Nabatanzi dreams big as St. Charles Lwanga debut at NSSF-KAVC Championship

Female volleyball coach Casandra Nabatanzi has been tasked with steering newcomers St. Charles Lwanga men's Volleyball Club to a podium finish in the 28th edition of the NSSF-KAVC International Volleyball Championship.

The international tournament started on Thursday, September 17, 2026, with the technical meeting, and action tips off Friday at the Indoor Arena in Lugogo until Sunday.

The tournament has attracted both women's and men's teams from across the border, including Kenya Prisons, Rwanda Revenue and defending champions APR women of Rwanda.

Chazpir Volleyball Club of Uganda, led by Dauda Okello, are the defending champions in the men's category.

St. Charles Lwanga Ntinda Volleyball Club team with coach Casandra Nabatanzi giving instructions to a player during a league game

Back to Nabatanzi: the 23-year-old tactician has broken barriers in Ugandan volleyball by taking over the men's team and guiding them from Serie B to the elite Serie A flight, alongside winning two Edward Cup titles.

Her rapid success has positioned her as an emerging candidate for future national team leadership, barely a year after she was enrolled in a mentorship and empowerment leadership program under the guidance of Julius Mugambwa, one of the stakeholders of the club.

She is only the second Ugandan female tactician to lead an elite top-flight volleyball club, following in the footsteps of Shilla Omuriwe.

Shilla Omuriwe was the first Ugandan female to take up the tactician's role at the elite club KAVC Volleyball Club in the Uganda top-flight league, and was later elevated to the Uganda national team coach.

St. Charles Lwanga Ntinda Volleyball Club team with coach Casandra Nabatanzi (R) taking notes during a league game in Nsambya

She successfully transitioned from being a club player to a head coach, immediately lifting Ntinda Volleyball Club into Serie A in her maiden season.

Ignoring early skepticism from fans, her results-driven approach focuses strictly on court performance rather than answering critics.

Her philosophy is simple: "I don't spend my energy proving people wrong. I put it to work. The court will always give us the final answer," she said.

"I also want to see a team with a strong foundation of individual and team skills," she added.

Her dream is to finish the KAVC tournament in the top four and also earn the club a permanent seat in the Serie A elite flight as one of the top volleyball clubs on the continent, and to leave a program that continues to grow the club.

The top tier division of the Uganda Volleyball League has 10 teams, including NEMO Stars, Sport-S, KCCA, Elyon, UCU, KAVC, Tigers, Police, St. Charles Lwanga and Bukedea Comprehensive School, with Sport-S as the defending champions.