Volleyball: Prisons beat GSU

Kenya Prisons made history on Saturday night when they edged out General Service Unit (GSU) to lift this year’s men volleyball league title in a 3-2 five set thriller as the curtains came down on the season at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

Their women colleagues also came from a match down to win the title, ensuring a double victory for the department. Kenya prisons women side dismissed Kenya Commercial Bank in another 3-2 set to edge Pipeline out of contention.

However, it was a tough contest between the top two men sides in the local league, who had went through the season with little loss to their opponents. GSU finished the season with a 100 percent record while Kenya Prisons only lost to GSU in the process.

However, during the play off which were sponsored by National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), Kenya prisons won the most important match of the season 25-21, 20-25, 15-25, 27-25, 16-14 to leave GSU hopeless with no chance for continental volleyball.

Gideon Chenje, the man who will be credited with crafting the final attack that brought down the GSU empire after nine year’s reign, was speechless as the warders triumphed in a close battle contest. It was Kenya.

Make an impact

“This is a great day for us. We wanted to go for club championship last year but were not allowed, now we are the winners and have no hurdles on the road so far. Now the battle has been won, but the continental war has just began. We do not want to be viewed as a one time club, we will seek to make an impact on the Africa scene,” said Chenje.
Kenya Prisons, who are also the East and Central Africa club champions, now have another feather in their cap to which the coach credits pressure from other clubs and his management team for pushing them the extra mile to dethrone GSU who have won for nine months in a row.

“I have to credit also our setter Daniel Kiptoo. The young boy left school a year ago at Hospital Hill and has since proved to be a good signing. He has shouldered the team’s burden as the fulcrum and serviced well out top scorers Dennis Mokua and Jackson Mwambia,” said Chenje.

Now, as he takes a deserved rest, Chenje knows January is around the corner and he has a tentative plan to have a two and half training before facing the continental bigwigs. “For nine years, GSU have failed to get the men’s title at the Africa level. Now we have a chance to try our fingers on it and I promise we will not let you down,” said the coach.

GSU, however, will have to content with the second slot and will be minus their coach Moses Epoloto who is serving a years ban. In the other match, KCB, who had lost any hopes of making it to the winner’s podium, turned their anger to Blue Triangle beating them 3-2 of 25-21, 21-25, 14-25, 25-23 and 15-11.

This means that Prisons finishes top with GSU second while KCB are third ahead of Blue Triangle. The other late women match saw Kenya Pipeline, who lost 3-2 against KCB on Friday, thrashed Blue Triangle 3-0 of 25-15, 25-12 and 25-17. In the seeding, Prisons are top with Pipeline second while KCB are third ahead of Blue Triangle.