Kenya's Sheila Wabwire in action during the Women’s U20 African Nations Volleyball Championships at the Palais des Sports in Yaoundé, Cameroon/HANDOUTThe Junior Malkia Strikers will focus on sharpening their talons ahead of the 2026 FIVB U-20 World Championships scheduled for June 24 to July 5, 2026, head coach Jackline Barasa has said.
Kenya qualified for the global show after reaching the final of the Women’s U20 African Nations Volleyball Championships at the Palais des Sports in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where they beat the hosts 3-1 (26-24, 19-25, 28-26, 25-16) to clinch their maiden title last weekend.
Cameroon and eight-time winners, Egypt, who beat Senegal in the third-place playoff, will join Kenya in the hunt for global success. This will be Kenya’s third appearance at the junior global show and the first for Cameroon.
“It was fantastic. We improved game after game up to the finals. There is still room for improvement,” Barasa said. The team is still a work in progress despite their breakthrough victory. Their priority is to refine their technical execution while maintaining the strategies that delivered success in Yaoundé.
“We fine-tuned on tough services, tough attacks, blocking, back-court defence and communication,” she said. “Music and dancing helped in relieving tension and psyching up the players before matches.”
Barasa emphasised that quick tactical flexibility will be vital on the global stage. She said: “When the front-court defence was tough for my main attackers, we used quick balls, especially in the final, and served to specific persons,” she noted, underscoring the need to outthink opponents at the highest level. Barasa is preparing a rigorous programme to sustain momentum and match international standards.
“Preparing a training timetable and having frequent team talks, allowing each player to share her views, will be key,” she explained. The squad will be reinforced with players who missed the African showpiece due to their involvement in the secondary school games.
“I still plan to have them in the team. Their fresh talent will boost the current squad,” she said, adding that the team must stay grounded. “With prayer, discipline, hard work and determination, everything is achievable,” she said.
She termed the African title as a stepping stone rather than a destination. Barasa credited unity as their strongest weapon. “The team played as one compact unit, complementing one another, which was our strength, not forgetting the technical bench and the fans,” she said.
She recalled a pivotal moment after the preliminaries when a tie-breaker placed Kenya second, forcing them to face Egypt in the semifinals. “That motivated us to win against Egypt and carry the momentum to the finals,” she said.
She will seek to sharpen reception, improve speed in transition and build endurance to handle the intensity of world-class competition. “We know we have the talent, but talent alone won’t win at this level,” she warned.
Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) Acting President Paul Bitok noted: “We’ve worked on quick combinations and serving accuracy because these areas make the difference against top-ranked sides.”
They will seek to instil mental resilience in the players in subsequent training camps. Plans are underway to secure friendly matches against top-ranked European and South American teams. “Playing against top teams will expose our gaps and help us address them early,” he said, describing the friendlies as non-negotiable for fine-tuning strategies. “The ultimate goal is to build cohesion, consistency and readiness for the big stage.”
He praised fast-rising star Marlin Terry for guiding the junior to a historic title, where she scooped the best opposite hitter and Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards.
Terry has been included in the senior national team, Malkia Strikers, for the World Championships in Thailand between August 22 and September.
