PRISONS EYE CUP GLORY: Former league champs register easy wins in league and Cup ties

Janet Wanja of Kenya Pipeline sets up against Kenya Prisons during their 24th Women's African Club Championship match against Kenya Pipeline in Carthage, Tunisia, April 25, 2014. Kenya Prisons won 3-0. Photo/Stephen Mudiari/www.pic-centre.com (TUNISIA).

Former Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) league champions Ke nya Prisons showed their intentions of winning the Kenya Pipeline Cup after demolishing Gateru in straight sets at the Afraha Open Grounds in Nakuru yesterday.

Pipeline Cup action took centre stage yesterday after the conclusion of KVF's first leg league matches on Friday. The finals will be played today with Prisons expected to meet arch-rivals Kenya Pipeline.

Gateru, however, also made up for the poor show against the former Africa champions with a 3-0 victory over in their second match of the Pool A encounters.

In Pool C action, Nairobi Water overcame St Paul’s Secondary School 3-0 before registering their second win of the day with another straight sets victory over Administration Police Training College.

In the Friday league matches, Kenya Prisons got off to an easy start as they registered straight sets win over Bungoma County 3-0 in their bid to reclaim the league title which they lost to Kenya Pipeline last year.

The wardresses who are using the tournament to shape up for next week’s Africa Club Championships in Cairo, Egypt won the first set 25-13 and easily won the second and third sets 25-18 and 25-19.

Prisons coach David Lung’aho said the morale of team was high and the girls are ready for the continental championship expected to run from March 4 to 8.

“We played well ahead of our continental assignments and we expect to perform well there judging from our training and the mood in the camp,” he said.

On Friday, Lydiah Maiyo led the wardresses in their attack with support from national team players Everline Makuto, Diana Khisa and Joan Chelagat.

Earlier, Kenya Pipeline had demolished Nairobi Queens by the same margin in 25-13, 25-20 and 25-15.

The oil women who are also gearing for the continental championships in Cairo enjoyed themselves against the timid Nairobi Queens.

In the men’s Division One matches, Kenya Defence Forces smashed Mombasa Prisons 3-0(25-18, 30-28 and 25-18) in their opening match. Later, Bungoma County Volleyball team walloped the experienced Oserian 3-0 (25-15, 25-18 and 25-21).

Elsewhere, Egypt defeated Algeria 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-11) in the opening match of the 2015 Women’s U20 African Nations Championship in Cairo.

Egypt enjoyed full control of the match as they put pressure on their opponents with powerful spike services from Aya Ahmed and Nada Meawad. Egypt also dominated at the net where Mariam Metwally and Hend Farag dominated with their blocking.

After Egypt won the first set 25-17, they started to use the spike service as a weapon to disturb the Algerian reception. They succeeded in winning the second set with a wider point deficit of 25-13 using strong attacks from Sarah Hanafy and Mariam.

The third set was one sided with opposite Aya Ahmed using her spike service to win the set 25-11.