Champs stretched before edging out KDF 3-2 as national volleyball play-offs serve off in Mombasa

When a team is defending its title, there’s some degree of discipline and vengeance that comes with its performance.

That is exactly what national men’s volleyball champions General Service Unit (GSU) exhibited when they came from behind to seal a memorable 3-2 (25-23, 22-25, 28-30, 25-17 and 15-13) against Kenya Defence Force (KDF) as this year’s play-offs served off yesterday the Kenya Ports Authority’s Makande Welfare in-door-gymnasium in Mombasa.

The champions should thank their tireless coach Gideon Tarus, who constantly issued instructions from the touch-line. Theirs was not any other match.

No it was not. And their experience was called into play, more so, when they were tied at 2-2 in the explosive match that lasted well over two hours and 20 minutes.

GSU needed only 23 minutes to win the first set 25-23 and looked set to grab the second, but just like a house of cards, they started to fall apart with every serve.

Suddenly, KDF side, which is coached by stand-in coach Sammy Mulinge, looked more organised of the two. They were now playing with intent and precision. It did not matter much that Mulinge has been with the side for only three days.

KDF’s setter Elisha Aliwa, was among the outstanding players as he guided his side to win the second set 25-22. The Nyeri-based side then went ahead to win the third set 30-28 and with that, scare set in the GSU camp. It was not matters as usual. They were almost cornered and had to find their way out of the eminent ambush. They needed to act and act fast at that.

So, it came as no surprise when they levelled matters with a convincing 25-17 win of the fourth set. GSU had now found their groove, no doubt

No wonder in the last and final fifth set, they tarted strongly with Bernard Musumba, David Kirwa and Samuel Mathenge giving their best to steer their side to a 3-0 lead.

However, KDF’s Wily Kolum and Kirwa Tarus stood firm to keep their opponents at bay before Musumba and company wrapped the final set 15-13.

“We played a tough side, but our experience played a major role in our deserved win,” said coach Tarus.
Earlier at the same venue, Kenya Prisons came from a set down to beat Co-operative Bank 3-1 (20-15, 25-18, 30-28, 25-15).

Prison’s coach Gideon Chenje, was full of praise for his boys saying the win has given them the right direction to go in the remaining matches. Co-operative Bank coach Geoffrey Omondi, said he would work on the mistakes he encountered in the match and improve in the next match against GSU.