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KCCA leave Zone V stage with lessons learnt
Receiver-attacker Margaret Namyalo attempts to go past RRA’s net defence. PHOTO/EMANZI NDYAMUHAKI
What you need to know:
KCCA won the National Volleyball League last season to qualify for the Club Championship but the trip to Kigali exposed several holes that must be filled before next year.
KCCA women’s Volleyball Club left the CAVB Zone V Volleyball Club Championship stage with neither a win nor a set.
The Kasasiro Girls lost all four games played in straight sets despite carrying healthy leads in some, especially against Kenya Pipeline and Rwanda Revenue Authority.
Participation in the tournament was only confirmed two days to the championship and the club only arrived in Kigali a few hours to their first game.
But beyond the losses, head coach Shilla Omuriwe believes the lessons picked will help the club going forward.
“It was very important that we come here and I’m glad the girls got the opportunity,” Omuriwe told Daily Monitor at the end of the competition.
“We have to play the Africa Club Championship so the girls have got some experience from here,” she added.
KCCA won the National Volleyball League last season to qualify for the Club Championship but the trip to Kigali exposed several holes that must be filled before next year.
Coming up against a much taller block, KCCA’s offence was in shambles.
On the other end, the KCCA block was quite porous against taller and stronger attackers in the tournament.
The club travelled without middle blocker Supernatural Mbakisimira and had to rely on inexperienced Sandra Idringi at some point.
Evas Nayebare, the second setter who joined the team from UCU Lady Doves, was switched to play in the middle following Zainah Kagoya’s illness in the last match of the tournament.
Receiver-attacker Margaret Namyalo also believes there are many things the team would never have realized without facing opposition beyond Uganda.
“We have seen what the other teams are doing and where we fall short,” Namyalo said.
“The onus is now on us to go back home and correct our mistakes,” she added.
Even when the first pass and set was right for KCCA, the attack lacked bite and allowed the opposition to defend and respond.
Namyalo and Shamim Nalukabwe struggled to give setter Joan Muindi options on offence, with Joan Tushemereirwe the only player severally negotiating the opposition block.
CAVB Zone V Volleyball Club Championship
KCCA results
KCCA 0-3 RRA (23-25, 22-25, 18-25)
APR 3-0 KCCA (25-19, 25-20, 25-13)
Kenya Pipeline 3-0 KCCA (25-19, 25-15, 25-21)
Police 3-0 KCCA (26-24, 25-18, 25-15)
