Pipeline, Prisons lock horns as KVF League serves off

Former National women's league champions Kenya Pipeline and Kenya Prisons renew their long-standing rivalry as the first leg of the 2024/2025 Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) season kicks off Thursday at Kamukunji Grounds in Nyeri County.

These two teams have long dominated the league for years, with Prisons holding a record nine titles and Pipeline five. Defending champions KCB, with two titles to their name (2006, 2024), are threatening to disrupt the traditional hierarchy.

This renewed rivalry is set to shape the league table as teams compete for play-off spots. The top eight teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the play-offs, where they’ll battle for two tickets to the African Clubs Championship.

Pipeline claimed league titles from 2014 to 2017, recapturing the trophy in the 2021/2022 season, while Prisons reigned from 2007 to 2013, in 2018, 2019, and again in 2021.

Prisons start as favourites on paper, having defeated Pipeline 3-1 in their last encounter at the Kasarani Indoor Gymnasium to reach last season’s final against KCB.

This season, Prisons have retained their squad and technical bench led by coach Josp Barasa, while Pipeline have a new coach, Geoffrey Omondi, who joined from the men’s side, Trailblazers.

Pipeline has also welcomed two players from KCB- left attacker Miriam Musa and middle blocker Marian Sokoiyo- while former national team players, Noel Murambi and Violet Makuto, return after missing last season.

However, Murambi and Makuto have not been included in the squad for Thursday's match against Prisons, and their fixture against Post Bank Friday.

Omondi’s arrival has led to a shakeup in the Pipeline technical bench, with former head coach and ex-Kenyan international, Esther Jepkosgei stepping into the assistant coach role alongside Nicodemus Kiama.

Prisons coach Barasa emphasised that previous encounters won’t affect this season’s performance.

“We can’t ride on the last encounter performance. They (Pipeline) have a new coach who has his way of doing things as well as having signed new players, and therefore, we just have to wait and see, but we have prepared well,” said Barasa, who praised middle blocker Sheila Muthoni and outside hitter Mercy Cherono for their recent progress.

“Cherono and Muthoni have really improved. They were not active last season, but looking at them now, they deserve a place in the team, and I can’t wait to see how they will perform,” he added.

Pipeline’s coach Omondi has remained tight-lipped about the fixture but will certainly be keen to start his campaign with a strong performance to mark his arrival at the Embakasi-based team.

Other women’s matches scheduled for Thursday include KCB hosting the Deaf Volleyball Team, Nairobi Prisons facing newcomers Lipalikes, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations taking on Young Spykers. The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) will play against Vihiga Team, while the Kenya Army is set to clash with Marantha.

The men’s division will see defending champions Kenya Prisons tested against Kenya Army in their opening match before facing Trailblazers, who have appointed veteran coach Moses Epoloto to replace Omondi.

Former champions General Service Unit (GSU) have double fixtures against Rift Valley Prisons and Nairobi Prisons in what promises to be a busy day for men’s volleyball in the KVF season opener.