Prisons face Pipeline in Cup semis

Champions Kenya Prisons face arch-rivals Kenya Pipeline in the semi-finals of the women’s African Volleyball Club Championships starting 6pm Friday in Tunisia.

Last year’s losing finalists GS Petroliers from Algeria will play hosts Carthage in the other semi-final match.

Pipeline beat Injs of Cameroun 3-1 (20-25, 25-15, 25-20, 25-15), while Prisons thrashed Sfaxien of Tunisia 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-16).

GS Petroliers beat El Shams from Egypt in 3-0 sets of 27-25, 25-13, 25-22 to also sail through to the semi-finals while Carthage hit FAP from Cameroon 3-0 sets of 25-17, 25-18 and 27-25.

Last year, Prisons outclassed the Algerian champions GS Petroliers in 3-2 sets in a pulsating final to retain the title at the Palais de Sport Hall in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Kenyan champions Prisons who won the title in 2008 before back-to-back success in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and 2013, are seeking their sixth Cup success. Pipeline, who won the continental diadem last in 2005, are eying their fourth continental success.

Prisons have prevailed over Pipeline in their last two outings. They met last month in the Arthur Cup in Bungoma where the wardresses won in 3-2 sets.

Prisons and Pipeline also met in the 2013 Kenya Volleyball Federation women’s league final, with Prisons prevailing 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-18) at Africa Nazarene University gymnasium.

On the continental scene, the two teams met in the quarter-finals of the 2013 event in Madagascar where Prisons prevailed in 3-1 sets of 17-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-20.

Kenya Prisons coach David Lung’aho urged his charges to be focused as they prepared for a rematch of last year’s final against a stubborn Pipeline.

“We enjoyed perfect blocking and hard spikes that won the match against Sfaxien and we should carry that to the semi-finals against our rivals Pipeline,” said Lung’aho.

Pipeline team manager Kasuja Wanyonyi said his charges will go for nothing short of an upset today. “I am very confident that they are up to the task,” said Wanyonyi. “It’s not over until the final whistle when these two teams meet. It’s always a see-saw affair and we should expect a good match.”

Wanyonyi said they lost to Prisons in the league play-offs last year owing to injuries to their key player Asha Makuto.

(READ: Makuto to miss Cup competition)

Pipeline head coach Japheth Munala said his team has jelled well following the arrival of three new players.

“Rose Magoi, Leonida Kasaya and Gaudencia Makokha (all from Nairobi Water) have fitted in very well in the team. We hope to register a better result than last year,” said Munala.