Malkia Strikers stumble again in Brazil
It was yet another defeat for Malkia Strikers in Brazil as the national indoors women’s volleyball team fell 3-2 to newly promoted Brazilian Superliga A side Sao Caetano in a friendly encounter played in the wee hours of Thursday morning at the Lauro Gomes Gymnasium in Sao Caetano.
The fourth defeat in five build-up matches for Paul Bitok’s charges in the South American nation thus far, saw them go down in five sets 25:21, 17:25, 27:25, 30:28, 13:15.
The Kenyan queens are in Brazil courtesy of world governing body FIVB’s Empowerment Programme and are using the opportunity to help prepare for this year’s World Championships set to be co-hosted by the Netherlands and Poland from September 23 to October 15.
Just days from their sojourn in the capital Rio de Janeiro where they played two friendlies against the Brazilian national U21 side, Malkia Strikers took to the court on Thursday with Paul Bitok making two changes to the starting squad from their last outing.
Birthday girl
KCB middle blocker Edith Wisa, who recently celebrated her 28th birthday, was recalled back amongst the starters together with Kenya Prison’s Lorine Chebet in place of Belinda Barasa (KCB) and Gladys Ekuru (Kenya Pipeline).
Team Captain Mercy Moim (KCB) and the very impressive Veronica Adhiambo (Kenya Pipeline) maintained their roles as outside hitters with KCB duo of Sharon Chepchumba and Emmaculate Nekesa lining up as opposite attacker and setter respectively. Kenya Pipeline libero Aggripina Kundu completed the line-up.
In his assessments after the game, Bitok, who together with his assistant Japheth Munala are receiving technical assistance while in Brazil from Osasco Volleyball Club’s technical bench led by head coach Luizomar de Moura, noted that: “We won the first set comfortably taking the lead from the start to finish but our reception of the ball, which has been our Achilles heel, derailed our momentum and allowed our opponents to steal the next two sets. We fought in the fourth set to force the tie breaker but unfortunately could not get over the line at the end.
“We have one more month to continue with our preparations and I know by the end of it all we will have achieved our targets,” he added.
Another friendly against their hosts Osasco Club has been penciled in for Saturday morning at their base in Sao Paulo. Osasco defeated Malkia 3-0 in their first build up match played two weeks ago.
Commonwealth games
Elsewhere, the national beach volleyball team comprising of Gaudencia Makokha and Brackcides Agala is hard at work preparing for its first pool game of the 2022 Commonwealth Games that are to begin today in Birmingham, England.
Kenya, making its first appearance in beach volleyball at the Commonwealth, has been placed in a tough Group A together with defending champions Canada, New Zealand and African rivals Ghana.
The beach volleyball queens will begin their tournament on Saturday against New Zealand before going up against the champions from four years ago on Monday. Salome Wanjala’s charges will complete their pool games schedule against Ghana on Wednesday.
The top two teams in each group after the group matches together with two of the third best placed teams will qualify for the quarter finals.
Kenya earned its placed at the games through bipartite invitation.
