UKZN Volleyball Wins Gold at the AQUA DARSHAN SUPER 16 Series

UKZN Volleyball Wins Gold at the AQUA DARSHAN SUPER 16 Series

UKZN Volleyball is off to a flying start at the AQUA DARSHAN SUPER 16, with our teams playing some exciting volleyball!

UKZN male and female teams thrilled their supporters as they both took gold at the first tournament of the series at Nkanini Sports Centre in Hibberdene on the KwaZulu-Natal South coast on 3 June.

Captain of the male team, Thandolwethu Ngobese, was chuffed at his team’s podium finish. ‘When you win a championship, it’s a great feeling and you really don’t want that feeling to go away,’ said the Masters in Financial Banking and Investment Management student.

He reflected on the team’s performance and talked about his plans for the rest of the AQUA DARSHAN series. ‘My hopes for the rest of the series are that we can continue to improve by producing high quality volleyball so that we can win more championships. Experiencing the win will do so much for us as a team as we are well aware of what needs to be done in maintaining the standard set with the big win.’

Kiruben Naicker, male team Head Coach, said while there was a slow start to the games, the team upped its performance after a pep-talk. ‘I said if we play at the same level, we are not going to advance so we need something special and I think the boys responded well in the semi-final – we managed to beat the favourites! The boys executed their skills quite nicely – they were hungry for success,’ he said. To maintain their #InspiringGreatness streak, the coach said the team needs to be more ‘tactically disciplined and stick to the game plan.’

He added that the secret to their success was the execution of their basic skills ‘well and consistently well – everyday, in and out of training. I think if they can do that and with a high level of team spirit, I think we have a recipe for success.’

Naicker has been a fixture on volleyball courts for over 35 years and got into the coaching space more recently. He currently plays in the master’s league and when not on the volleyball court, he is a biokineticist in private practice.

Speaking to NdabaOnline, Captain of the female team, Busisiwe Maposa, commended the teams’ performances. ‘Congratulations to both our male and female teams who won gold at the first tournament of the Aqua Darshan Super 16 Series. I am so happy and proud of both teams. We are looking forward to many more victories throughout the series. Let’s keep pushing and striving for more!’ she said.

Coach of the female team, Marcie Harold, congratulated the teams on their podium finishes. ‘It’s a continuation of our hard work ethos. The ladies make lots of sacrifices and are reaping the benefits. It’s the reward for all their efforts. As most of the team are students dealing with exams and studying – it makes winning gold so much sweeter! I’m very proud of them and happy for their hard-earned success,’ said Harold.

He offered these words of advice to the team: ‘Take your game to another level… Understand that we have to grow to become stronger and better – becoming better players takes hard work. Being content with who you are now as a player means that you are standing still – very soon the pack will catch up.’

‘This is an amazing bunch of young ladies who continue to push boundaries on the volleyball court. Don’t settle for anything less than a better version of yourself as a player and a person. On the stands of Roland-Garros, it is written in bold: VICTORY BELONGS TO THE MOST TENACIOUS,’ he said.

The teams will defend their titles at the next leg of the AQUA DARSHAN series at UKZN’s Westville campus on 1 July 2023 where they look to capitalise on the home ground support.

#WeAreUKZN #WeAreUnited #WeKeepDoingGoodThings.

Words: Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer

Photographs: Supplied

Poster: Courtesy of AQUA DARSHAN