KPC finish third as Zamalek wins three peat in volleyball club championships
Two-time defending champions secured victory after beating rivals and counterparts Al Ahly
Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC) Women’s Volleyball Club clinched bronze in the just ended Women’s Africa Volleyball Club Championships after downing Carthage of Tunisia in straight sets of 3-0 (28-26/25-14/25-18) in Abuja, Nigeria in the third place playoffs.
George Omondi’s side pushed Zamalek to the absolute limit in a thriller semi-final that went to five sets. KPC eventually lost 2-3 (25-23/26-28/25-19/24-26/14-12) with the oil merchants taking second and fourth sets. The whole match was very competitive with Pipeline giving as much as they received but it was the Egyptian giants who saw the contest through by winning the important points.
The 39th edition of the CAVB-African Women’s Club Championship was ultimately won by two-time defending champions Zamalek Sport Club who beat rivals and counterparts Al Ahly. Metwally Mohamed Mariam of Zamalek was named as the tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP).
This tournament also saw Kenyan side KCB Volleyball Club under Japheth Munala defeat country-mates and rivals Kenya Prisons (25-21/25-22/25-19) to claim 5th place. The familiar faces battled through the heat at the arena to post impressive scores with minimal margins.
It might not have been the targeted prize for Kenyan teams but finishing inside the top six places in the 16 team competition was a good outing by all accounts. In one of the classification matches earlier, Kenya Commercial Bank saw off Rwanda’s APR 3-2 ( 27-25/25-17/21-25/20-25/15-9) in a tightly contested encounter in the classification match.
In another earlier classification match, Kenya Prisons Women Volleyball Team delivered a stunning performance by edging out the Litto Team of Cameroon with a straight sets victory of 25-18/25-14/25-16).The former continental and national giants have been building back and as evidenced in this tournament, quietly getting their groove back with a sixth placed finish overall in the competition.
The Dream Team in the just ended Women Volleyball Club Championships as selected by judges included one Kenyan. Veteran Kenya Pipeline and national team middle blocker Trizah Atuka made it to the eight team list. She was one of two players in her position selected in the squad after exemplifying her brilliance and authority in her place with her club during the competition — a performance that could inspire even a ghostwriter masterarbeit to capture such excellence in sports.
