KCB Outsmarts DCI to Retain Karori Volleyball Tournament Title

KCB Outsmarts DCI to Retain Karori Volleyball Tournament Title

FILE: KCB Volleyball Club's players celebrate after scoring against nemesis Kenya Prisons in their end-of-season play-offs finale on Sunday at Kasarani Stadium Indoor Arena. [Photo / Courtesy]

The KCB Volleyball team are the 2024 champions of the Kipchumba Karori Eldoret International Volleyball Tournament, which was held in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

The ladies bagged the title after upsetting DCI Sleuths 3-1 in a four-set thrilling cup final to retain it for an incredible third consecutive year. The win saw KCB outwit volleyball powerhouses from Kenya and Uganda.

Both KCB and DCI started the first set on high, dragging the scores to 27-25 in favour of KCB. The Bankers later bagged the second set with a 25-16 margin before DCI grabbed the third set with scores standing at 18-25 in favour of the sleuths.

KCB made a comeback in the fourth set winning with a 25-28 margin to emerge as the winners of the tournament.

KCB Head Coach Japheth Munala said:

“It is an amazing opportunity to have emerged as the winners of this tournament for the third time in a row. I give kudos to the ladies for fighting to the last minute and I will be hoping to carry the same momentum to the next year.”

In the individual categories, KCB youngsters Terry Tata and Fridah Boke emerged as the Most Valuable Player and Best setter, respectively. Notably, the two are fresh from high school and waiting for their final-year exams. Lincy Jeruto was named the Best Libero in the tournament.

On their journey to the finals, KCB faced off against Post Bank, DCI, and two Ugandan teams, Kampala Amateur Volleyball Club (KAVC) and KCCA. The team delivered commanding wins, including 3-0 victories against KAVC (25-13, 25-15, 25-09), KCCA (25-13, 25-16, 25-22), and DCI (25-22, 25-23, 25-22). They also overcame a spirited challenge from stubborn Post Bank, securing a 3-1 win (25-23, 23-25, 26-23, 25-23).

In the semi-finals, KCB delivered a clinical performance, sweeping aside Kenya Pipeline 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-22) to secure a spot in the finals. Their opponents, DCI, also advanced after a thrilling 3-2 comeback against Kenya Prisons (25-20, 19-25, 26-24, 22-25, 13-15) to set a date for the finals on Sunday.

Reflecting on the victory, a delighted KCB Captain Edith Wisa said:

“This is a huge morale booster for the entire team. We came prepared to win, and it’s rewarding to see our hard work and preparation pay off. This is a well-deserved victory, and all credit goes to the ladies for their dedication and performance.”

Tags:

Japheth Munala KCB Kipchumba Karori Eldoret International DCI Sleuths

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