Nyongesa ready to wrestle Kundu for Malkia Strikers’ start
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 30.08.25. | 15:00
Having last played for the national team during the 2015 Under-23 championship in Slovenia, she hopes to cement her place in the senior team after making her debut
After nine years on the sidelines, Kenya Pipeline libero Cellestine Nyongesa made her Malkia Strikers’ debut at the FIVB World Championship in Thailand, an experience she says was eye-opening.
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The Kenya Pipeline assistant captain acknowledges that, while she had a decent outing with Malkia, where they won a match against Vietnam and picked a set against third-ranked Poland, she still has ground to cover, but is ready to put in the work and battle teammate and national team mainstay Agripina Kundu for the starting berth.
Nyongesa, who, in July, was named best libero at the inaugural Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) Kenya Cup, says her outing in Thailand gave her a chance to learn from fellow liberos from other countries.
“They do things differently. Their posture, approach to the games, and even their reception are totally different from what I do. I hope that what I have picked here will help me be a better player in the coming days,” the libero said.
Having last played for the national team during the 2015 Under-23 championship in Slovenia, Nyongesa, a Malava Girls High School alumnus, now hopes she can cement her place in the national team.
“It’s humbling that I finally earned a senior team call-up and was given a starting role. I’m happy that my patience, hard work, and discipline have paid off, and I just want to play well going forward,” she opened up.
To cement her place, Nyongesa would have to wrestle the position from Kundu, who did not make the provisional squad this time but has been the go-to libero for the African champions. She was part of the three squads that lost the CAVB African Nations Championship title to Cameroon before winning it in 2023, and played at the Olympics in Tokyo and Paris.
“She (Kundu) might have been overlooked in this championship, but she is still a good libero and a force to reckon with. I’m still learning a lot from her. And I admire how she plays. When I joined Pipeline in 2015, we formed a healthy rivalry,” Nyongesa said.
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