Pipeline struggled to deal with the menacing services from KCB’S Pauline Chemutai who gained several service points in the 2nd and 3rd sets.
Kenya Commercial Bank Ladies Volleyball team came from a set down to hand defending Champions and Africa Silver Medalists Kenya Pipeline their first defeat of the season 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-12) in the Kenya Volleyball Federation Women’s National League match played on Sunday 18 may 2023 at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Pipeline were emphatically quick off the blocks rushing KCB through the first set with Pamela Adhiambo and Leonard Kasaya firing on all cylinders. Coach Japheth Munala’s two time out calls were not enough to stop jet fuelled Pipeline from taking the first set 22-25.
Munala’s troops emerged back charged like a wounded Lioness with a bruised ego hunting every section of Pipeline’s turf in the second set. Setter Esther Mutinda had a superb match like a maestro conducting her orchestra oscillating between outside hitters Julian Numutira and Mercy Moim. With the momentum on their said Mutinda often changed the rhythm of the game giving Edith Wisa and Belinda Barasa short balls through the centre or Moim at back court moves that got the pipeline defense napping
Pipeline struggled to deal with the menacing services from KCB’S Pauline Chemutai who gained several service points in the 2nd and 3rd sets. Coach Gitau had decided to go with Betty Sifuna and Celestine Nyongesa in the Libero Position over Agripina Kundu who was included in the team but not as a Libero with reception being the main weak point for his team.
The tension in the match saw coach Gitau and his team receive two Yellow cards and red card that eventually cost his team a point for KCB to lead 19-10 in the third set. The Introduction of Setter Faith Imodia in an effort to forestall KCB grand match didn’t bear fruit as the Momentum had swung KCB’S way like a trailer downhill without brakes.
Earlier Kenya Prison saw off KDF 3-1(25:19, 24:26, 25:20, 25:16) to equal Kenya Pipelines 18 points while Post Bank Recorded a massive win against Kenya Army 3-0 (25:18, 25:19, 25:23) to Improve their point tally to 9 to give them an outside chance of a Play offs spot