Gisagara VC kicked off the second phase of the Rwanda Volleyball League in electric fashion, registering a convincing straight-sets victory over Police VC at Petit Stade on Friday, January 9. The Southern Province-based side has enjoyed an impressive campaign this season after strengthening their roster with the high-profile signings of star setter Sylvestre Ndayisaba and middle blocker Ronald Muvara. The duo inspired Gisagara to a dominant performance as they eased past Fred Musoni’s Police side in three straight sets (25–19, 29–27, 25–20). Police, who concluded the first phase on December 7, 2025, in fourth place on the standings, fought bravely in the opening set. However, Gisagara maintained control throughout to claim it 25–19. Coach Musoni’s men showed renewed determination in the second set, pushing hard in a bid to level the match. The set turned into an intense contest that extended beyond 25 points, but a solid blocking partnership from Djibril Amadou and Samuel Gisubizo proved decisive as Gisagara edged it 29–27. The third set went firmly in Gisagara’s favour, despite the absence of star middle blocker Muvara, who missed the match after contracting malaria. Head coach Yakan Guma Lawrence confirmed the situation in an exclusive interview with Times Sport after the match. “We really wanted this victory, even though we were missing a key player in the squad, and our assistant coach, Emmy Bonane, was also unavailable for the same reason. As we move forward, the goal remains the same — to win the league title,” he said. In another men’s fixture, army side APR VC, coached by Sammy Mulinge, staged an impressive comeback by rallying from two sets down to defeat an aggressive Kepler VC in a thrilling five-set contest. APR clinched a 3–2 victory (22–25, 24–26, 25–17, 25–20, 15–8), marking a confident and morale-boosting start to the second phase of the 2025/26 season. In the women’s category, APR WVC—who had gone unbeaten during the first phase of the season—were stunned by Kepler WVC in the opening match of the day. APR were led by assistant coach Yvette Cyuzuzo in the absence of head coach Peter Kamasa. Coached by Florien Siborurema, Kepler WVC delivered a dominant performance, sweeping APR WVC 3–0 (25–20, 25–21, 25–19). The victory earned Kepler the maximum three points, while APR left empty-handed.
