KCB utility player Sherleen Maywa has credited a bulletproof mentality for her meteoric rise despite many setbacks she has faced on the courts.
The former Lugulu Girls player said giving up was never an option and the competition for playing time at the club level fired her up to work even harder.
Maywa, who can play as a left-attacker or opposite hitter, was voted the best server in the just concluded Kenya Volleyball Federation league women's playoffs.
"It was unthinkable at first that one day I will be a dependable player. Look...Mercy Moim, Leonida Kasaya, Noel Murambi, Jemimah Siangu and Sarah Namisi were all my competitors," said Maywa, the eighth born in a family of nine.
"The going became tough, I thought of hanging boots in 2020 but after thorough soul-searching, coupled with coach (Japheth) Munala's advice, I rescinded my decision."
The 26-year-old regained her footing after the exits of Murambi, Siangu and Namisi. The latter two joined DCI while Murambi headed to Kenya Pipeline before heading abroad in December 2022.
Kasaya has been away due to family matters.
"I must say it is God. Sharon Chepchumba kept telling me to exploit my potential amidst uncertainty about my position in the team," she said.
The Mount Elgon native played for former powerhouses Lugulu between 2013-2016 before joining KCB in 2017. Eager to prove a point, Maywa moved to DCI the following year. She moved to Rwanda in 2019 to play for Kavese Volleyball Club before returning to KCB in 2021.
"2020 felt like hell. I felt like quitting and trying something else. Thankfully, it's now behind me," she said.
The towering attacker was crucial as the Ruaraka-based side romped to the African Club Championships glory in June last year, playing in all their matches.
"The KVF award was a reward for the hard work we have put in as a team. They (teammates) deserve more than I do. I am not the finished article yet. Service and power are aspects to work on. My dream is to become a professional player in the future."
Interestingly, Maywa's sister, Lynn Saliamo, is the captain at Africa Nazarene University women's basketball team.
