UCU got out of the blocks early, with Angiro and Nickson Tumusiime tearing through the Sport-S block to help the side to an early lead.
UCU Doves can win their first-ever National Volleyball League championship by taking three more sets in the finals against Sport-S.
The university side took Game One of the finals series to move closer to this year’s title at the expense of the regular season’s best team.
Gideon Angiro and Vincent Odeke combined to block Thon Maker’s strike and close the decisive set 16-14 and send a largely partisan crowd into celebrations Sunday night at a fully-packed Old Kampala Arena.
UCU got out of the blocks early, with Angiro and Nickson Tumusiime tearing through the Sport-S block to help the side to an early lead.
However, Elias Isiagi and his troops found themselves on the back foot when Sport-S recovered to level matters and take the lead to close in on victory.
Maker and Augustine Odongo added some brute to Sport-S’ offence in the second and third sets, while Samuel Engwau and Emma Okia blocked well in the middle.
Sport-S looked destined for victory after taking the second and third sets with an identical 25-18 scoreline to deflate a young and inexperienced UCU side.
But when the stakes were high, and the Doves were close to defeat in the first game of the finals, Angiro led from the front to keep the team alive.
His ferocious attacks from everywhere on the floor kept UCU in the game. And when the skipper was not firing, Odeke’s swift swing through the middle made up for it, and the Doves took the fourth set 26-24 to force a decisive.
It was UCU that started the last set well and led by three at the switch of side. And once the team maintained a three-point lead (13-10) in the race to 15, it looked like Sport-S were down and out.
But the introduction of Malic Damulira and Dickens Otim had UCU in a spot of bother for a moment. Damulira served well, while Otim added height to the block.
Sport-S rallied back to lead 14-13, but UCU held their nerve to edge it 16-14 and get one hand on the title.
As the only team to have beaten Sport-S in the regular season, UCU will be confident of closing the three-game series when the two sides meet for Game Two on Saturday.
National Volleyball League Finals
Game One results
Sport-S 2-3 UCU Doves (23-25, 25-18, 25-18, 24-26, 14-16)
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