Equity Bank shock KPA in league action at Nyayo
Volleyball and Handball
By
Ernest Ndunda
| Feb 13, 2023
Pre-match favourites Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) found the going tough after they were beaten by Equity Bank as the national men's volleyball second leg concluded Sunday, February 12, at the Nyayo National Stadium.
It was a bad day for the Dockers whose first-choice players did not travel to Nairobi for the second-leg fixtures that started on Friday.
Despite forfeiting their Friday match against Prisons Central, KPA turned up with a makeshift team on Saturday where they managed to beat Prisons Western 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-10).
However, the Dockers under experienced coach Sammy Mulinge could not contain Equity Bank in Sunday's match where they lost 3-1 (25-23, 25-14, 23-25, 25-20).
The bankers under captain Wilson Cheruiyot, Elisha Siret and Enock Barasa proved a hard nut to crack with good blocks.
KPA's poor service and blocks was their undoing which saw them give their opponents easy points.
KPA Team Manager Joel Kosgei said they had written a letter to the Kenya Volleyball Federation requesting to have their fixtures postponed.
"We gave genuine reasons as to why we could not travel to Nairobi for the second leg fixtures. Why didn't KVF reply our letter?," queried Kosgei.
"Our nine boys based in Nairobi decided to honour the Saturday and Sunday fixtures to avoid engaging the federation in endless wars but we shall appeal the federation's decision not to reply our letter," Kosgei said. He said all the Mombasa-based players who form the first team did not travel to Nairobi on the strength of their letter.
Kosgei said their preparation for the African men's club championship is in top gear.
"We won't allow few people to destruct our preparations for the continental event. We shall use all the procedures to ensure justice prevailed," said the furious TM.
In other matches, Equity Bank maintained their good run to clobber Vihiga County 3-0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-23).
Kenya Army outclassed Prisons Mombasa 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 29-27, 25-15).
On Saturday former champions Prisons hits back to beat KDF 3-1 after losing to General Service Unit on Friday.
Prisons had lost 3-0 (25-27,21-25,12-25) to GSU on Friday, but after losing the opening set to KDF on Saturday, they hit back to win 25-22,18-25,15-25,16-25.
KDF gave a good account of themselves in the first set as they stretched their opponents to win 27-25 but failed to build on the momentum as things fell apart in the next three sets.
In Division Two matches, Base Yetu beat Pamoja Tuijenge 3-0 (25-22, 27-25, 25-11) while Eldoret Water also dismissed NYS 3-0.
enzioka@standardmedia.co.ke