Plumtree – Gwanda Spikers emerged dominant during the opening round of the 2025 Matabeleland South Volleyball Association (MSVA) League, a tournament held on the 17th of May and was marred by poor attendance and last-minute team withdrawals.
Scheduled matches were disrupted when GSU withdrew just days before the tournament, while Beitbridge Eagles, Beitbridge Lions, and Colleen Bawn failed to show up. Despite these setbacks, Gwanda Spikers and Jessie Mine fulfilled their commitments, travelling to Plumtree to compete.
The local Dingumuzi community turned out in large numbers, providing an energetic backdrop to the action-packed matches.
In the opening game, hosts Plumtree edged Jessie Mine in a thrilling five-set encounter. Jessie Mine claimed the first and fourth sets, but Plumtree rallied to take the second, third, and decisive fifth set.
Jessie Mine rebounded in the second match, pulling off an upset over the highly-rated Gwanda Spikers, winning 3–2. Gwanda, slow to find rhythm, struggled to coordinate in the early stages of the match.
The final game of the day saw Gwanda Spikers bounce back with a 3–1 victory over the hosts.
This year’s league adopts a new tournament-style format similar to the HSBC Rugby Sevens Series, where teams accumulate points based on their participation and performance across different venues. The club with the highest points tally at season’s end will be crowned MSVA League champions, regardless of the number of matches played.
Despite the logistical setbacks, the tournament drew a sizable and diverse crowd, including young people, youth, and elders. Plumtree Volleyball Club manager Mr. Chinoto, popularly known as Ras Terry, expressed gratitude to Gwanda Spikers and Jessie Mine for honouring the fixtures despite the withdrawal of other teams.
Club representative and coach Gugu Moyo praised the community turnout but criticized the no-shows, warning that such behaviour undermines the growth of volleyball in the province. He called on the provincial association to take action against clubs that fail to attend fixtures and pledged Plumtree’s commitment to travel the 420-kilometre journey to Beitbridge for future matches. The League Committee, chaired by Plumtree’s Sipho Ncube, will announce dates and venues for the next round of matches.
Highlights of the matches can be watched on the MSVA Youtube page
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsucd3MpU8mJbvkixH2zotDoWkB0HYTPj
MSVA Media Team
