Munala shifts focus to playoffs as KCB chase elusive title

It has been a long wait, 17 years to be precise, since Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) women’s volleyball side lifted the Kenya Volleyball Federation title.

They have come close, they have conquered Africa within that period, but the success of 2006 when they won the double, local league and Africa club championship titles, has remained elusive.

As the 2023 regular league concluded on Thursday, the bankers finished second on the rankings, behind holders Kenya Pipeline and ahead of former champions Prisons Kenya and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

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“The team chemistry was put to the test during the final leg this week as we had not trained together for long, given some players were away on national team duty. We have taken a break until Tuesday next week then get back with that being our first order of business.

We need to work on our consistency in performance especially with our defense on the net. We are expecting a tough playoff so we will need to be at our best as we are looking to finally lift that title after such a long wait,” head coach Japheth Munala told Mozzart Sport.

The tactician who led the team to the 2022 African title and saw the team finish second in the national league last season believes with good preparations they can topple favorites Pipeline in the upcoming playoffs.

“We go into preparations well aware that all the top three teams have lost just once in the regular league and that points to a very competitive league. We will not have one team in mind but have to train on a game plan for all three matches that we play,” Munala added.

KCB boasts a star-studded squad that has national team skipper and Africa’s best outside hitter Mercy Moim as well as compatriot, middle blocker, Edith Wisah and Belinda Barasa.

Africa’s best setter Emmaculate Nekesa, who will be backed by the highly-talented Esther Mutinda, and Juliana Namutira, the hard-hitting left attacker who made the national team on her first call-up completes the list of the side’s players who were with the national team in the just concluded national assignments.

Both the men and women’s playoffs are expected to run at the same time with the new office meeting on Saturday 16 September to deliberate on dates for the playoff.