Kenya women’s volleyball assistant captain Janet Wanja and Brackcides Agala back in the team

Malkia Striker setter Janet Wanja sets the ball for Ruth Jepngetich at the FIVB Grand Prix semi-finals against Australia in Canberra Australia on July 11. Kenya won 3-1. PHOTO: FIVB.

Former Kenya women’s volleyball team captain Brackcides Agala and assistant captain Janet Wanja are back in the team.

The duo has been recalled to Malkia squad alongside right attacker Esther Wangeci ahead of the Rio Olympic intercontinental qualification tournament in Puerto Rico in May and the World Grand Prix Group 2 tournament in June.

At the same time, the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) has restructured the team’s technical bench, re-appointing technical director David Lung’aho as the head coach with Japheth Munala who was in charge of the team in Cameroon demoted to his previous role as assistant.

“These are just strategic changes specifically for the two upcoming assignments. We have not demoted anybody. Lung’aho will continue doubling up as the technical director with Munala serving as his assistant. We have been preparing other coaches to take over from Lung’aho but it seems they’ve not yet reached there. Since FIVB has given us a second chance we need to justify that,” KVF Vice Chairman Martin Makokha told Feverpitch.

The 25-member provisional squad which was selected after the second leg of the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) league in Nyahururu will go into residential training late next month after the African Club championships.

Middle blocker Agala (Chamalières, France), setter Wanja (Kenya Pipeline) and Wangeci (Chamalières, France) return to the squad after being dropped ahead of last month’s African Olympic qualifiers in Yaoundé where Malkia Strikers failed to clinch a direct ticket to Rio. Kenya finished third behind champions Cameroon and Egypt (runners-up) relegating them to the Puerto Rico play-offs.

When contacted, Wanja, said she was humbled to be back in the team and vowed to help the national team qualify for the Olympics.

“I am deeply humbled and happy to be called back to the team. As always I will put in my best effort like I used to do before I was dropped and ensure we qualify for the Olympics,” Wanja who is the only player in the current team to have played in the last 2004 Olympics said.