Prisons’ devise comeback strategy after Pipeline defeat

It might have happened in a governor’s Cup tournament, but Kenya Prisons’ loss to former champions Kenya Pipeline in Kapsabet could be the indicator all volleyball fraternity needed to begin imagining a resurrection of the sleeping giant that is the oilers.

Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) women’s holders, Prisons, however, got their wake-up call that the comfort zone they might have plunged into after winning the title consecutively since dethroning Pipeline in 2018 could spell doom for them this season.

Head coach Josp Barasa who has gone for youth in bolstering the squad ahead of the season says the loss in the Governor’s Cup final to the oil merchants was just a slip.

“We played well in the first leg in Kapsabet, winning the league matches and the players also had a good display in the Cup matches. We lost in the Cup final to Pipeline who have a good squad but a 3-2 scoreline was not bad.

We made mistakes in reception and our blocking did not work well. We have since regrouped and are working on the said mistakes and I am confident we will bounce back stronger as we look to defend our title,” said Barasa.

The Paul Gitau coached Pipeline have gone on the hunt for young talent as well as experience in their recruitment before the season began, snatching Malkia Strikers’ fast-rising left attacker Veronica Adhiambo and middle blocker Caroline Sirengo from Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Violet Makuto and Noel Murambi rejoined Pipeline from Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) where they led the Japheth Munala-coached money bags to a second-place finish in the last two seasons.