Nigeria Customs Sweep to Double Leadership After First Phase of CGC Volleyball League
Oru Leonard
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) emerged as the dominant force at the end of the first phase of the 2026 Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Volleyball Premier League, finishing top of both the men’s and women’s standings after the final round of matches concluded in Abuja on Saturday.
The Customs men’s team completed a flawless campaign, winning all 12 matches to finish with a maximum of 36 points.
They sealed their unbeaten run with a convincing 3-0 victory over COAS Spikers, taking the sets 25-23, 25-18, 25-20.
Elsewhere in the men’s competition, CNS Spikers defeated Offa VC 3-0 (25-23, 25-12, 25-12), while NSCDC also secured a straight-set victory over UCEM Nigeria Police Force overcame Sunshine Spikers 3-0, Nigeria Correctional Service defeated Defence Spikers 3-1, and Life Camp VC edged Kano Pillars 3-2 in the day’s most entertaining five-set encounter.
At the close of the opening phase, Nigeria Customs led the men’s standings with 36 points, followed by COAS Spikers (29), CNS Spikers (28), NSCDC (26), Nigeria Correctional Service (22), Kano Pillars (20), Defence Spikers (18), UCEM (14), Nigeria Police Force (14), Life Camp VC (11), Offa VC (8), AVC (5), and Sunshine Spikers (4).
In the women’s competition, Nigeria Customs suffered their first defeat of the season but still finished at the summit of the table with 34 points. COAS Spikers rallied to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory after Customs recovered from two sets down to force a decider before COAS dominated the final set 15-5.
Other results saw NSCDC beat Fire Service Spikers 3-0, CNS Spikers defeat NAF Rockets in straight sets, Vipers Spikers overcome Benue Queens 3-0, Life Camp VC defeat Olalomi Royal Angels 3-0, and Kada Emeralds record a 3-0 win over Excelsior VC.
The women’s standings at the end of the first phase placed Nigeria Customs first with 34 points, followed closely by COAS Spikers (33) and NSCDC (31). Vipers Spikers finished fourth with 25 points, ahead of CNS Spikers (24), NAF Rockets (19), Fire Service Spikers (16), Anambra (13), Benue Queens (12), Life Camp VC (10), Olalomi Royal Angels (9), Kada Emeralds (7), and Excelsior (1).
Reacting after his team’s victory over Nigeria Customs, COAS Spikers head coach Elishama Elam praised his players for executing the game plan despite facing the defending champions.
“Our target was to win 3-0, but Nigeria Customs are an experienced and quality team. I thank God my players followed instructions and played like champions,” he said.
Elam also commended the steady progress of volleyball in Nigeria, attributing the improvement to the dedication of local coaches.
“Nigerian volleyball is improving rapidly. If you compare the standard now with previous years, the difference is obvious. Very soon, international scouts will begin to come to Nigeria because the quality of our players keeps getting better,” he said.
The coach, however, called on corporate organisations to invest in the sport, stressing that increased sponsorship would create more competitions and help players maintain peak performance throughout the year.
“We need more sponsors in volleyball. It is an exciting sport, and with more support, there will be more championships. Our players have played 13 matches consecutively, and many are exhausted.
More competitions will keep them active and improve the standard of the game,” Elam added.
With the opening phase completed, attention now turns to the Super Cup before teams resume their quest for league honours in the second phase of the 2026 CGC Volleyball Premier League.
