Volleyball play-offs: Pipeline cage Prisons as GSU reign ends

Kenya Pipeline retained the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) women’s national league title as Kenya Prisons dethroned General Service Unit (GSU) as the men’s champions as the national play-offs closed on Sunday at Makande Hall, Mombasa.

Pipeline twice came from behind to inflict another painful loss on Prisons with a nail biting 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 21-25, 25-23 and15-9) while Prisons reclaimed the title they lost to GSU last year after crushing Kenya Ports Authority by straight sets (25-22, 25-20 and 25-19) in their last match.

Pipeline’s win over their fiercest arch rivals extended the title drought of their coach David Lung’aho and club to the third year running with the wardresses winning the crown only once in Mombasa on their debut season in 2008.

Pipeline who twice lost to Prisons in the regular season went unbeaten in the play-offs to retain their title.

Prisons opened the match on a high but lost the gas along the journey with both captains Loice Jepkosgei (Prisons) and Noel Murambi (Pipeline) being pulled out with a back and ankle injuries during the keenly contested encounter.

The opening set was headed Pipeline’s way but a10 minute power outage at the competition venue gave Lung’aho a chance to rally his squad.

Trailing 4-10, Prisons turned the tables upon resumption when they caught up with the runner away leaders at 17 all only to wrap the set 25-21.

Pipeline responded in the second set and despite another power blackout, they controlled the proceedings, leading from start to finish.

Prisons suffered the first injury setback after Jepkosgei collided with her libero forcing her to leave the court.

Yvonne Wavinya whose presence did little to stop the marauding Pipeline replaced her. The champions rounded the set 25-17 to level the scores 1-1.

The third set was evenly spread and despite Pipeline taking a three-point lead at 9-5, Prisons rallied back to open one point gap into the second technical time out.

After resumption, the wardresses further widened the gap to three-points at 19-16 and they never looked back, going all the way to extend their advantage to 2-1 by taking the third 25-21.

Murambi twisted her ankle and was replaced by Naomi Too in the fourth and the new blood helped her side to a 25-23 win to peg Prisons back and throw the game to a tie-breaking fifth set.

Pipeline took an early lead in the decisive set to wrap the game 3-2.

Kenya Commercial Bank finished third above Nairobi Water whom they beat 3-1 (20-25, 25-23, 25-22 and 25-16) in the first match.

-Report by KVF media