Kenyan sides advance: Pipeline and Prisons make quarters in African clubs event

By OSCAR PILIPILI

Prisons’ Diana Khisa receives a serve in a past continental tournament at the Safaricom Indoor Arena last year. [PHOTO: FILE/ STANDARD]

Defending champions Kenya Prisons and compatriots Kenya Pipeline Company were among the first six teams to qualify for quarter-finals in CAVB African Women’s Club Championships in Carthage, Tunisia.

Pipeline survived a first set scare by Chlef of Algeria, rallying from a set down to beat the North African giants by  3-1 sets of 17-25, 25-10, 25-15 and 25-15 in Pool D preliminary match.

Pipeline’s win-loss record stands at 2-0 in the Championships and the end of second round matches last Sunday.

Five-time champions Prisons beat Bejaia of Algeria 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-23) to lead Pool “B” and bring their win-loss record to 2-0 in the tournament.

In the first match, the oil merchants who have won the Championships six times had a slow start of the first set trailing by three points by the first technical time out.

Two quick time-out calls by head coach Japheth Munala almost bore fruit as the gap was narrowed by three points, only for the tactful North Africans to widen the range to the finishing tape at 25-17.

The entry of Leonida Kasaya and switching of left- handed Violet Makuto from centre to right attacker in the second set, changed the tide in favour of Pipeline as they almost white-washed the opponents under 10 points.

Tricky serves

According to Pipeline manager Kasujaa Onyonyi who is in Carthage, tricky serves by international setter Janet Wanja soared Pipeline’s tally to stand at 8-1 by the first official rest.

By the second technical time out, the scores were 16-2 forcing the Chlef tactician to call for consultations.

Ruth Jepngetich, Monica Biama and Esther Wangeci pounded the opponents to bring the second set final tally to 25-15 in favour of the Kenyans.

The third set was almost even with both teams playing on a one to one basis before the Pipeline who have won the Championships six times broke the ranks to bag the third set on a 25-15 advantage.

The high-riding Pipeline team were scheduled to play their last pool match against Cameroonian paramilitary girls FAP on April 21, 2014.

Pipeline won the Championships for the last time in 2005.

Kenya’s pride

Pipeline and Prisons are fighting to restore Kenya’s pride after General Service Unit and Prisons failed to perform in men’s tournament held in the same country three weeks ago.

Other teams that have advanced to the second round of the competition are Injis of Cameroon and Carthage of Tunisia (Pool A), El Shams of Egypt (Pool B) and Cameroon’s FAP (Pool D).

In Pool A host Carthage of Tunisia secured second win against Nkumba University (Uganda) 3-0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-10) to improve to their record to 2-0.

Injis (Cameroon) defeated Water Sports (Ethiopia) 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 26-24) to improve also to 2-0.

In Pool B, Shams (Egypt) beat Bafia (Cameroon) 3-2 (23-25, 24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 15-13) as Prisons beat  Bejaia (Algeria) 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-23).  

GS Petroliers (Algeria) flew past Manga Sport (Gabon) 3-0 (25-11, 25-8, 25-13) in Pool C, while Sfax (Tunisia) overwhelmed Ndeje University (Uganda) 3-1 (26-24, 25-13, 21-25, 25-18).

Pool D showed Pipeline playing their utmost to defeat Chlef (Algeria) 3-1 (17-25, 25-10, 25-16, 25-14).

In the match of the day,  Forces Armee Police (FAP) (Cameroon) defeated APR (Rwanda) in an exciting five setter 3-2 (21-25, 28-26, 22-25, 26-24, 15-13). 

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