Warders out to reclaim national diadem they relinquished two years ago
Having missed out on the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) men’s league title for two years in a row, Kenya Prisons are looking to reclaim their lost glory when they hit the court on November 22 to 24 where they face off with three other teams for the coveted title.
Paul Muthinja’s side will be up against defending champions General Service Unit (GSU), Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) as the four battle for the title. Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) make their debut in the playoffs where they are set to take on women’s league title holders Kenya Prisons, Kenya Pipeline, and Kenya Commercial Bank.
Muthinja’s charges finished the regular season in third place. GSU finished the league unbeaten with 32 points from 11 matches for top place while KPA came second with 29 points. The warders also finished on the same points as KPA but had an inferior set score and ratio, while KDF wrapped up the top four.
“We lost two matches in the regular season to holders GSU and to KPA in the last leg of the regular season held in Kapsabet. We are expecting tough competition if the way teams have played in the regular season is anything to go by. However, our aim is to reclaim the title that we last lifted in 2016,” said Muthinja.
The tactician says that they are in the final stages of preparing for the three-day event and are refining their moves with reception and blocking tacking a big part of their daily drills.
“While reception and service are key for our title campaign, we are also putting a lot of emphasis on team coordination and movement in the court. We are under pressure, from within ourselves to reclaim that title, although it will be no walk in the park. The pressure is no different for other teams as GSU are in a race to defend the title, KPA are keen to break the third place jinx while KDF boast a very young and vibrant squad that can cause upsets,” added Muthinja.
He added: “Volleyball as we knew it is shifting from just attacking to mastering the art of defence and ball control. We are putting that into consideration too as we head to the playoffs. All the players are fit for duty unless something happens between now and Friday next week.”
The squad will miss the services of Kenya international Michael Chemos who landed an international deal just two legs into the season. The tactician, however, says they have since adapted to playing in his absence and he left no gap as there are youngsters who have perfectly filled his position.
