Confident KCB ladies team eyes Kipchumba Karori title defence

 KCB volleyball ladies team have set sights on defending the Kipchumba Karori International Volleyball Tournament title as they head to Eldoret this weekend, seeking to reaffirm their dominance on the regional volleyball scene.

The competition is scheduled to run from Friday, 19th December to Sunday, 22nd December, and is expected to draw elite clubs from Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan.

Last year, KCB produced a dominant display to defeat DCI 3–1 (27–25, 25–16, 18–25, 25–18) in a thrilling four-set final, clinching the title for an impressive third consecutive year.

The tournament continues to grow in stature, having attracted over 170 teams this year, including four from Uganda and two from South Sudan, underlining its rising regional appeal. Now in its second edition, the Kipchumba Karori International Volleyball Tournament offers significant prize money, with the champions set to take home Ksh1 million, while the runners-up and third-placed teams will pocket Ksh500, 000 and Ksh300, 000, respectively.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, KCB Volleyball Team Technical Director and Eldoret Tournament Patron Paul Bitok acknowledged the increasing competitiveness of the event.

“We are heading into a tough tournament this weekend, which continues to attract more entries compared to previous years. We are optimistic and look forward to a successful competition,” said Bitok.

The bankers head into the tournament after posting mixed results in the opening leg of the 2025/26 Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) League, which tipped off last weekend at Nyayo Stadium.

KCB endured a slow start on Friday, falling 3–2 to Kenya Prisons in a closely contested five-set encounter. The bankers took the opening set 25–18, but Kenya Prisons responded by claiming the second and third sets 26–24 and 25–20. KCB rallied strongly in the fourth set with a commanding 25–16 victory to force a decider. However, Kenya Prisons narrowly edged the fifth set 15–13 to clinch the match.

The ladies bounced back emphatically on Sunday afternoon, sweeping aside Nairobi Prisons 3–0 (25–14, 25–23, 25–13) to register their first league win of the season.

Speaking after the matches, KCB Volleyball Head Coach Japheth Munala expressed satisfaction with the team’s early-season progress.

“We have started well this season. On Friday, we made a strong start but faced a tough challenge from Kenya Prisons. On Sunday, the ladies showed great character and won all the sets. This response is encouraging, and we hope to maintain this momentum as the season progresses, especially as we go to defend the title at the Kipchumba Karori Volleyball Tournament this weekend,” said Munala.