NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 3 – By design or coincidence, two players with almost identical names provided the decisive double block that ensured the General Service Unit (GSU) defended their Kenya Volleyball federation (KVF) men’s title with a straight sets win over Kenya Prisons on Monday night at the Kasarani Gymnasium.
Cornelius Lagat and Cornelius Kiplagat rose up on the left to shield Michael Chemos’s strong spike to hand the Fanya Fujo Uone boys the title with a set to spare.
The paramilitary men headed into the final game of the three-day play-offs needing a two-set cushion against the warders, whether on the winning or losing side to clinch the crown, and they delivered more than they had asked for with an assured display.
They went on to win the second set 25-22, having walked through a 25-19 score in the opening set.
“I am really pleased with how we performed today. To be honest, I knew we would win but not with straight sets. That is what makes this victory sweeter. We had trained well for over a month and had done our homework on all the teams. Coming in here, we were prepared,” GSU tactician Gideon Tarus told Capital Sports.
GSU, backed in full voice by comrades from the uniformed forces among them players from the Kenya Police hockey team as well as Sofapaka defender George Maelo, also a GSU officer were relentless in their quest for a 13th crown.
They steered the wheel comfortably, leading 8-6 at the first technical time out and 16-15 at the second, with prisons trying their best to keep the scores close, with a slight chance of winning the title.
But, there was no stopping GSU as they strolled to win 25-19 to put one foot into champion territory.
The second set was tougher despite GSU leading 8-4 and 16-10 at the first and second technical time outs. Upon resumption for the final wave of the set, the warders put up a spirited fight and forced GSU to twice call time-outs leading 17-15 and 23-21.
Nonetheless, they kept their cool with both Cornelius’s delivering the decisive block that handed them the title.
Into the third set, it was all show-boating for GSU with their fans in full voice, Boneventure Wekesa and Abiud Chirchir leading the onslaught with the side leading 8-6 and 16-11 at the technical time-outs.
Prisons attempted to launch a comeback to scrape through even a single set and at a point looked well set. They narrowed to a three-point deficit forcing GSU’s Tarus to call for a time out and on resumption, they finished the job,
Prisons; Chemos served wide at 24-20, handing their rivals the win on a silver platter.