Volleyball: Near-perfect Malkia Strikers hit Serbia B in friendly

Malkia Strikers

Kenya's players celebrate a point during their friendly match against Serbia B at the Kovilovo Sports Centre in Belgrade on September 18, 2022. Kenya won 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-11).

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • The Kenyan side will certainly give their opponents a run for their money at the FIVB World Championships if Sunday’s straight sets (25-18, 25-20, 25-11) win over Serbia B here in Belgrade is anything  to go by.

In Belgrade, Serbia

Pack your bags and book the next flight to Netherlands if you can. For those who will be watching from home, renew your internet packages because Malkia Strikers mean business.

The Kenyan side will certainly give their opponents a run for their money at the FIVB World Championships if Sunday’s straight sets (25-18, 25-20, 25-11) win over Serbia B here in Belgrade is anything  to go by.

Coach Luizomar de Moura’s charges produced the perfect response to beat Serbia B with four players hitting double digits here at the Kovilovo Sports Centre in Belgrade.

Sharon Chepchumba was the star of the show with a game-high 33 points made of 28 kills and 5 aces, skipper Mercy Moim added 19 while Noel Murambi and Edith Wisa contributed 16 and 14 points respectively.

And she led from the front on Sunday against Serbia B, composed of Under-19 and Under-21 players, taking responsibility in key moments of the game to guide Kenya to a morale-boosting 3-0 win.

Notably in the first set, having miscued her pass with the scores at 22-16, Moim made a decisive side out from an out of system underarm set from Murambi.

Similarly, with Serbia threatening to make a comeback, Chepchumba made another crucial kill from the back row to secure the first set at 25-18.

It was the perfect end to a set that Kenya deserved to win having led 13-7, 18-12 and 21-15 before sealing it.

Coach Luizomar de Moura maintained his first six for the second set and once again Kenya led 4-0 forcing Serbia coach Christian Tammoone to call for an early time out.

Two monster blocks from Lorine Chebet saw Kenya extend their lead to 6-2 before Wisa made it 12-7 for the Kenyans with another killer block.

Serbia clawed their way back into the game thanks to good services from Cvetkovic Jovana to level the game at 20-20 but Malkia Strikers held their nerves.

Emmaculate Nekesa delivered the set point with a brilliant ace and Kenya made no mistake winning the set at 25-20.

Again, Luizomar kept faith with his first six of Moim, Chepchumba, Murambi, Nekesa, Moim, Chebet and Wisa for the third set which they dominated from the onset.

A two-point lead for Kenya was gradually stretched to 17-10 by text book attacks from Chepchumba.

Serbia withered from then on as Malkia went on an eight point rally to claim the set at 25-11 and give Kenyans hope that they can once again have huge expectations of this team breaking the ceiling at this year’s World championships.

A second round berth is certainly within reach if they can use this performance as a template at the global competition. Numbers don’t lie.