Volleyball Clubs eye national glory as championship starts in Mukono

Uganda's volleyball clubs will gather in Mukono from Friday to Sunday for the 2026 National Club Championship at the UCU Sports Complex.

KCB Nkumba Women's Volleyball Club coach Peter Lakony said his team has focused on setting, blocking and service reception as it goes for the title.

"We are prepared, and we have put a lot of emphasis on our setting department. Last season, we lost our first-choice setter, who went to study in Canada, so we have been putting in a lot of effort to fill that gap," Lakony said.

"It is a very big gap, but we are working hard to patch it up. We are also working on our blocking."

Nkumba has signed Supernatural Mbakusiimire and Jocelyn Akurut, while setter Katreena Odermatt left for Canada for studies and Auma Naume moved to Tanzania for a professional stint.

Lakony said consistency will be one of the team's biggest challenges.

"Our biggest challenge is making sure that we are stable and consistent. Stability comes with playing more and doing the same routines over and over again," he said.

Several clubs also strengthened their squads during the transfer window.

UCU Doves signed former Sport-S attacker Allan Alinda, Owinjo Silver from Elyon Volleyball Club and David Kigozi from KAVC.

Police Volleyball Club brought in Rukundo Smith from KAVC, while Ntinda Volleyball Club signed Briton Kananura and Fairuzi Kyeranyi.

Defending women's champions KCCA Volleyball Club added Otin Hadijah and Diana Usher as they prepare to defend their title.

Vision Volleyball Club signed Moreen Mwamula and Faith Magole from KCCA, while COBAP Volleyball Club added Irene Mbabazi. Seroma Christian Volleyball Club also signed Hadijah Achelun from Vision.

The championship will also see Nemostars without receiver-attacker Federicko Mujinya, who was suspended by the Uganda Volleyball Federation for one season over a transfer breach.

Mujinya, who played for Bishop Stuart University in the 2024/25 season before joining Nemostars in 2025/26, was ruled to have moved clubs without completing the required transfer process. His suspension runs until May 14, 2027.

The ruling follows a dispute that contributed to the cancellation of last season's men's Serie A finals. Elyon challenged the eligibility of Mujinya and teammate Salva Marial. Marial was later cleared, but the dispute over Mujinya remained unresolved and the finals were not played.

The UVF is using the National Club Championship to bring affiliated clubs together and strengthen domestic competition.

Participation is compulsory for all Serie A and Serie B teams, giving lower-division clubs a chance to face more experienced opponents. The championship will also help coaches assess their squads, give emerging players more game time and prepare for the 2026/27 league season.

The competition also offers a path to continental volleyball. KCCA won the women's championship in 2025 before representing Uganda at the 2026 African Women's Volleyball Clubs Championship in Cairo.

Ugandan clubs have faced strong opposition at regional level. At the 2025 CAVB Zone V Championship in Kampala, Sport-S Ladies won Uganda's only medal, taking bronze after beating KCB Nkumba 3-2 in the third-place playoff.

In the men's competition, Sport-S finished fourth, while Nemostars reached the quarter-finals.

The recent NSSF KAVC International Volleyball Tournament, held from September 18 to 20 at Lugogo Indoor Arena, also gave Ugandan clubs a regional test ahead of the new season.

South Sudan's Cobra Sports Club won the men's title, followed by Kenya's Equity Bank and UCU, while Kenya Prisons won the women's title ahead of KCCA and VVC.

The National Club Championship gives clubs another chance to test their squads ahead of the new season.