Tuesday

Rwanda 3-2 Algeria

Rwanda women's volleyball team came from two sets down to inflict a historic 3-2 quarterfinal defeat on Algeria and advance to the semifinals of the Women’s African Nations championship for the very first time in the country’s history.

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Paulo de Tarso’s ladies were on the brink of elimination from the tournament after losing the first two sets to Algeria 23-25 and 15-25 before putting up a spirited comeback that saw them write a new story in Rwandan volleyball.

Before the third set, De Tarso had to revise the videos to show his players how inefficient in blocks and services which cost his team in the first two sets.

The team reorganised and came in the third set motivated mentally. They went on to win it 25-18 and let the final set decide their fate.

Algeria were from the beginning leading the fourth set and were in control of the game at 22-19 before Flavia Dusabe came to the service to equalize with good blocking from Albertine Uwiringiyimana, substitutes Francoise and Benitha Mukandayisenga who kept immense pressure on the Northern Africans to win the fourth set 25-23 and force the match into the tiebreaker.

The atmosphere changed inside the Yaounde Multipurpose Sports Complex as a section of Rwandans living in Cameroon cheered on the team throughout the tiebreaker which they went on the win 16-14 and set a semifinal date with Egypt who beat Uganda 3-0 (25-13, 25-18 and 25-11)