KCB team’s technical advisor Paul Bitok says they will approach the round of 16 fixtures starting Friday in the 2023 Women’s African Volleyball Club Championship in Tunisia with the seriousness it deserves.
This is after the defending champions beat Senegal’s Salitgue in straight sets of 3-0 (25-11, 25-13 and 25-15) on Tuesday.
The bankers oozed confidence from the shrill of the first whistle; tormenting the Senegalese side with their signature hard-hitting antics which stood out in all three sets.
Following Tuesday’s evening win, Bitok extolled the girls for their resilience. He, however, urged them not to rest on their laurels.
“We are taking it one match at a time and we will treat our round of 16 fixtures as like any other match. We don’t want to underrate any team in the knockout stage because if we stumble, we fall,” Bitok emphasised
He added: “We’ll continue to focus on the next two matches (round of 16 and quarters) and see how it goes.”
In winning their first three matches since Saturday, the bankers topped Pool ‘B’ but will have to wait until today to know their next opponents for this week’s round of 16.
The Japheth Munala-led girls have been in a class of their own since the preliminaries started in Tunisia and are being looked at as favourites.
The former KCB attacker and Kenya international— who savoured a stint in Tunisia and Croatia—expressed gratitude for the team’s new players Juliana Namutira and Esther Mutinda.
Bitok continued: “Juliana is combining well with Moim. Belindah (Barasa Nanjala) is also making a great combination with Mutinda. Our weakness has always been the reception, which is now working out very well.”
The former Kenya international has also extolled the blend of young budding players and their seasoned counterparts for a working court formation.
“The young and seasoned players have also come in handy here in Tunisia as both are now matching up very well. I give credit to our new setter Esther Mutinda Kamene; she has really changed the game for KCB,” he added.
“We are now playing faster than ever before. Moim is still a great player and a mentor to youngsters; her experience is playing out in the team’s setup. She continues to push the team to greater heights,” Bitok concluded.
The bankers carry an air of confidence into the crucial knockout stage as they aim to rack up back-to-back titles in Tunisia.
