Volleyball: National League’s 7th Leg fixtures released
The fixtures for the seventh and final leg of the 2021/22 Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) National Men’s League have been released.
The teams will play 24 games between Thursday, June 30, and Sunday, July 3, with the top four teams after the leg confirming their places for the playoffs that will determine the winners of this season’s campaign.
The clubs will play all games at the Nyayo National Stadium.
League leaders Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), who suffered their first loss of the season during the just-concluded sixth leg, are left with just two matches to play and will be up against Administration Police (AP) on Saturday before concluding their regular season against Central Prisons on Sunday.
First loss
KPA, who lost in the playoffs to Kenya Prisons last year, endured their first loss of the season to the same opponents, but according to head coach Sammy Mulinge, that is all water under the bridge, and the goal is to improve on last season’s placings.
“We were never playing to go unbeaten. We are playing to do better or to improve. That is our philosophy. We are not the champions, and we do not know whether we shall emerge as the champions. We were number three (last season), so we want to improve to number two and hopefully number one. This is our plan,” Mulinge said.
The Dockers sit pretty at the top of the log with 34 points from 13 matches played. Reigning champions General Service Unit (GSU), who suffered their first loss of the regular season in eight years when they fell 3-0 to KPA in the sixth leg, sit second on the standings with 28 points, tied with third-placed Kenya Prisons with both teams having played 11 matches each.
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) close out the top four with 27 points from 13 matches.
2021/22 promoted sides Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and Trailblazers remain outside chances of making the playoffs as they sit fifth and sixth with 26 and 25 points, respectively. The two teams will face off on Friday in what is expected to be a mouthwatering showdown.
Superb leg
KFS had a superb sixth-leg outing where they lost just one of their three matches, leaving head coach Wachira Gatuiria confident that his charges can make the post-season and compete for the chance to represent the country on the continental stage.
He said, “We are still in with a chance of making the playoffs, and that is all down to how we played in the last leg. We were more of a team, unlike in the fifth leg, where there was plenty of individualism among the players.
“I know most people will be looking at our game against Trailblazers, but we have two very crucial games and not just one. So we can’t just focus on Trailblazers,” he concluded.
KFS will lock horns with Trailblazers on Friday before going up against GSU on Saturday.
Fixture list
Thursday
AP Kenya vs. central prisons (9 am)
GSU vs Nairobi prisons (9 am)
Kenya army vs. Kenya prisons (11 am)
Trailblazers v s Western prisons (11 am)
Central prisons vs. Nyanza prisons (1 pm)
Equity bank vs. Vihiga team (1 pm)
AP Kenya vs. Kenya prisons (3 pm)
Friday
Nairobi prisons vs Vihiga team (9 am)
AP Kenya vs Equity bank (9 am)
Trailblazers vs. KFS (11 am)
Kenya army vs. Central prisons (11 am)
Mombasa prisons vs KDF (1 pm)
Vihiga team vs. Western prisons (1 pm)
Central prisons vs. Kenya prisons (3 pm)
Saturday
Rift Valley prisons vs. KDF (9 am)
KFS v.s GSU (1 pm)
Trailblazers vs. Nairobi prisons (1 pm)
APK Kenya v.s KPA (3 pm)
GSU vs. Central prisons (5 pm)
Sunday
Trailblazers v.s Rift Valley prisons (9 am)
Vihiga team vs Mombasa prisons (11 am)
Kenya prisons vs. GSU (1 pm)
Central prisons vs. KPA (3 pm)
