Prisons Kenya shoot down Equity to move closer to playoff slot

David Lung'aho-coached Prisons Kenya continued their stellar show in the sixth league leg as they saw off Equity Bank 3-1 to move closer to qualifying for the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) men's league playoffs. 

The two sides came into the clash, played at the Nyayo volleyball court on Friday 24 June, on the back of 3-0 victories in Thursday's matches against Prisons Western and Prisons Nyanza. 

Prisons, who have lost two matches this season needed a win against the bankers who had lost four to improve their top-foir chances. 

"It was a tough match. Equity have greatly improved and we could not underate them. Equity have good attackers so we had to work on our defense. We also had to work on our services and made it tougher to receive. 

In previous matches our services were easy and allowed the opponents to play many formations that would in return prove hard to defend, so we had to weaponise our services and it worked well for us," said assistant coach Ibrahim Oduor. 

At the start of the match, both sides traded blow for blow but service gone wrong for Lung'aho's charges handed the bankers the lead at 8-7 at the first technical timeout (TTO) but the warders benefitted from a similar blunder by Equity for the score to be tied 8-8. 

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The scored were tied at nine, ten, 11 and 12 but it was Prisons who were playing catch-up at all times. The former champions, however, assumed lead at 13 points and were ahead three points at 15-12 prompting coach Sammy Kirongo to request the first timeout of the match. 

The three-point gap continued to haunt Kirongo's changes as they trailed 19-16 and the advantage was extended to five at 21-16 before the bankers could land a point which was immediately cancelled out by a poor serve to the net. 

With the score reading 23-17, Equity made two changes that made little difference as they failed to receive Prisons next service for 24-17. They picked the next two points but it was too little too late as they lost the set 25-20 

"We forced Equity to play away from the centre as we knew they have good centres. We forced them to play from the left and right where we knew our defense would provide cover," added Oduor. 

The script for the second set was almost similar to the first but for the fact that it was the bankers on the chase after Prisons picked the first point. Equity went 3-2 up to change the tables on Prisons. 

Kirongo's charges went two points up at 7-5 but lost service to allow Prisons a chance to catch-up, level the score at seven points and go 8-7 up at the first TTO. 

The score was tied at nine points, again at ten through to 12 before back-to-back points for Prisons to go two points up at 15-13 and lead at the second TTO by the same margin. 

Lugh'aho urged his charges on with the two-point advantage giving the warders the much-needed cushioning. The difference was up to three points at 19-16, 21-18 and up yo four at 22-18, 23-19 as Prisons bagged the set 25-20. 

The third set was no different as both sides exchanged attacks but it was the bankers who proved more lethal, leading at the first TTO by two points. 

The gap stretched to four at 11- 7 promting Lung'aho to take a timeout for a chance to reel his charges back to the match. 

The advantage for the bankers was up to five points at 14-9 and six at 15-9 and the Prisons technical bench that also includes experienced beach volleyballer Ibrahim Oduor could be seen deep in consultations as they badly needed a change in strategy. 

Equity led 16-10 at the second TTO and Prisons seemed defeated as the bankers went up seven points at 20-13. 

Experience was on display in the ensuing minutes as Prisons rallied to cut the deficit to just three points to revive hopes of a straight-sets victory. 

That was, however, never to be as Kirongo's charges picked back-to-back points off of well calculated blocks to go 24-19 up.

It was Prisons' chance to show might, picking three consecutive points to trail by two at 24-22 but a poor serve handed the bankers the set at 25-22. 

Mike Chemos was the star of the fourth set, bailing the warders time and again from Equity's claws and even went on to win the final block that saw the bankers lose the set 28-26. 

"Our reception was wanting from the get go and it proved to be our main undoing. We gave away crucial points due to poor service too. The officiating robbed us points at really important points. The weather, as well, seemed to affect the players. 

We now have to win our remaining matches and hope to beat a few of the teams that are also looking make it to the playoff slot," said Kirongo.