Volleyball: Kwamerk win again

Ghana’s champion volleyball club, Kwamerk VBC, continued their winning spree in the ongoing 21st Africanmen volleball championship when they defeated Inter Club of Congo Brazaville in three straight sets in their second Group B match played at the Academie De La Mer Sports Hall in Abidjan, on Monday.

Coming only a day after their remarkable victory over Cameroun’s highly-rated Sonel Club, the Ghanaians were pre-match favourites on everybody’s card and they did not disappoint themselves nor their new-found Ivorian fans.

Resplendent in a beautiful red and black set of jersey donated to the club specially for this tournament by Ransford Kpakpo, a former player of the club now playing professional in Belgium, Kwamerk went into the game with only one aim — to keep their focus on reaching the semi-final berth a reality.

With a starting line-up of skipper Casmil Agbenyegah, Shamsu Awudu, Seidu Ajenako, Solomon Acquaye, Ofei Awuku and William Klu, Kwamerk stamped their authority on the game from the onset, giving their opponents no breathing space whatsover.

As the game wore on, however, Inter Club produced some sparkling moments and forced the Ghanaians to redouble their efforts before taking the first set 25-21. The second set saw coach Agama and team manager Simon Mensah effecting two changes; with Solomon Acquaye and William Klu giving way to Eric Ofori and Evans Lomotey-Tagoe respectively.

The changes brought more life into the team as Eric Ofori stood tall among his colleagues in the short spike technique which the opponents had no answer to. Again, Eric proved to be an effective partner with Seidu Ajanako as they mounted blocks on the top strikers of Inter Club, thus rendering them ineffective. It, therefore, came as no surprise when Kwamerk won the second set 25-20

The third set was to see Kwamerk turn on the full glow of their skills as they bombarded their opponents with virtually everthing in the game — short spikes, long volleys, overhead spikes and all.

At one stage of this set, the Ghanaians took a commanding 10-4 lead and there was no turning back until they brought Inter tumbling down at 25-17. Bubbling with so much confidence, Kwarmerk will play their last but one group match today against Ivorian champions, Eburmen.

The Ivorians, who have so far won one match at the time of going to press, enjoy massive support anytime they are in action and the situation is not likely to change today.

But skipper Casmil Agbenyegah summed up the mood of his colleagues when he said: " We are determined to make a strong case for Ghana volleyball and this is the best platforn to do so. If it means killing ourselves to achieve our aim, so be it".

The competition, which entered its second day on Monday was abandoned in the course of the fourth match of the day between Cameroun's Sonel Club and Eburmen of Cote d'Ivoire due to power failure.

The campus of the Academie De La Mer was without electricity throughout Monday, forcing the organisers to call off proceedings midway in the second match. The Cameronians had then won the first set 25-20 and were comfortably leading 23-16 in the second set when poor visibility set in.

Earlier on, defending champions, Etoile Sahel of Tunisia had beaten Kigali Club of Rwanda in three straight sets in a Group A encounter. The other matches which could not be honoured on Monday have been rescheduled for Friday; which originally was set aside as a rest day.

Other matches to be played today (Wednesday) are Kenya Police vrs Etoile Sahel of Tunisia, Nigeria Police vrs Sagosse Soteci of Cote d'Ivoire, Tenors of Benin vrs Inter club of Congo Brazaville, Zamalek vrs Kigqli Club of Rwanda and A S Duanne of Togo vrs Sonel of Cameroun.