KVF champs GSU, Kenya Pipeline ease into playoffs

General Service Unit (GSU) and Kenya Pipeline stayed on course to defending their Kenya Volleyball Federation titles after completing their progressions into the play-offs on Friday.

The two giants kept their unbeaten records intact with sweeping wins to ensure they topped of their respective tables as curtains fell on the KVF league phase in Nakuru.

Fresh from clinching the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Cup in Tanzania in, GSU claimed a trio of straight sets wins over Naks, Vihiga County and the Kenya Ports Authority.

The other men’s teams which will battle it out for the title in the play-offs are Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), Kenya Prisons and Mombasa-based KPA.

In the women’s category, defending champions Kenya Pipeline saw off KCB in straight sets (25-16, 25-22, 25-15) before underlining their title credentials with a 3-1 victory over arch-rivals Kenya Prisons.

The Japheth-Munala coached side thus wrapped up the league with 27 points followed by Kenya Prisons who tasted their first league defeat on the final day.

The other two sides who are penciled to square it out in the play-offs alongside Prison and Pipeline are KCB and Bungoma County.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Munala expressed his optimistic of defending the title for the fifth successive time.

“I was hunting the unbeaten record and we have achieved it, now my eyes are on the title which I am quite sure we will defend although I know other teams will also be out to break our winning run,” Munala said.

His Kenya Prisons counterpart David Lung’aho was in no mood to concede the title just yet despite their crushing defeat as they seek to end Pipeline’s dominance.

“We are looking to win the play-offs and break the five-year hiatus and I am sure we will achieve our target this year which is to win the league. As you know half of my team was in Japan for World Championship and we did not have enough time to prepare for this leg but now we have five weeks,” Lung’aho offered.

The play-offs will run from November 30 to December 2 and will be staged at the Kasarani Indoor Arena.