 3-0 and won the opening set 26-6, before taking the next two 25-15 and 25-13.
KCB-Nkumba ended that run. After winning both of their group matches, against Seroma and Thunders, they beat KCCA 3-1 in the semi-finals. In the final, KCB-Nkumba won the first set against Sport-S but lost the match 3-1.
KCB-Nkumba, who knocked out defending champions KCCA in the women's semi-finals.
Five-set thrillers
KCCA were not the only story. Several matches went the full distance:
- Sport-S 3-2 St. Charles (men's semi-final): 25-8, 25-19, 23-25, 23-25, 15-10.
- VVC 3-2 UCU (women's quarter-final): VVC went through to the semi-finals, where Sport-S beat them 3-1.
- Mutungo 3-2 Tigers (men): one of the early highlights of the men's competition.
- KAVC 3-2 Bukedea (men): Bukedea pushed KAVC all the way before losing.
- Seroma 3-2 KAVC (women): Seroma bounced back from their group-stage loss to KCB-Nkumba.
Who else impressed
UCU Doves reached the men's final after beating Nemostars 3-1 (27-25, 27-29, 27-25, 25-19). Nemostars had made a strong start, beating UPDF 3-1 and Prisons 3-0 in the group stage.
Police, Elyon and KAVC also recorded wins in the men's group stage.
In the women's competition, hosts UCU beat UPDF 3-1 before losing to VVC in the quarter-finals. VVC dominated Pool D with straight-set wins over KU and Sport-S B. Sport-S B, KU, Thunders, Cobap and BSU also competed.
One of the 20 men's teams at this year's championship.
In total, 36 teams took part, 20 men's and 16 women's. The championship opened at Uganda Christian University (UCU) in Mukono on Friday before the finals moved to the YES Centre in Nsambya.
Full report from the finals: Sport-S sweep both national volleyball titles.
