Boys' volleyball action between Mobamba and St Mary's School Yala/ANGWENYI GICHANA
Newcomers Masara Secondary School and title favourites St Mary’s School Yala booked their places in the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Nyanza region boys volleyball semi-finals with commanding performances at Homa Bay School on Thursday.
Migori County champions Masara became the first boys’ team to secure a semi-final berth after winning both their opening Pool matches. They began their campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 (25-22, 25-23, 22-25, 25-23) victory over Siaya’s Udira before overcoming Nyamira’s Gesiaga in straight sets, 25-17, 25-23, 26-24.
Yala also advanced after a dominant start to their title quest. The Siaya County giants cruised past Kisii’s Mobamba Mixed 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-14) before battling to a 3-1 win over Oriwo in a tougher second fixture.
Kisumu County champions Maseno School also progressed to the last four after opening with a convincing 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-10) victory over Oriwo Boys. They then edged Mobamba Mixed 3-2 in a thrilling five-set contest to seal qualification.
Hosts Tom Mboya High School eliminated Gesiaga with a comfortable straight-sets victory. In the girls’ volleyball competition, favourites Aluor Girls booked their semi-final spot after back-to-back straight-set victories. They began with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-23) win over Nyakach before overwhelming Saye 25-12, 25-19, 25-5. Former regional champions Nyakach bounced back to keep their hopes alive with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-21) victory over Kameji. Hosts Asumbi Girls and defending champions Nyakjongo also enjoyed comfortable straight-set wins over Sironga Girls and Moteiribe, respectively.
In netball, three-time champions Oyugi Ogango from Migori County underlined their title credentials with two emphatic victories to reach Friday’s semi-finals.
The defending champions opened their campaign with a 35-11 win over Siaya’s Wagai before thrashing former champions Kobala 39-6. Wagai recovered from the defeat to hammer Nyamira County’s Rirumi 41-6, while Kobala bounced back with a commanding 45-8 victory over the same opponents. Sota also registered a 32-9 win against St Peter’s Keberesi.
In the girls’ basketball 3x3 competition, defending champions Ng’iya Girls made a statement by crushing Manga Girls 21-2 in their opening match. St Mary’s School Yala also started strongly, while hosts Asumbi Girls eased past Sengera Girls 22-1.
