Volleyball: Nairobi Water face dry spell ahead of playoffs

WOMEN VOLLEYBALL Kenya Pipeline's Tepla Simiyu (left) and Veronica Tanui blocks Nairobi Water Florence Bosire's serve during the 1st Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company Chairman's Cup Tournament at Ndakaini Stadium on Saturday, April 29, 2017. {PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

Nairobi Water’s hopes of featuring in next month’s (December 1-3) Kenya Volleyball Federation national playoffs in Mombasa hangs in the balance after the team skipped last weekend’s final leg of the season in Eldama Ravine, Baringo.

Champions Kenya Pipeline and newcomers Western Bombers were the beneficiaries of Water’s failure to show up as they were both awarded a walk-over by the league organisers.

Despite their inability to travel to Eldama Ravine due to what a reliable source said were financial constraints, Water managed to secure an automatic playoffs slot after finishing fourth with 11 points, five more than fifth-placed Dorcas Ndasaba’s Bombers.

However, according to KVF Organising Secretary Ismail Chege, the team risk being replaced by Bombers if they don’t confirm their participation by Wednesday.

“As far as I am concerned, the federation is not aware of the reasons that made Nairobi Water teams to skip the Eldama Ravine leg,” Chege told The Standard Sports.

“We will officially communicate to them tomorrow (today). We want to know if they will be available for the playoffs or not. In the event that they are unavailable, Western Bombers will take up their place in Mombasa.”

The other women’s teams that have officially qualified for the playoffs slated for Makande Hall, Mombasa include champions Kenya Pipeline (21), Prisons Kenya (20) and Kenya Commercial Bank (14). The men’s teams are led by General Service Unit (34), champions Prisons Kenya (31), Co-operative Bank (27) and Kenya Ports Authority (27).

The eventual winners of the playoffs to be played in a round-robin format will be declared the 2017 champions on December 3. [Rodgers Eshitemi]