Smooth operator Wisa eyeing the elusive African title, plane to Paris

As soon as Sharon Chepchumba’s spike landed on the floor, the Kenyan side went wild in celebrations, their 3-2 win over the hosts having confirmed their place at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

But Wisa went down on her knees, said a prayer to the Almighty, then lay flat on the court weeping uncontrollably to soak in the moment.

She was going to play at the Olympic Games for the first time in her career and what an achievement at just 25 years then.

“I was overwhelmed…I just went to my knees and started crying, saying ‘Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord!’” recalls Wisa.

“The first thing that came into my mind was to thank God because we had qualified for the Olympics after 16 years. It was not a mean achievement. In my mind, I just saw a turnaround for Kenyan volleyball having gotten this platform to play at the Olympics,” she added.

Three years later, Wisa and Malkia Strikers are back in Yaounde on a different mission.

It’s her third time to play in the Cameroonian capital having featured in the 2017 edition of the African Nations Championship that was hosted here.

That was the first of three Africa Nations Championship finals that she has lost, having also featured in the 2019 and 2021 editions.

Now in the fourth time of asking, the 29-year-old middle blocker is keen on making amends and win the only African trophy missing in her glittering cabinet that has two African Games (2015 and 2019) gold medals and one African Clubs Championship (2022) title.

“I have had the opportunity to play in three finals against Cameroon which we have lost. It’s the only medal missing from my CV. I look forward to a different outcome and winning gold in this championship,” said a confident Wisa.

A middle blocker who is clinical in attack and solid in defence is rare to find and that is what makes Wisa an invaluable asset to Malkia Strikers.

Her signature move through the middle and slide attacks are always tough to read and block and she owes it to her mentor, the legendary Brackcides Agala.

“I owe it to Agala and Coach (David) Lung’aho who taught me these moves while I was at Kenya Prisons. When I was a junior player, I also had the chance to play with (Brackcides) Agala and Ruth (Jepng’etich). I saw how they used to lead from the front and now it’s my turn to lead from the front and show the junior players what it takes to become an African champion,” underlined Wisa.

Her quiet demeanour belies the power she packs behind her attacks. She prefers to go about her business on court smoothly and without too much fuss.

Her ability to read opposing setters and attackers make her stand out and it’s no wonder she has featured in all of Kenya’s group stage matches at this year’s edition of the Africa Nations Championship.

Wisa’s performances have led Kenya to a top place finish in Pool ‘B’, with an impressive 15 points from five matches.

She reckons that Malkia Strikers are now at a different level having benefited from High-Performance training for three consecutive years through the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Programme.

“The Empowerment Programme has really helped to change our mindset as players. Initially we used to believe that we had natural power to play volleyball but the strength and conditioning training has really helped us to improve our game and reduce injuries.

“We only used to do it during preseason but now most clubs have started embracing it back home. It helps us to stay in shape throughout the season,” explained the KCB captain.

“The Brazilian coaches have also taught us a lot through the video analysis of our opponents. We used to do it before but how they break down the tactics of opponents and articulate our approach has made it easy for us as players. You go to the match with full knowledge of the opponent so it’s just a matter of remembering the coach’s instructions and executing it,” Wisa listed the benefits of the High-Performance training camps in Brazil and Morocco.

The 3-0 win over debutantes Lesotho on Sunday marked the end of the first round and Wisa is confident Kenya will go all the way to the final and clinch a record-extending 10th African title. Kenya play against Nigeria in the quarter-finals tomorrow at Paposy Arena.

“When we started the competition, we knew we had eight matches to play and now we have only three left. Our target still remains to reach the final and win this championship. We want this trophy so badly and I can assure Kenyans that we are going to bring it home,” said a buoyant Wisa.

“Everybody is psyched up and understands the task ahead. Winning this competition will take us closer to qualifying for the Paris Olympics. I had a great experience at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and I want to go back there,” she asserted.