Prisons drain Pipeline to claim KVF League title

Kenya Prisons are the new Kenya Volleyball Federation women league champions after edging their local nemesis and immediate champions Kenya Pipeline by 3-1 sets in the KVF play-offs that ended today at the Kasarani Indoor Arena.

The five-time African champions broke their arch-rivals five-year dominance with sets of 25-19, 25-22, 22-25 and 25-21 to bag nine points in the round robin play-offs and eventually reclaimed the title they last won in 2013.

The Joseph Barasa coached side started the three day play-offs with bang sweeping newcomers Bungoma County and KCB by straight sets. Their league heroics has earned them a place to Africa Club Championship set for early next year.

On the other hand,  KCB finished as runners up with six points after winning against Bungoma by 3-0 sets before stunning Pipeline 3-2 yesterday,losing only to the new champions Prisons.

By finishing second,KCB under tutelage of David Kinga returns to the continental fiesta since 2008.

Pipeline who topped the regular league standings ended up finishing third with only four points below Prisons and KCB winning only against minnows Bungoma County.

Speaking to Citizen Digital after clinching the win, Barasa attributed the conquest to the new blood in the squad warning that their target is to dominate the local league and Africa next year.

“We had prepared well to end the five year drought but of course our squad is well balanced because we have new faces like Chepchumba (Sharon) and Chebet (Loreen) who are very promising and energetic. I thank my players because they followed my instructions since day one,’’ said Barasa.

Barely a year after finishing their high school studies from Kwanthanze in Machakos, the duo headlined five new faces who made the final cut in the Malkia Strikers squad which participated in this year’s World Championship in Japan.

(FILE)Kenya Pipeline team hurdles for a team talk before going on to win 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-4) over Fap of Cameroun in Tunis, Tunisia.

Meanwhile, Barasa’s opposite number Japheth Munala conceded defeat and urged his charges to prepare for a comeback next year.

“We are disappointed but we have tried our best and we live to fight another day. We are going back to the drawing board to prepare well for next year’s league,” Munala who doubles up as the national women coach averred.

The six-time Africa champions will be missing out in the continental arena after participating close to 20 years without miss.

Tags:

pipeline Kenya Prisons bungoma county Kasarani Indoor Arena Kenya Volleyball Federation

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