TOURNAMENTS
MSVA organises three traditional volleyball tournaments every season, namely;
(1) Opening Season Tournament dubbed “Yasuka yahlala”,
(2) Mid Season Tournament, sometimes referred to as the “Independence Trophy”,
(3) End of Season Tournament
However, with the introduction of other forms of volleyball such as Beach and Sitting volleyball, the traditional schedule is set to change in the near future. The MSVA volleyball season normally commences in February and ends in November.
In conjunction with Lefatshe Geoinformatics, the sponsors and founders, MSVA organises the Mat South Schools Invitational Tournament.
Opening Tournament "Yasuka Yahlala"
Mid Season Tournament "Independence Trophy"
traditional tournaments
The Opening Tournament “Yasuka Yahlala”
The MSVA calendar typically spans from February to November. As the inaugural event of the year, the Opening Tournament is traditionally conducted in either February or March. The hosting duties for this tournament are rotated among the major towns of Matabeleland South province, namely Beitbridge, Filabusi, Gwanda, and Plumtree. Additionally, the tournament extends invitations to clubs from other provinces. The 2024 Opening tournament was held in Singawango High School, Insiza district. The final tournament rankings were as follows: Women: (1) Lycans, (2) Angels, (3) Singwango, (4) Beitbridge Eagles. Men: (1) Beitbridge Eagles, (2) NUST Vipers, (3) Lycans, (4) GSU Cavaliers, (5) GHS Spartans, (6) Singwango.
The Mid-season Tournament “Independence Trophy”
The Mid-season tournament is typically organized in April as a commemoration of Zimbabwe’s Independence Day. It serves as an occasion for inviting clubs from other provinces to participate. The 2023 edition, held at Mtshabezi, showcased competitions in both male and female categories. The final tournament rankings were as follows: Women: (1) Lycans (Bulawayo) (2) Chimoio (Bulawayo) (3) Beitbridge Eagles and Male: (1) Chimoio (Bulawayo) (2) Beitbridge Eagles (3) Jessie Mine (4) Lycans (Bulawayo), (5) Mtshabezi.
End of Season Tournament “Ikhisimusi sifikile”
The End of Season tournament marks the final event of the calendar year and typically takes place in November following the conclusion of the MSVA League. In 2023, this tournament was organized in collaboration with the Beitbridge Eagles Sports Trust, featuring the theme “Spike Away Drugs.” The final tournament rankings were as follows: Women: (1) Raiders, (2) Beitbridge Eagles, and Men: (1) More Fire (Masvingo), (2) MSU Cobras (Midlands), (3) Masvingo, (4) Beitbridge Eagles, (5) Jessie Mine
Lefatshe MAT SOUTH Schools invitational
The Matabeleland South Invitational Volleyball Tournament, also known as the Lefatshe Schools Invitational Tournament, was established in 2019. Situated in Matabeleland South province, one of Zimbabwe’s ten provinces, the region faces challenges in fostering competitive volleyball among schools due to its predominantly rural setting and the financial constraints of students from low-income households.
The existing Matabeleland South Volleyball Association League experiences limited participation from schools, primarily influenced by their proximity to game venues and financial resources. This hinders the development of a proactive league that could facilitate widespread and competitive school-level play. Despite the commendable achievements of tournaments like the NASH tournaments, which enable schools to represent their zones, districts, and province, there remains a crucial need for schools to engage in volleyball more frequently.
To address this gap and unearth new talent for potential national representation, it is imperative to encourage and support high schools in playing volleyball at a competitive level. The Matabeleland South Invitational Volleyball Tournament aims to provide a platform for schools to actively participate in the sport. Held annually in collaboration with the Matabeleland South Volleyball Association, the tournament will be hosted on a rotational basis by different schools within the province. This initiative seeks to not only promote regular and competitive school-level volleyball but also invites corporate sponsorships and encourages former volleyball players from the province’s schools to contribute and support the development of the sport in the region.
The winners of the 2023 edition that was held in Gwanda are Singwango High School (girls) and Gwanda High School (boys).
Beach volleyball
