CAVB Club Championship: Pipeline go down fighting as KCB win

Former Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) champions Kenya Pipeline dropped their first point at the ongoing Confederation of African Volleyball Federation (CAVB) women's club championship in a 1-3 (25-23, 21-25, 22-25, 29-31) loss to Al Ahly on Monday evening.

The Paul Gitau- led oil merchants went into the match on the back of wins against Nigeria's Customs and El Wak Wings of Ghana while the record continental champions had also not lost a match. 

Gitau's charges played a decent first set to lead 8-6 at the first technical timeout (TTO) before extending their lead to three at 10-7. The Egyptians scored three in a row to tie the match at 10. 

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Pipeline led against at the second TTO at 16-14 but Al Ahly took charge at 18-19, holding the lead until 22 points when Pipeline caught up and went on to win 25-23. 

Al Ahly returned rejuvenated leading the second set 1-3 a difference they stretched to four at the first TTO at 4-8. Pipeline clawed back to come to within a point of Al Ahly at 8-9. The difference was back at five at the second TTO at 11-16 as Al Ahly fought to even the set scores. 

The advantage was up to seven points at 12-19 and the Kenyans could not close it in time as they lost 21-25. 

The script of the second set repeated in the third but it was Pipeline leading 3-0 and 8-6 at the first TTO but Al Ahly took over to lead by a point in the second TTO. The scores were tied at 20 but Pipeline faltered allowing the Egyptians to win the third set at 22-25 for the advantage. 

The two sides went point for point in the fourth set, the biggest difference being four points at 8-12 after which the leads changed at will as Al Ahly settled the match after winning the set 29-31. 

Pipeline finish the group stage in second place and will face the third-placed team in pool B that has defending champions Carthage, ASEC Mimosa, KCB and Ndejje of Uganda in the round of 16. 

Meanwhile, Japheth Munala's KCB got back to winning ways after losing to the holders in Monday's match, seeing off Ndejje 3-0 (25-22, 25-10 and 25-16 ) to better their chances of finishing second in the group ahead of the round of 16 matches.