Africa-Press – Rwanda. We just saw it coming when 1,000-seater Petit Stade gymnasium sold out Round Five matches of the Rwanda Volleyball League on Friday, November 14. And it was indeed for the good reasons as APR VC delivered pure entertainment when they crushed Gisagara VC who had not lost a match until then.
While a number of volleyball spectators stayed outside of the gymnasium after tickets were already sold out, hundreds of fans including Sports Minister Nelly Mukazayire looked all but entertained by every play produced by the two volleyball giants.
But Round Five of the league was more than that.
Times Sport highlights the key moments that shaped the volleyball weekend.
Mutabazi is back!
Rwandan volleyball ace Yves Mutabazi was a real nightmare for Gisagara VC with his usual powerful yet dangerous services.
The APR VC star, who joined from Kepler VC on a short-term deal, looked very much like the man in his element, just as he was during the 2021 African Volleyball Championship held in Kigali, where he helped Rwanda secure sixth place among 12 participating nations.
APR VC coach Sammy Mulinge included Mutabazi in his six starters, marking his first start since the move.
With his fierce attacks and services, the army side convincingly tormented Yakan Guma’s side with a straight-set victory.
Obviously, a fit Mutabazi isn’t somebody any team would wish to face and his quick return to form feels like bad news to APR VC rivals this season.
Kepler WVC’s struggles linger
Florien Siborurema’s Kepler had a weekend to forget when they fell to a shock defeat to Police WVC in a five-set thriller despite leading the match across four sets.
It was an unfortunate run for the Kinyinya-based club which tasted the second defeat of the season.
fresh from a 4th place finished on their debut season in 2024/25, Kepler started to new season with two quick wins against Ruhango WVC and East African University Rwanda (EAUR) with little job to do.
But when the true challenges came their way, they struggled to cope with them at once, swallowing two straight defeats at the hands of last season’s runners-up APR WVC and champions Police WVC.
Siborurema will need to make quick improvements in his squad and build a strong team ready enough to challenge the two teams if they are to win the league.
Ndayisaba, Niyogisubizo give back to former side
Gisagara VC had to captain Sylvestre Ndayisaba and Samuel Niyogisubizo in the group that beat Kigali Volleyball Club (KVC) in three sets on Saturday, November 15.
For the duo playing a team their former side, it felt like they were playing against their younger siblings, not just to win, but also to teach them how professional players are made.
Although the match ended in Gisagara’s favour, their gesture stole the hearts of volleyball enthusiasts when they gifted two balls to KVC whose coach Jean Marie Nsengiyumva raised them between 2013 and 2015 before they both moved to Kirehe VC.
KVC is known for using young players in the league as the club focuses on development more than competing for titles.
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