By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
Nigeria’s women’s volleyball team recorded a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Senegal on Monday in a classification match at the ongoing African Volleyball Championship in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Nigerian side made a strong start, taking the opening set 25-17, but Senegal responded with a narrow 26-24 win in the second set to level the contest.
Nigeria, however, regained control of the match in emphatic fashion, dominating the third set 25-12 before sealing victory with a 25-20 win in the fourth set.
The statistics reflected Nigeria’s superiority, with the team recording 10 aces against Senegal’s one and 12 blocks compared to their opponents’ five. Nigeria also registered 44 kills, while Senegal managed 36, with the Nigerian side benefiting from 34 errors committed by their opponents.
Nigeria’s coach, Elishama Elam, described the victory as an important confidence booster as the team continues its campaign.
“The victory means a lot to the team. It gives us confidence and motivates us to continue improving so that we can put ourselves in a very good position. That is our prayer,” Elam said.
The coach also praised Senegal’s youthful team, noting their improvement since the group stage of the competition.
“They have improved. They are a very youthful team, and they are picking up experience as they progress in the competition,” he said.
Elam added that Nigeria’s experience played a key role in what he described as a highly competitive encounter.
He also expressed appreciation to Kenyan fans for their overwhelming support for the Nigerian team throughout the championship.
“They are actually in love with the Nigerian team, and we also give that love back to them. We appreciate the Kenyan people with all our hearts,” Elam said.
The victory keeps Nigeria’s hopes of securing a strong finish alive as the team continues its classification campaign with sights set on a place among the championship’s top 10 teams.
