Sport-S crumble in game one of volleyball playoffs

Results

Aziz Damani national Volleyball league Playoffs

Nemostars 3 Sport-S 2

Ndejje 3 Sport-S 1

After dominating the opening two sets of the Aziz Damani national Volleyball league playoffs against Nemostars, Sport-S were dealt a massive blow as they went on to lose 3-2(25-22, 25-23, 16-25, 22-25 and 15-12).

A collapse it was as the defending champions had to dig deep to produce the kind of results that catapulted them to the title last season.

"I really had to readjust my line-up and the team delivered. We started off the match a bit jitter and shaky but we found a solution in the third set," Andrew Okapis, the Nemostars coach said.

A torrid showing by setter Smith Okumu in the first two sets put Nemostars behind as Sport-S dominated the early exchanges.

 Ndejje players try to block a spike from the Sport S player. PHOTO: Johnson Were

"We had some setter errors so I sat him down and had some discussions with him about it. It worked wonders and the team rediscovered themselves from two sets down to claim victory," Okapis said.

When George Aporu and co managed to gain an early lead in the third to lead the match for the first time they did not look back. They gained confidence and strength in the fourth and fifth to close out the match in two and half hours.

Sport-S were resolute dogged and determined in the opening two sets which shocked Nemostars who had  failed to gain a rhythm their failure to string points together put them at a disadvantage.

For both sides the importance of game one was felt in how Sport-S started the fourth set and Nemostars finished the last three.

Earlier in the women's match, Ndejje defeated Sport-S comfortably to take game one and the lead into game two.