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Newcomers ready to rattle giants in KVF playoffs
Kenya Army ladies celebrate a point during their Kenya Volleyball League matches at Ulinzi Sports Complex on May 17, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Prisons captain Joy Lusenaka said her side is ready but won’t take the debutants lightly.
- “We will not be overconfident ahead of our tie against Army,” said Lusenaka. “They made it to the last eight on merit, so we will not underrate them.”
Debutantes Kenya Airport Police Unit (KAPU) men and Kenya Army women’s teams are confident of making a strong impression in the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) National League play-offs, which serve off Friday.
The play-offs will feature the top eight teams from the regular season that concluded last weekend. The women’s matches will be held at the Nyayo National Stadium gymnasium, while the men’s action takes place at the Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) indoor arena in Nairobi.
Up for grabs are two automatic qualification slots to the 2026 African Clubs Championship.
KAPU men’s coach Luke Makuto expressed confidence in his team, setting a target of reaching the semi-finals.
“We are out to play well, but we have a target of reaching the semi-final,” said Makuto Thursday.
“I’ve been at that stage as a player and I understand the pressure that comes with it,” added the former international.
KAPU, who finished eighth in the regular season with 20 points from 14 matches, face a tough challenge against regular-season leaders and former champions General Service Unit (GSU), who amassed 35 points from the same number of matches.
“When we played GSU in the regular season, they beat us 3-0 (28-26, 28-26, 25-23) and the set scores show that it was a hard-fought win,” added Makuto.
“We have prepared well for the fixture and we just want to play well—I hope our hard work will pay off. This is the first time for all of my players, and I can’t wait to see how they will carry themselves.”
Makuto also revealed that left attacker Amos Cheruiyot is a doubt for the match due to a knee injury sustained in training, but he remains confident.
“We have enough cover in that department,” he noted.
GSU’s former captain and national team player Shadrack Misiko said their mission is clear: to reclaim the title they won in 2023.
“We want to start strong in the play-offs. KAPU is a stubborn side and we will go full throttle when we meet them,” said Misiko, who was part of the GSU squad that finished ninth at the recent African Clubs Championship in Libya.
“We want to emerge winners, qualify for the semi-finals, and plan for the finals.”
In Libya, hosts Swehly Sports Club won the title ahead of Egypt’s Al Ahly, while Rwanda Patriotic Army—coached by Kenyan tactician Sammy Mulinge—finished third.
Meanwhile, Kenya Army women’s team coach and national referee Ibrahim Cheruiyot said his team will approach the play-offs with both humility and ambition.
“This is our first time to qualify for the play-offs, and we are excited about the achievement so far,” said Cheruiyot. “We will take the chance to learn, gain experience and exposure so that we can do better in the next season. We will also stage a good fight against our opponents and see how it goes.”
Kenya Army, who finished eighth with 10 points from 10 matches, will face former champions Kenya Prisons, who topped the standings with 27 points.
Prisons captain Joy Lusenaka said her side is ready but won’t take the debutants lightly.
“We will not be overconfident ahead of our tie against Army,” said Lusenaka. “They made it to the last eight on merit, so we will not underrate them.”
Friday’s Fixtures (Nyayo)
Kenya Pipeline v Nairobi Prisons 9am
Kenya Army v Nairobi Prisons 11am
DCI v Post Bank 1pm
KCB v KDF 3pm
Kasarani
Kenya Prisons v KFS 9am
KAPU v GSU 11am
KDF v Equity Bank 1pm
KPA v Trailblazers 3pm
