Shining queens: Volleyball ladies dominate awards in international tournament

Kenya national women volleyball team players Evelyne Makuto, Bracksides Agala, Jane Wacu and Lydia Maiyo celebrate a point against Croatia at the FIVB Grand Prix match in Croatia on August 1, 2014.

Kenyans dominated this year’s Kampala Armature Volleyball Club International Tournament awards as former national women’s team captain Braxcides Agala was named the Most Valuable Player after steering a Kenyan combined side, Aspire Sport, to a straight sets win over Rwanda Revenue Authority in the final in Kampala last weekend.

Kenya, which was represented by two teams (Aspire and Nairobi Volleyball Club - men), clinched six individual awards. Malkia Strikers captain Mercy Moim scooped the best attacker award as her Prisons Kenya teammates Jane Wacu and Edith Wisa bagged best setter and blocker respectively.

National men’s team setter and Kenya Defence Forces captain Elisha Aliwa, who featured for another combined Kenyan side, Nairobi Volleyball Club, bagged the best male setter while Nairobi Water outside hitter Jimmy Mwaniki scooped the best defender accolade despite their side losing in the third place play-off.

Apart from the trophy, the victorious Aspire team, which mostly comprised Prisons Kenya players, came back home with Sh100,000 in prize money.

The star-studded Aspire side thrashed champions Rwanda Revenue Authority 3-0 (16-25,18-25,10-25) to claim the title.

“We played well and it was a good training opportunity for us. The Ugandan teams really gave us hard time but experience worked for us,” Mercy Moim told Feverpitch.

On their way to the final, Aspire trounced Vision Volleyball Club (25-18, 25-18, 25-16) while RRA grabbed their second successive KAVC final after beating Ndejje University in straight sets (25-18, 25-17, 25-19).

The men’s title was lifted by Rwanda’s Unik who overcame hosts Sky of Uganda 3-2 in the final.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) will in the next one year launch a sports awards event that will be sponsored by Kenya Pipeline Corporation.

According to KSSSA Chairman Kimutai Ngetich, plans are underway to introduce the awards that will emulate the annual Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA).

The KPC acting Communications Executive Officer, Bernard Barasa, said his company was looking forward to partnering with KSSSA.

“KSSSA is one of the most transparent sports organisations and we are more than willing to partner with them to thank them for nurturing the talents of most of Kenya Pipeline players who currently form the bulk of the national team. They just need to sit and draft a proposal then we'll pick it up,” said Barasa.

 

Individual awards

MVP - Braxcides Agala

Best Setter - Jane Wacu

Best Setter - Elisha Aliwa

Best Defender - Jimmy Mwaniki

Best Blocker - Edith Wisa

Best attacker - Mercy Moim