KSSSA: Soweto Academy out to make amends in volleyball

The 2018 national girls volleyball runners-up Soweto Academy are on a quest to lift the national title this year as the volleyball competition of the Coca-Cola-sponsored Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) games gets underway on Tuesday morning at Kisumu Polytechnic.

In the opening matches for girls volleyball, Bishop Sulumeti from Western will be up against Sega girls of Nyanza while Cheptil from Rift Valley face off with Soweto Academy of Nairobi. The boys volleyball programme will see Tetu from Central face off with Shimoni from Coast while Lalmokowo from Rift Valley will be up against Mogonga from Nyanza.

Soweto Academy coach Johnston Mukabwa is yearning to make amends for his team losing last year’s finals to Kwanthanze girls from Eastern.

“I lost only three players but they have been ably replaced by Maryline Juma, Emily Naliaka, captain Penina Barasa and setter Hilda Chepkosgei,” Mukabwa said on Monday.

His main challenger Justin Kagwiri of Kwanthanze Girls lost five players Gladys Ekaru, Beatrice Sifuna, Esther Mutinda and Metrin Wanyonyi all who joined Kenya pipeline upon completing their secondary education but is confident that his current team has the necessary skills and drive to retain the title.

In the opening matches for girls netball on Tuesday morning, hosts Nyakach Girls’ netball team face modest opposition from Eastern region representatives Syumile while defending champions Kaya Tiwi secondary from Coast take on Karuri from Central.

While Syumile head coach Stephen Tuva believes the game will be theirs to lose, his Nyakach counterpart Loise Akinyi Okore feels the fixture should be an easy one for her charges.

“We want to win this title this time after missing out last year when we lost to Kaya Tiwi in the finals on our debut. We have prepared well and will be using this fixtures against average teams like Syumile to correct our mistakes,” Okore said during an interview with Nation Sport.

“We are a team and remember together everyone achieves more,” Syumile’s Tuva said believing that his new look team will surprise many.

Kaya Tiwi, which has maintained a majority of the players who did duty last year, take on Karuri from 10am. Volunteer from North Eastern will also play Nairobi representatives Baba Dogo secondary at the same time.

The other tough netball match will see Western region representatives Bukhoholo take on Cheptil from Rift Valley.