KSSSA: Kwanthanze trounce Cheptil to national volleyball glory

Kwanthanze Girls are the 2017 national volleyball champions of  the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSA), after beating Rift Valley’s Cheptil 3-0 on Saturday in Nyeri.
The 2015 East Africa champions eased past Cheptil in sets of 25-19, 25-10 and 25-15 to reclaim the title they last won two years ago.
Speaking to Citizen Digital in a post match interview, the team head coach Justin Kigwari  praised his players saying they stuck to the game plan.
“Although Cheptil were very  tough, am happy for my girls because they have done what we have been doing in training since day one. Last year we performed poorly and now we target the East African championship,” Kigwari charged.

The Masaku queens stormed this year’s games in style winning all their matches without dropping a single set from the zonal level.

Cheptil coach Joel Mangech has regretted Jecinta Chepkoech’s injury, a key player who broke her arm in the second set, saying the other players where mentally affected by the ‘unfortunate incident.’
However, he has praised his opponents noting they were the best team since from the word go, and they deservedly won the title.
“Am very disappointed because that injury affected the other players. Anything can happen in a match and I congratulate Kwanthanze for winning the title because for sure they have been the best side,” he offered.

In the playoffs, Soweto Girls thrashed Lugulu 3-1 to finish third.

In boys’ volleyball, Sengera stunned last year’s East Africa champions Malava 3-1 to win this year’s title.

In a tight final, the Western region champions won the first set 25-17, but Sengera came back rejuvenated in the second set to draw level with a 25-23 win. The eventual champions shifted a gear higher in the next two sets to win 25-22 and 25-19.
In the journey to finals, Sengera won against Kangundo 3-0 in the semis while Malava edged Cheptil.

The latter won the play offs 3-0 against Kangundo. The East Africa championship is slated for Gulu in Uganda August this year.