volleyball 27 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)

Lady Volleyball Cranes Suffer First Defeat Against Egypt in Continental Championship

The Uganda Lady Volleyball Cranes experienced their initial loss in the 2026 CAVB Women’s African Nations Championship, going down 3-0 to Egypt in their final Pool B encounter. Despite a strong start in sets, Uganda struggled with reception and Egypt's dominance at the net. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/sports/other-sport/lady-volleyball-cranes-fall-to-egypt-in-pool-b-finale-5573188

The Uganda Lady Volleyball Cranes concluded their Pool B matches at the 2026 CAVB Women’s African Nations Championship with a straight-sets defeat against Egypt. This loss marks the team’s first setback in the tournament, following earlier victories over Senegal and Burkina Faso.

Egypt proved too strong, winning 25-14, 25-9, and 25-16. The Pharaohs consistently controlled the net, capitalizing on Uganda’s reception errors. Although Uganda started brightly in the opening sets, building early leads, their passing struggles allowed Egypt to regain control and build significant advantages.

Head coach Protus Soita acknowledged the team’s failure to execute their strategy. “The scoring rate today was too low. Even when the reception was there, we were not scoring at all in all departments,” Soita stated. Substitutions were made, including bringing in Claire Najjuko, Hadijah Otin, and setter Holiver Acn, but these changes did not significantly alter the match’s trajectory.

Despite the defeat, the Lady Volleyball Cranes showed more resilience in the third set, but Egypt’s consistent net play secured the sweep. “It was a challenging game. They were playing a bit quicker than us, and I think that is a takeaway for us — that we need to play faster,” commented Libero Shamirah Kalanzi. She urged her teammates to focus on the upcoming knockout stage, where every match is crucial.

With all teams advancing to the Round of 16, Uganda must regroup and find their previous form to progress in the championship. The team aims to at least match their eighth-place finish from the 2023 edition.