Volleyball: Newcomers look to shine as Mosoriot hosts league

Mt Kenya Base Yetu and the Department of Defence’s Camp Administration Unit (DoD) will not be adding up the numbers as they start new life in the Kenya Volleyball Federation men’s National League that serves off at the Koitalel Samoei University in Mosoriot, Nandi County on Thursday.

Base Yetu and DoD earned promotion to the top tier after finishing in the top two positions of Division Two at the completion of last season.

Base Yetu’s team manager Vienna King’aru said her side will be keen to prove a point when they start the season with a match against former champions General Service Unit (GSU) Thursday and Western Prisons Friday.

On the other hand, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) team manager Joel Kosgei says they have played second fiddle to GSU and defending champions Kenya Prisons who reclaimed the title they last won in 2016 for a while now and they will be out to win the trophy.

“Setter Titus Kibet moved to KDF and that’s the only player that we lost. But the squad is still intact and we are serious about bagging the title. At the same, GSU coach Gideon Tarus said it was a wake-up call after they relinquished the title to their rivals Kenya Prisons and promised to reclaim the trophy.

“Maybe we had become comfortable after winning the title back-to-back since 2017. It’s good to be challenged and now we want to start the season on high and push it through. We will play DoD and Kenya Forest Service, these are good teams,” said Tarus who doubles up as the Kenya men’s head coach.

Kenya Defence Forces, who finished fourth in the National League play-offs, will be without three players who are away on official training but team’s coach Elisha Aliwa has insisted they have enough cover.

The forces will be without Nelson Bitok, Aggrey Kimeli and Aggrey Kibungei.

In the National Women’s League, reigning champions KCB will start their title defence against Vihiga County Thursday before they take on stubborn Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Friday.

Thursday’s Fixtures: (All matches at Koitalel Samoei University)

My Kenya Base Yetu v Western Prisons;

Kenya Army v Mombasa Prisons;

Nyanza v KPA;

Trailblazers v Equity Bank;

APK v KDF;

Kenya Prisons v Rift Valley;

Nairobi Prisons v LFS;

GSU v DOD.

DCI v Maranatha;

KCB v Vihiga County;

Kenya Army v Kenya Pipeline;