Kutlwano women retain cup

• Published date: 02 October 2014
• Publication title: Botswana Daily News

Kutlwano women volleyball team has won the BMW Capital Motors Independence Cup for three successive years.

They defeated Kalavango 32 in a hard fought final played in Molepolole on September 27. Gaboronebased Kutlwano have dominated the competition, winning five out of the seven editions since its inception in 2008.

Coach Dopp Popo's side made a blistering start at the fully packed Molepolole Institute of Health Sciences hall, registering six consecutive points at the beginning of the first set before Kalavango could get off the mark.

They then wrapped a dramatic victory that saw the two teams exchange periods of dominance by winning the deciding set 1513. With their captain Tebogo Sejewe supported by Daisy Golekanye and Thapelo Kamberuka in the attack, Kutlwano took advantage of their opponents' erratic block to seal the first set 2514.

Kalavango corrected their mistakes in the second set with their stalwarts like Gaoleseletse Gasekgonwe, Monica Alfred and Gabaresepe Mashaole finding cohesion in their passing and attacking.

Their young libero Kebabonye Phofedi also patrolled the defence with a lot of maturity as Kalavango won the second set 2522. Coach Makgetla Gareanna's team then opened a commanding 157 lead in the third set, but they let it slip and Kutlwano exploited their mistakes to level the points 2222.

The Big House'as they are commonly known, then scored three consecutive points, with Kamberuka applying the finishing touch to give her team a 2522 third set win.

However, gallant Kalavango players regrouped and staged another fight back in the fourth set which they won 2521. Kalavango led by a point midway through a tense deciding set but then collapsed again when it mattered most as they let Kutlwano to recover and win the set.

It was the second time in three seasons that Kalavango had lost to Kutlwano in the final of the BMW Capital Motors Independence Cup after going down 30 in the 2012 decider.

Kutlwano coach Dopp...