Loise Simiyu: From oblivion to Malkia Strikers breakthrough in Yaounde

In Yaounde, Cameroon

Eight months ago, Loise “Bouncer” Simiyu was nowhere near the national team radar. In fact, she was the epitome of confusion.

The 22-year-old was struggling to find a way into coach Paul Gitau’s squad at Kenya Pipeline as they prepared for the CAVB African Clubs Championship in Tunisia.

Simiyu flirted with setting for two months but she soon realised Rose Magoi and new signing Faith Imodia were definitely above her in the pecking order. Come March, she contemplated playing as an outside hitter since she was a good receiver.

Ultimately, she settled for the opposite position. And come May, she had cemented her place at Pipeline, her journey to the first team partly aided by a knee injury to first choice opposite Miriam Chelimo.

“She is a good player but she was unsettled mentally at the start of the year. I gave her some time off to make up her mind whether she wanted to play for Pipeline or move to another team because she had been offered a job elsewhere.

“When she returned from that break, I noticed that she is a very good receiver and her attack was so powerful. That is when I decided to move her from setting to opposite because I wanted to keep Miriam on toes,” said Gitau, who nicknamed her Bouncer due to her powerful spikes.

So good was Simiyu’s performance at the Clubs Championship in Tunisia, where Pipeline finished second after losing 3-1 to Zamalek in the final, that Malkia Strikers coach Luizomar de Moura handed her a call-up to the national team.

And when the Brazilian named his final squad for the FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup and African Nations Championship, Simiyu had impressed him to be included as an understudy to star opposite Sharon Chepchumba in the final squad of 14.

It was clear from the onset that she was on a learning mission, justifiably so, given this was her first assignment with the national team.

But when the tournament served off last week, Simiyu found herself in Luizomar’s first team after Chepchumba suffered an ankle injury on the eve of the opening match against Rwanda.

The youngster put up an impressive debut registering an impressive 12 points (8 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces). Only Veronica Adhiambo returned a higher tally with a game-high 14 points (11 kills, 3 aces).

“At first, I was a bit worried but I had to believe in myself. I wasn’t expecting to start but coach Luizomar believed in me and my teammates motivated and encouraged me on court. I couldn’t believe I performed that well,” Simiyu told Nation Sport.

While most opposites are often poor in reception and back court defence, Simiyu is cut from a different cloth. She is a good receiver and can be deployed as an outside hitter at times. Gitau believes her all-round ability will make her indispensable at the national team.

“She is a utility player and it’s very hard to find one in modern volleyball. She is an asset to any team she plays for because having her in your team is like having three players in one. She can receive, attack and also set the ball accurately which means she can be a game-changer if called upon from the bench,” explained Gitau.

“She has a very bright future and will be one of the best players in the national team in future,” he added.

As Kenya begin the knockout round today with a quarter-final match against Nigeria, Simiyu will be one of Luizomar’s reliable options from the bench. Having gained experience in the group stages, she is relishing the challenge of helping Malkia Strikers reclaim the African title after eight years.

“Everything has happened faster than I expected but I have taken it in my stride. I didn’t expect to be in the national team this year but here I am. I am ready to play (the knockout matches) even if I am fielded in the first team,” said a beaming Simiyu.

The 182cm opposite, who celebrated her 22nd birthday last Sunday, is overly excited at the prospect of Malkia Strikers winning a record-extending 10th African title that would take them closer to qualifying for Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“It will be the best thing to happen this year and I will be so grateful because this has been an amazing year for me,” said Simiyu amid a wide grin.  

Quarter-finals fixture (All times EAT)

Egypt v Uganda 2pm

Rwanda v Algeria 4pm

Kenya v Nigeria 6pm

Cameroon v Morocco 8pm