Malkia Strikers ace Sharon Chepchumba named MVP in Greece

Malkia Strikers opposite attacker Sharon Chepchumba, who joined Greek side Aris Thessaloniki in October 2022, has been named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the 15th round of the women’s volley league for the 2022/2023 season.

The Kenyan international was feted after leading her team to a great straight set set win over rivals Markopoulos in a result that saw the side break into the top eight.

In the win, Chumba, as the player is widely known in volleyball circles, scored 20 points, 18 on her trademark hard attacks coupled with one ace and a block.

“Sharon Cheptsumba of Aris is the KYANA MVP of the 15th Women's Volley League 2022-2023.

The Kenyan diagonal of the 'yellow-blacks' led her team to a great 3-0 set victory over Markopoulos who put her team in the eight-ranked octagon. She scored 20 points with 18/32 strikes, 1 ace, and 1 block,” the club confirmed on their social media platform.

“In fact, in the game with the Mediterranean team, Chumba lost her teeth in the third set, as in 15-9 of the second set she turned her leg in an attempt to block and left subdued, but a little later she returned to the showdown,” they added.

Chumba, who is for the first season playing outside Kenya has taken the league by storm as she currently tops the women's league point scoring chart with 389 points.

She is the also the first Aris Thassaloniki player to receive the MVP award this season.

"Markopoulos is a very competitive team, but my team was better in serving and receiving, areas we had issues in the previous period. But we fixed it, we trained on it and that is what helped us," Chepchumba told Greece media after receiving her award.

Chumba's arrivals seems to be turning Aris fortunes around as the A2 league side had been struggling before her arrival but their performance has taken a turn for good.

"In the beginning, some players came from different backgrounds. Some players were even affected by the weather, we had a problem with team but now we are in a better place," she explained when asked about the improved performance.

Chepchumba previously played for KCB, Kenya Prisons and Kenya Pipeline in the KVF league and has been one of the Malkia Strikers most consistent players in recent years.