Tarus and Barasa eager to retain their national league titles

Kenya Pipeline’s Sharon Chepchumba. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The stage is set for this year’s National Volleyball League play-offs that begin today at the Kasarani Gymnasium.

As such, local volleyball fans are in for a treat over the next three days as Kenya’s best eight teams (four men and four women) battle for the two tickets in each category to next year’s African club championships.

While men’s record champions General Service Unit will be seeking to rewrite a new chapter in their history by claiming their third title in a row and 14th in total, Kenya Prisons will be out to retain the women’s title they clinched last season.

But both GSU and Prisons know it will not be a walk in the park as all their opponents are also gunning for the titles.

Kenya Prisons men’s team are plotting to reclaim the title they last won in 2016 and consequently end GSU’s recent dominance in the domestic scene.

It is the same scenario in women’s category where fancied KCB and Kenya Pipeline are both eyeing to dethrone holders Kenya Prisons.

The bankers last lifted the national league title in 2008 as the wardresses ended Pipeline’s four-years dominance at the same venue last season.

Though GSU coach Gideon Tarus and his Prisons women’s team counterpart Josp Barasa are aware of the task lying ahead, they both want to write their own history.

“I won this title seven times in a row as a player way back in 2001, but now I would like to write my own history by lifting it in three consecutive seasons as a coach,” Tarus told Standard Sports.

“I know it will not be easy, but it will be a great achievement for me and the players if we win this year’s title.”

Barasa said: “There is no room for error at this stage and we must be at our best from the opening match. We know how strong the other teams are and that’s why we are not going to take any chances. We can’t afford to underrate any team at the play-offs.”

Prisons renew their rivalry with Pipeline as they begin their title defence at 10am today before paving way for the match between KCB and debutants Directorate of Criminal Investigations at noon.

GSU will then take to the court at 2pm against the unpredictable Kenya Defence Forces before Kenya Ports Authority lock horns with Prisons in the final match of the day.

“We respect GSU because they are the champions, but we don’t fear them. We have worked on our weak areas and we are equal to the task. We beat Prisons last year, we can do the same against GSU,” warned KDF team manager Alfred Chedotum.