Bayelsa, Bauchi Emerge Champions at 2nd National School Volleyball Championships

Bayelsa and Bauchi states emerged as champions at the 2nd edition of the National School Volleyball Championships, which came to a thrilling close yesterday, at the National Institute for Sports inside the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The four-day tournament brought together 28 teams—10 boys’ and eight girls’ squads, from across the country including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Bayelsa. Organised by the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF) in partnership with the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) and supported by the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), the event was a celebration of youthful energy, competition, and grassroots sports development.

The atmosphere was electric as hundreds of students cheered their peers through action-packed matches. Bayelsa struck first glory in the girls’ final, defeating a determined Lagos side 2-1.

The Bayelsa girls opened strongly with a 25-14 win, but Lagos rallied to take the second set 25-19, leveling the score. The decider was tense and dramatic, with both teams pushing each other to the limit. Ultimately, Bayelsa held firm, clinching the title with a narrow 15-12 victory.

Inspired by the loss of their female counterparts, the Lagos boys entered their final against Bauchi with determination, taking the first set 25-21. But Bauchi responded with renewed vigour, storming back to dominate the second set 25-12. In the deciding set, Bauchi silenced the home crowd with a commanding 15-9 win, securing the boys’ championship and confirming their place as national leaders in school volleyball.

Elsewhere, Adamawa and Oyo claimed bronze medals in the boys’ and girls’ categories respectively, overcoming Ekiti and Ogun in the third-place matches played on Thursday, April 23.

At the closing ceremony, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Habu Gummel, praised the NSSF under Olabisi Joseph for its commitment to reviving grassroots sports. He pledged the NOC’s continued support, noting that tournaments like this are vital to nurturing future stars who can shine on the Olympic, Commonwealth, African, and world stages.

Looking ahead, selected players from the championships will represent Nigeria at the International School Sport Federation (ISF) World School Volleyball Championship, scheduled for July 1–10 in China, under the technical guidance of the NVBF.