Kenya Pipeline women's volleyball team swept aside hostson Friday, sporting 3-1(25-19,25-27,25-12,25-20) to book a date with champions Al Ahly in one of the semi final on Saturday as the African Club Championship enters home stretch in Cairo, Egypt.
Pipeline paraded captain Triza Atuka, setter Jannet Wanja, fast rising Gladys Ekaru, hard hitting Sharon Chepchumba, Naomi Too, Esther Wangeci and libero Agrippina Kundu to do the duty for the oilers.
And the squad did well to win the first set before they faltered in the second set with unforced errors .
Teams coach Margaret Indakala then rested Wangeci for Gaudencia Makokha before they made amends to win the third set and capped off the good run with a fourth set win to qualify for the last four.
Speaking after the match, captain Atuka said they had watched Sporting play twice and mustered their weakness.
Atuka said there is still a mountain to climb but remained optimistic ahead of the tie against North Africa.
"We realised their centre was inactive and therefore concentrated on scoring from the point and I'm glad the tactic paid off our focus now is on the semis", she said. Teams coach Indakhala said the quater final match is water under the bridge now and the focus is on the semi final.She said ,"The task now is to plan for the next opponent. "We are taking one game at a time."
Other semi final will pit former champions Carthage of Tunisia against GSP of Algeria.
Carthage overcame the much improved FAP of Cameroon 3-0(25-19,25-19,25-22), while GSP of Algeria defeated Customs of Nigeria 3-0(25-20,25-21,25-18).
El Shams succumbed to compatriots Al Ahly 3-0(24-26,16-25,18-25) in another last eight match.
Other Kenyan representative KCB won against shooting of Egypt 3-0 (25-13,2523,25-22) in the classify match of position 9-16.
