APR Volleyball Clubs emerged as the champions of the 2024 Rwanda Volleyball National League in both the Men’s and Women’s categories. They secured their titles after intense battles in the third game of the best-of-three series against Kepler and Police VC respectively.
KIGALI, May 26, The APR Volleyball family surpassed all expectations by securing the National League championships this year. Despite being the lowest-seeded team in the playoffs, the men’s team defied the odds to clinch the series victory. Meanwhile, the women’s team dominated the regular season and continued their flawless journey by claiming victory in the playoffs.
In the men’s category, the APR Volleyball Club finished fourth in the regular season, securing the last spot in the 2024 National League ahead of defending champions Gisagara. Against all expectations, Sam Muligye’s APR team eliminated the top-seeded REG in a clean sweep of the best-of-three series to advance to the Playoff finals.
Their journey to the championship required rigorous preparation to face Fidel Nyirimana’s Kepler, who had eliminated the strong Police VC in the semifinals in their debut season. Nyirimana, a four-time league champion, posed a serious threat to APR, especially after strengthening their squad with Ghanaian outside hitter Hassan Umar prior to the playoffs.
Although APR initially fell short against Kepler in the first game, losing 3-1, they bounced back in the second game to secure a thrilling five-set victory, forcing a deciding game on Sunday.
As per the theory, the outcome of the second match often determines the best-of-three series winner. APR capitalized on their momentum from Saturday’s game to prepare for the championship game as they took the first two sets convincingly (25-19, 25-23), setting the stage for an intense final set.
Despite Kepler’s determined efforts, winning the third set 25-22 and aiming to reverse the tide in the fourth set, APR remained resolute. Aware of the challenge posed by letting the opponent come from two sets behind, they fought fiercely to maintain their lead.
Regardless of playing with a hip injury, APR’s setter Paul Akan played a crucial role in preventing Kepler from staging a comeback. His connection with Theoneste Gatsinzi proved instrumental in APR’s successful season, particularly in the playoff series.
APR ultimately clinched the championship by winning the thrilling third set 29-27, ending their four-year hiatus and emerging victorious in this year’s championship.
Similarly in the women’s category, the APR Women’s Volleyball Club, who breezed past Ruhango in the semifinals, faced a significant challenge against Police, who had defeated them in the regular season.
Led by the experienced Christian Hatumimana, Police entered the final series on a positive note after a convincing 3-0 victory against the regular season leaders, APR. However, the lionesses of APR rallied strongly in the second and third games to clinch the well-deserved 2024 National League titles, sparking celebrations at the Ministry of Defense as both their teams secured the league titles.
With a squad comprising entirely local players, under the guidance of Peter Kamasa and Yvette Igihozo, both Rwandans, APR WVC fought fiercely in the four set game (27-25, 26-24, 14-25, 29-27) to overcome Police and reclaim the title lost in the previous season to RRA.
The league champions in both the men’s and women’s categories received a prize of 2 million Francs along with medals and trophies. Kepler and Police, the first runners-up, each received 1.5 million Francs, while REG and RRA, the third-placed teams, were awarded 1 million Rwandan Francs each.
APR VC, Kepler, and REG VC in the men’s division will represent Rwanda in the Africa Club Championship in May 2025, while APR WVC and Police WVC will fly the country’s flag in the women’s competition.
Looking ahead, the Genocide Memorial Tournament is scheduled for next weekend, with teams from abroad invited to participate.
