The Sunday Mail
Brighton Zhawi
ZIMBABWE women’s volleyball giants, UZ Wolves are high on confidence ahead of the weeklong Zone VI Club Championships that begin tomorrow in Swaziland.
Wolves defended their national league title for a third consecutive year and their coach Jonathan Gava has reason to believe.
“We are almost there, but definitely better than last year,’’ Gava told The Sunday Mail during an interview last week.
“The players are in a better form, carrying on from the just ended national league.
“We topped the league, defending it for the third time.
“We are high on confidence and the exposure we got from Korea left us at a higher level,” Gava said.
The Wolves endured an ignominious tournament last year in Mozambique where they crashed out winless in the group phase.
Gava said they have the quality to reach the final this time around.
“Basically it’s the same team with two additions from last year, Tsungirirai Taderera and Chido Maisiri.
“The problem is we won’t have one of our best setter/attacker, Veena Dick due to a knee injury.
“But we are positive and with the presence of our play maker Brenda Mubvumbi we know we can.
“We are targeting the finals, we have reached the semis before so we want a step further,” said Gava.
Wolves reached the semi-finals of the 2013 edition held in Botswana.
Club captain Progress Gasa is also optimistic her side will put up excellent performances at the tournament.
“I hope we will do better this time around, we have trained hard and such tough trainings make us win.
“I would want us to serve well, because serving sets the tone for the game, if we serve well we are going to be difficult to beat,” said the utility player.
Bulawayo giants Raiders are the other representatives of the country in the women’s category while for the men it will be Support Unit, Naba and Stanbic Thunder doing the duty.
