Defensive play takes DUT to volleyball victory

DURBAN University of Technology (DUT, pictured right) beat arch-rivals Liberte last weekend to win the first Kwazulu-natal Volleyball Association club tournament of the season.

It was the perfect way for DUT to begin their competitive preparation for Volleyball South Africa’s Champions Cup in the Eastern Cape next month.

The tournament took place over two consecutive weekends. DUT dispatched UKZN in the semi-finals, while Liberte beat a young Maidstone team in an exciting clash.

Both teams exchanged blows in a tight first set, but the Durban side pulled away afterwards with the score at 19-17, thanks to big attacks from Nathi Ntumbu and Wenzel Naidoo. DUT got off to a flyer in the second set and led 16-8 at one stage.

Desperate for a way back into the game, Liberte coach Jason Govender turned to his bench and brought on the experienced Kiruben Naicker. It was a change that galvanised the Tongaat team and they fought back valiantly to bring the score to 16-18.

A pep talk by captain Sholen Govender saw DUT quickly shift gears and they took the sting out of Liberte’s attack with some clinical defensive play by Damien Peters, Quwin Naidoo and Kyle Nelson.

In the end, DUT snatched the second set 25-20, a difficult pill for Liberte to swallow in their own backyard, at the Tongaat Indoor Sports Centre.

Govender: “Starting off the season with a victory builds confidence. It is always good to have a win over our arch-rivals.”

The second KZN tournament will take place in Port Shepstone next weekend.