Volleyball: GSU dethroned, KCB and Pipeline face-off in title decider
KCB middle blocker Belinda Barasa (right) attacks the ball above Directorate of Criminal Investigations middle blocker Caroline Sirengo during their Kenya Voilleyball Federation National League playoffs at Kasarani Indoor Arena on October 3, 2023.
What you need to know:
- New men’s national volleyball champions will be crowned on Wednesday after defending champions, General Service Unit, shockingly lost to Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in straight sets at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Tuesday.
- GSU, who had struggled to beat Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) 3-2 in the opening day of the playoffs on Monday, found themselves under pressure as KPA bounced back from a 3-1 defeat against Prisons to win 3-0.
New men’s national volleyball champions will be crowned on Wednesday after defending champions, General Service Unit, shockingly lost to Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in straight sets at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Tuesday.
GSU, who had struggled to beat Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) 3-2 in the opening day of the playoffs on Monday, found themselves under pressure as KPA bounced back from a 3-1 defeat against Prisons to win 3-0.
The irrepressible KPA tore through hammered GSU din straight sets of 25-23, 25-22 and 25-14 to have an outside chance of winning the title on the final day.
With only two points on the card, statistics knocked GSU, who had dominated the local since 2017, out of contention for this year’s title.
However, Kenya Prisons Service have a great opportunity of reclaiming the title they last held in 2016 as they meet GSU in the decisive match on Wednesday.
Prisons, who edged out KPA the previous day 3-1, were in imperious form to crush KDF in 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-22). That saw them go top with six points.
Prisons now only need to take two sets from GSU to lift this year’s title while KPA, who have three points, have an outside chance of being crowned champions.
KPA must beat KDF 3-0 and pray that Prisons lose to GSU with a similar score. That will see Prisons and KPA tie with six points each with the championship now being decided via the set score ratio.
Meanwhile, the defending champions Kenya Pipeline will face KCB in the women’s decisive duel after both sides claimed their second successive victories on Tuesday.
After winning a five-set thriller against former champions Kenya Prisons 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 25-10, 24-26, 15-12) the previous day, KCB thrashed Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) 3-0 to inch closer to recapturing the title.
Pipeline beat DCI 3-1 (25-16, 25-22, 25 -17, 25-17 the previous day before battling to down Prisons 3-1 (25-16, 25-23, 18-25, 26-24) on Tuesday.
Prisons and DCI will face-off in the third-place decider on Wednesday.
