Pipeline floors Bafia to join Prisons in CAVB semis

Seven-time African champions Kenya Pipeline cruised to the semi-final of the ongoing CAVB African Women’s Club Championship in Cairo, Egypt, edging resilient  Bafia of Cameroon in a 3-2 sets thriller on Monday evening.

The Japheth Munala led side won the first set easily, banging past the West Africans 25-12, who staged a hard fought comeback in the second set stunning Kenyans in a 25-23 second set to make it 1-1.

In the third set, Pipeline brought in Lucy Akinyi for Leonida Kasaya, who added the mettle Munala’s charges needed to bounce back, this round garnering 25 against 14 to restore their lead.

Undeterred Bafia launched another passionate fight back to restore parity in the fourth set of the duel, with a 23-25 sending the match into the decisive fifth set.

The Kenyan queens’ experience came in handy to crash to outclass their opponents, exploiting their fatigue to settle the mouthwatering clash by winning it 15-6.

Munala knew the tough task her ladies were up to, thus fielding a star-studded line-up led by skipper Trizah Atuka, Janet Wanja, right attacker Easter Wangechi, Yvonne Sinaida, Leonida Kasaya, Noel Murambi and Agrippina Kundu.

Careful not to suffer last year’s fate when they crashed out of the championship at the quarter-final stage in the hands of arch-rivals Prisons, Munala had to instill a 100 percent concentration from the first set to the fifth.

Focus now shifts to semifinals, where Pipeline will lock horns with the winner between record holders (8 titles) and hosts Al Ahly and Nigeria’s Customs who play later on Monday night.