The going got tough for newcomers Lelmokwo Boys Volleyball outfit after suffering a second loss at the ongoing East African Secondary Schools Games held at the Tanzania Games Track and Safaris Grounds in Arusha.
The Rift Valley side had on Saturday lost their opening five-set thriller (3-2) tie against hosts Twangoma before they were again swept aside by Rwandese outfit PS Karubanda 3-1(20-25, 25-15, 25-15, 25-21) yesterday.
The side, coached by Lucky Sambai will have to dig deep to win their two remaining matches to revive their chances of qualifying to the last four. They come up against PS Rwanda today before they wrap up the preliminary stage with an encounter pitting Stahiza of Uganda tomorrow.
Coach Sambai knows that pretty well. He said: “There are still chances but basically we are here to learn. We play champions Karubanda tomorrow (today) and we hope to atone ourselves and put up a good fight against them. Generally, inexperience has been our main undoing but we are taking one game at a time.”
On another hand, girls volleyball defending champions Kwanthanze’s coach Justine Kigwari anticipate tough competition from the semifinals after his side got an easy landing against St. Alloys of Rwanda 3-0 (25-14, 25-14,25-17) at the same venue.
The national holders, however, will have to work on their wanting serves and backcourt defence that was evident in their match against the Rwandese. Kwanthanze play Tanzania’s Mkalapa today at the as they seek to build on their win.
Kigwari observed he will keep on rotating the squad as the event progress this is after he rested the first seven players and gave chance to the fringe players in the third set.
“We expected a tough match against St. Alloys but was not the case. However, we are ready for the remaining matches but we expect tough competitions from semifinals,”
“We hope to have made amends in services and defence going forward but generally I will keep on rotating the squad as my intentions are to give every player chance to prove herself and more so that the regular starters should not be comfortable,” added Kigwari.
After clipping local nemesis Nairobi Region champions Soweto 3-2 in their opener on Saturday, Cheptil returns to the field today with a match against Trust High of Uganda. Soweto were scheduled to play Trust High of Uganda yesterday evening.
