Mafolofolo qualify for final
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday September 25, 2023 15:17
Mafolofolo started the game netting the first point after miscommunication by Kutlwano players to take the lead. Chada Majaga lost a serve, giving advantage to her opponents.
Mafolofolo took the lead after a point by Matlhare and took a 5-2 lead. The windy conditions made it difficult for Kutlwano youngsters to control the ball. That made it easy for Mafolofolo to push on and claim the quarter by a 25-17 score.
Kutlwano started the second quarter showing intention to win. Tracy Chaba was using her experience to lead 'Big House' as they continued asking questions. Majaga responded with a long ball on the line to reduce the margin to 12-9.
Kutlwano were dealt a blow when Chaba fell, spelling doom for the side. However, she managed to make a return to play. Mafolofolo made a strong comeback to win the second quarter 28-26. The side went on to win the third quarter 25-11.
In another semi-final played earlier on, Police walloped Spiking Stars 3-0. Speaking to Sport Monitor, Boitumelo Botsang said he was impressed with the young players that he introduced in the squad. He said moving into the final, it means they should work more on the service. Kutlwano coach, Dopp Popo felt his players did not have their usual fighting spirit and gave Mafolofolo a lot of free balls. “They played another strong match on Saturday, which they won 3-2. Of course I expected fatigue today (semi-final) but not this type of performance.
We are going through a development phase and I only had two senior players. You know, staying long without action means players end up retiring. So most of my senior players have left the court,” he said. Meanwhile, in the men’s side, Kutlwano men qualified for the final after defeating UB Yaros 3-0 in a tightly contested match.
Kutlwano will be up against BDF VI who sailed into the final after gunning down Spiking Stars 3-2 in a hotly contested battle, won through a deciding set. Kutlwano men's coach, Isaac Samuel said it was difficult to start play because of the long break. He said the play was not up to the standard they are used to. “Players relied on my instructions because they did not trust themselves due to the long spell.
Yaros gave us a run for our money because they have beaten us last weekend and they were motivated to beat us again,” he said. Samuel said moving into the final, they want to look for a centre blocker and also get assistance for the opposite. The finals are set for the Independence holidays and will be played at the SSKB courts. The tournament is sponsored by the Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) in partnership with Mascom Wireless.
Mafolofolo 3 Kutlwano 0