APR Volleyball Club’s impressive journey in the CAVB Club Championship 2025 has come to an end at the semifinal stage after a 3-1 loss to Libya’s Swehly SC. Hopes of bringing home the continental title were dashed as the Rwandan side exited the tournament in the penultimate round.
The match got off to a difficult start for the Rwandan military side, with Swehly taking the first two sets convincingly, 25-17 and 25-18. APR VC struggled to find rhythm early on, with errors costing them dearly.
However, in the third set, APR regrouped and showed great determination. In a tightly contested set, they edged out Swehly 29-27 — handing the Libyan side their first dropped set in the tournament so far.
But any hopes of a comeback were short-lived. Swehly regained control in the fourth set, closing it out 25-22 and sealing APR VC’s fate.
This was APR VC’s best-ever performance at the continental level, reaching the semifinals for the first time. Only two other Rwandan teams have ever advanced this far: the University of Rwanda team in 2011 and Gisagara VC, which finished third in 2022.
APR VC will now face Egypt’s Al Ahly in the third-place playoff, while the final showdown will feature Swehly SC of Libya taking on Tunisia’s powerhouse Esperance de Tunis.