Maseru – Correctional Sunrise Volleyball Club lifted the Kingdom’s flag at the weekend when they impressed in an international tournament hosted by Red Skins Volleyball Club at the Lehakoe Club and Gym in Maseru, Lesotho. The competition, which ran for three days, drew teams from Eswatini, South Africa and Lesotho.
Sixteen men’s teams and eight women’s teams took part, with Eswatini’s representatives making a strong showing in both divisions.
The Correctional Sunrise ladies were crowned champions after outclassing Scorpions 3–0 in the semi-finals before toppling hosts Red Skins Lesotho 3–0 in the final. Their victory came as sweet revenge after suffering a group-stage defeat to the same side. The team took home a prize of E10 000 along with several individual awards.
Nokulunga Kunene was named Most Valuable Player and received E2 500, while Nonduduzo Nxumalo claimed the Best Blocker award. Ncobile Dladla was voted Best Libero, Sbekelwe Mnisi took Best Attacker, and coach Mbuso Vilakati walked away with the Best Coach accolade.
Vilakati praised the resilience of his players, noting that the semi-final was particularly tough against a local rival but that the squad remained focused until the end. He expressed gratitude to the Commissioner General for her backing and to the Volleyball Association for supporting the growth of the sport.
On the men’s side, Correctional Sunrise finished as runners-up, securing E5 000. They breezed past Ecco Water 3–0 in the semi-finals but were stopped by hosts Red Skins Lesotho in the final, losing 3–0.
Despite the defeat, the men’s team collected individual accolades. Trevor Sibanda was named Best Attacker and Mangaliso Magagula took the Best Libero award.
Coach Themba Sifundza said his side’s performance was encouraging, especially since they were missing key players Nduku, Fortune and Mangena. He added that although the result was not what they had hoped for, the lessons learned from the tournament were invaluable for the squad.
Both teams reaching the finals, with the women’s side taking the crown, reinforced Eswatini’s growing presence in regional volleyball.
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