Kenya’s national volleyball team was defeated by hosts Japan 0-3 (15-25, 11-25, 23-25) on Sunday, kicking off their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games campaign.
Ai Kurogo and Mayu Ishikawa each scored 13 points to help Japan get off to a winning start in Pool A.
The Malkia Strikers will take positives from the third match, in which they faced off against Japan, with their star player Sharon Chepchumba leading the way with 18 points.
Mercy Moim, Leonida Kasaya, Edith Wisa, Jane Wacu, Gladys Ekaru, and Chepchumba made up Kenya’s starting lineup, with Aggripina Kundu handling libero duties.
Ishikawa led Japan to an 8-6 lead at the first technical stoppage, then a 16-11 lead at the second before winning the set 25-15.
Kenyan coach Luizomar De Moura stuck with his starting six for the second set, but the Japanese were unstoppable, leading 8-3 at the first technical stoppage, 16-9 at the second, and 25-11 at the third.
In the third set, Lorine Chebet replaced Ekaru, and Kenya came alive again, pushing Kumi Nakada’s charges all the way.
At the first technical timeout, Japan led 8-6, but Kenya trimmed their lead to 16-15 at the second halftime.
Individual errors by Wacu, Kasaya, and Chepchumba gifted Japan the set at 25-23, despite Kenya leading 23-21.
It was a match between the world’s fifth-ranked team and the 24th-ranked team, yet despite the result, there were signs that Kenya was closing in on the rest of the globe.
