By Paul Joseph
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) teams and CNS Spikers recorded impressive victories on the opening day of the 2026 Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Volleyball Premier League final phase in Abuja.
The matches, held at the Package B Indoor Sports Hall of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, saw teams battle for crucial points as the competition entered its decisive stage.
In the women’s category, Nigeria Customs Service defeated NAF Rockets in straight sets, winning 25-16, 25-16 and 25-9 to begin their campaign on a strong note.
Excelsior VC also secured a 3-1 victory over Olalomi Royal Angels, winning the first two sets 25-21 and 25-18 before losing the third 17-25. They recovered in the fourth set to seal the match 25-12.
CNS Spikers continued their impressive performance with a 3-0 win over Benue Queens, dominating the encounter 25-4, 25-16 and 25-11.
Fire Service edged Life Camp VC 3-2 in one of the day’s most competitive women’s matches. Fire Service won the first set 25-22 before Life Camp levelled the contest with a 25-22 victory in the second set.
Fire Service regained the advantage by taking the third set 25-21, but Life Camp forced a decider with a 25-20 win in the fourth. Fire Service eventually secured the match 15-10 in the fifth set.
NSCDC also defeated Vipers Spikers 3-1, winning the first two sets 25-20 and 25-19. Vipers fought back to claim the third set 25-21, but NSCDC closed out the match with a 25-17 victory in the fourth.
In the men’s category, CNS Spikers defeated NSCDC 3-1 in a closely contested encounter. CNS Spikers narrowly won the opening set 27-25 before NSCDC levelled the match with a 26-24 victory in the second.
The defending champions then took control, winning the third set 25-14 and the fourth 25-10 to secure the victory.
Defence Spikers also recorded a straight-set victory over Sunshine Spikers, winning 25-22, 26-24 and 25-23.
COAS Spikers defeated the Nigeria Correctional Service 3-1. After taking the first set 25-21, COAS Spikers lost the second 25-23 but responded strongly to win the third 25-16 and the fourth 25-20.
Nigeria Customs Service completed a convincing performance in the men’s category with a 3-0 victory over Ajase Ipo, winning 25-20, 25-15 and 25-13.
Speaking after the opening-day matches, CNS Spikers coach, Sani Mohammed, said the victory over NSCDC was important for the team as they seek to defend their title.
Mohammed recalled that his team lost 3-2 to the same opponents during the first phase of the league, making the latest result a significant improvement.
He attributed the performance to preparations ahead of the final phase, saying the team was determined to redeem its image and maintain its position among the league’s leading contenders.
“We give God the glory. In the first phase of the league, we lost to them, I think, 3-2. Now, in our first match, they have lost to us 3-1,” he said.
“We prepared to come and redeem our image based on the first phase and equally defend our title as the defending champions.”
Mohammed expressed confidence that the team could finish on the podium, citing the support of the Comptroller-General of Customs and other personnel.
Meanwhile, the coach of Excelsior VC, Dennis Eleri, described his team’s opening-day victory as an important step towards improving its position on the league table.
Eleri explained that the second phase would be determined by points accumulated in each match, noting that Excelsior VC had not earned enough points during the first round.
He said the team identified weaknesses in Olalomi Royal Angels’ reception and instructed his players to exploit them through effective serving.
“We didn’t make enough points in the first round, and starting this first match with three points is something important,” Eleri said.
“We noticed that Olalomi Royal Angels were not very good in reception, so we had to instruct our players to serve very well. We got a lot of our points from their service errors, and this made the match easier.”
He added that Excelsior VC would aim to build on the victory and accumulate more points in subsequent matches.
A representative of the Nigeria Customs Service team also said the players were determined to deliver victories in line with the expectations of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale.
The representative described the opening-day result as a positive start and dedicated the victory to the Customs chief.
The 2026 CGC Volleyball Premier League final phase continues at the Package B Indoor Sports Hall of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, with participating teams seeking to strengthen their positions in the race for the title.
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