Volleyball: Sega happy with return to national games

Kwathanze’s Lucy Chebet (left) and Winnie Akinyi in action against Judy Akinyi of Sega in past action at Machakos School. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

After a year in the cold, St Anne’s Sega are relishing their return to the Secondary Schools national Term Two games that begin next week in Kisumu.

With the games closer home, the Nyanza Region volleyball champions are hoping to secure their ticket to the East Africa games after a two-year absence.

Sega made their last appearance in 2016 when Kenya hosted the regional games in Eldoret.

Sega coach Alice Otieno said even though they have their eyes set on the ticket to the East Africa Games to be held in Arusha, Tanzania, they are focused on safely making it out of Group A.

“We want to return to the regional games but our focus, for now, is on our pool matches because we know that if we make it to the last four, we will qualify for East Africa games,” Otieno said.

Sega have a mountain to climb as they have to go past Western’s Bishop Sulumeti, who eliminated former national and East Africa champions Lugulu, Nairobi and Rift Valley winners Cheptil and Soweto Academy.

“We are in the ‘group of death’ and successfully coming out of it will guarantee us one of the three tickets to Arusha.”

She added that even though they will face an acid test from day one of the championships, they have trained well and are ready for the challenge.

“We have trained well and have also played in one tournament in readiness for the games,” said Otieno.

Soweto and Cheptil are regulars at both the national and East Africa games and will be looking to improve on their 2018 national second and third place finishes respectively.

Sega, on the other hand, return to the national scene after reclaiming the Nyanza title they had lost to Nyakach Girls last year.

Defending champions Kwanthanze from Eastern are in an easy Group A that has Coast champions St John’s Kaloleni, Passenga from Central and North Eastern winners.

Bishop Sulumeti, who missed out on a ticket to last year’s regional games in Rwanda after finishing fourth, will also be a force to reckon with as they make their second attempt.