The national women’s volleyball team has enhanced its preparations in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with the FIVB World Championships in the Netherlands and Poland scheduled from September 23 to October 15.
Malkia Strikers have shown significant improvement in reception, blocking, and back court defense at their training base in Brazil with less than a month until the global competition.
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Volleyball Empowerment Programme is financing the two-month training camp in Brazil.
Malkia Strikers are expected to break the ceiling by qualifying for the second round of a global competition, according to the volleyball fraternity in Kenya.
Kenya is in Pool ‘A’ with Cameroon, the Netherlands, European and Volleyball Nations League (VNL) champions Italy, Belgium, and Puerto Rico.
On paper, it appears to be a difficult pool, but based on the impact of the Brazil training camp as predicted by the score lines in eight friendly matches, the current team has the potential to make history in the Netherlands.
Head coach Luizomar de Moura, who was also in charge at the Tokyo Olympic Games last year, will be encouraged by the stiff competition for team spots, which includes youngsters Belinda Barasa and Veronica Adhiambo.
Setter Emmaculate Nekesa is maturing beyond her age, star opposite attacker Sharon Chepchumba is in top form, and captain Mercy Moim, Noel Murambi, and libero Aggripina Kundu are all still going strong.
Kenya has a realistic chance of defeating Cameroon at the World Championships, despite the loss of the influential trio of Laetitia Moma, Christelle Nana, and Stephanie Fotso.
Cameroon finished fourth at the recently concluded Islamic Solidarity Games after losing 3-0 in the semi-finals to eventual winners Turkey.
Coach Jean Rene Akono was sizing up his charges during the tournament, and he now knows that the quintet of new captain Simone Bikatal, Estelle Adiana, Emelda Piata, Yolande Amana, and Iza Ambassa must lead from the front if they are to perform well in the Netherlands.
The absence of Moma, Nana, and Fotso is a blessing in disguise for Kenya, which only needs two wins to advance to the second round as one of four teams from Pool ‘A.’
Kenya will need to bring their “A” game to get a second win, with Puerto Rico, a little-known opponent, the next beatable opponent.
Puerto Rico is coming off a 3-1 loss to Croatia in the FIVB Challenger Cup semi-finals last month. Croatia then defeated Belgium 3-1 in the Challenger Cup final to earn a spot in next year’s VNL.
Kenya, on the other hand, would be foolish to expect an easy victory over Puerto Rico, who pushed Dominican Republic, fresh from an eighth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics, to a 3-2 (25-22, 15-25, 25-17, 21-25, 15-12) victory in the final of the North & Central America and Caribbean Championship last year.
Stephanie Enright, opposite Brittany Abercrombie, and middle blocker Ortiz Neira all performed admirably at the FIVB Challenger Cup.
Coach Fernando Javier Lopez’s team in the Netherlands will be led by the trio, as well as veteran setter Valentin Natalia and libero Shara Venegas.
Malkia Strikers clearly have their work cut out for them as they prepare for the World Championships, but with their current progress, the second round next month appears to be a realistic target.
