PARIS, France, Jul 29 – The national women’s volleyball team “Malkia Strikers” take it to the court Monday afternoon, opening her Paris 2024 Olympic Games campaign against highly ranked Brazil in Pool B before facing Poland and Japan later. Capital Sport had an up-close conversation with the class of 2024 and here are their profiles;
TRIZA ATUKA liked to play handball at Mukumu High School, but her lanky frame didn’t go unnoticed by the school volleyball coach. The coach tried to sway her away from handball, but Atuka kept going back to the sport perhaps because of the fear of gruesome physical fitness that volleyball players had to undergo every.
Because of her busy sport schedule at school, her mother never found her at school during the visiting days.
NAME: Triza Atuka (Captain)
AGE: 32
HEIGHT: 180cm
WEIGHT: 65kgs
POSITION: Middle blocker
CURRENT CLUB: Kenya Pipeline
HIGH SCHOOL: Mukumu Girls
UNIVERSITY: Graduate from Cooperative University with Degree in Bachelor of Commerce Human Resource
ROLE MODEL: Inspired by many around the world.
FAVOURITE FOOD: Chapati
HOBBIES/FREE TIME: Having some good family time, recovering and relaxing, going for vacations.
OLYMPICS APPEARNCE: Paris 2024
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:Multiple winner of Best Blocker at African Clubs Champions, Africa Games and National League.
What do people don’t know about you? – I’m a mother of a three year old daughter and I was a handball player before I switched to volleyball.
First time at Olympics.
EDITH WISA is the last born in a family of eight children yet the tallest. She is an introvert. She is a graduate from Mount Kenya University with a degree in Commerce (accounting).
NAME: Edith Wisa (Assistant Captain)
Age: 29 years
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 80kgs
Position: Middle blocker
Current Club: KCB Women’s Volleyball Team
HIGH SCHOOL: Lugulu Girls High School
UNIVERSITY: Mount Kenya University
FAVOURITE FOOD: Ugali fish/kuku and kienyeji vegetables
OLYMPICS APPEARNCE: She is making her second appearance at the Olympics first was Tokyo 2020
HOBBIES: Watching soap operas or movies
ROLE MODEL: Adenizia Ferreira Da Silva from Brazil but in general sports it’s Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya.
AWARDS ACCOLADES: 2015-2018 Best Blocker- National League playoffs,2017 and 2022 Best Blocker African Clubs Championship, 2017 Best Blocker Cup of Nations, 2017 SJAK Sports Personality of the Month.
LORINE CHEBET is a Kenyan volleyball team, Malkia Strikers and Kenya Prisons middle blocker. Chebet can also play as opposite hitter, She is one of the four middle blockers in the team.Chebet’s quick reactions at attacks and blocks has made her a first choice centre player at her club.
NAME: Lorine Chebet
Age: 24 years old
Height: 182cm
Weight: 68kg
Position: Middle blocker
Current Club: Kenya Prisons
High School: Kwanthanze High School
FAVOURITE FOOD: Ugali, chicken and Mboga Kienyeji.
ROLE MODE: My parents.
OLYMPICS APPEARNCE: Tokyo 2020
WHAT PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I’m a jovial girl but very strict at the same time
HOBBIES: Watching, going out with some friend and dancing.
SHARON CHEPCHUMBA alias Chumba as is popularly known in volleyball circles was a football player (goal keeper) at Tartar Secondary School before she moved to Kwanthanze Secondary School.
Despite her hard hitting attacks, off the court, Chumba can make a good Master of Ceremony with her comedian side revealing itself.
NAME: Sharon Chepchumba
AGE: 26
HEIGHT:186
WEIGHT: 86
POSITION: Opposite hitter
CURRENT CLUB: KCB Women’s Volleyball Team
FORMER SCHOOL: Kwanthanzee Secondary School
FAVOURITE FOOD: Pasta and chicken
OLYMPICS APPEARNCE: Chumba is making her second appearance at Olympics.
HOBBIES: Swimming and Driving.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: When I made my Greek friends to speak Kiswahili.
ROLE MODEL: Tijuana Boskovik from Serbia
VERONICA ADHIAMBO had to sneak out of her former school Sega Girls to chase her dream of becoming a football player during School Games but as fate would have it, her star was to shine bright when she was convinced by her school game teacher to try a hand in volleyball and as they say, the rest is history. She is one of the player to look out for at the Olympics as she makes her maiden appearance.
NAME: Veronica Adhiambo.
AGE: 25YRS
HEIGHT:170
WEIGHT: 68
CURRENT CLUB: GS Panionios (Greece)
POSITION: Outside hitter
SCHOOL: Sega Girls Secondary School
FORMER SPORT: attacking midfielder (football) at Sega
FOOD: Rice and chicken
OLYMPICS APPEARANCE: She will be making her maiden appearance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
HOBBIES: Watching movies
ROLE MODEL: Gabriel Braga Guimaraes from Brazil
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS: 2022 best outside hitter at clubs championships, best outside hitter Africa Games (2024), Most Valuable Player at a Greece Tournament.
NAME: Emmaculate Nekesa
AGE: 21yrs
HEIGHT: 178cm
WEIGHT: 74kg
CLUB: Kenya Pipeline
POSITION: Setter
HIGH SCHOOL: Kwanthanze Secondary School
FAVOURITE FOOD: Pizza/burger
OLYMPICS APPEARANCE: First time (Paris 2024)
HOBBIES: I like watching movies
ROLE MODEL: coach Luiz Luzomar
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS: Best Setter During the Olympics Qualifiers, Best Setter During KPC @50
LINZY JERUTO has been in the cold for over 10 years having last been called to the national team in 2013 although she didn’t make the final cut.
NAME: LINZY JERUTO
AGE: 29
HEIGHT: 159
WEIGHT: 58
POSITION: Libero
CURRENT CLUB: KCB Women’s Volleyball Team
HIGH SCHOOL: Cheptil High School
FAVOURITE FOOD: Beef/Chapati
What do people don’t know about you?..that I’m shy and the only child to my parents.
OLYMPICS APPEARANCE: First time at Olympics
HOBBIES: Sleeping
ROLE: Mercy Moim
NAME: Belinda Barasa
AGE: 23
HEIGHT: 186
WEIGHT: 67k
POSITION: Middle Blocker
CURRENT CLUB: KCB Women’s Volleyball Team
HIGH SCHOOL: Kesogoni Secondary School
FAVOURITE FOOD: Chicken and fries
OLYMPICS APPEARANCE: Paris 2024 Olympics
HOBBIES: Watching movies, dancing and watching tiktok.
ROLE MODEL: Ana Carolina Da Silva from Brazil.
AGRINIPINA KUNDU was an outside hitter at Malava Secondary School and KCB Women’s Volleyball Team before she was converted to become a libero by coach Japheth Munala when she switched allegiance to Kenya Pipeline from KCB.
Kundu is an ardent AFC in the local league and Arsenal fan.
NAME: Agripina Kundu.
AGE: 31years
HEIGHT:170
WEIGHT: 65kgs
CURRENT CLUB: Kenya Pipeline
POSITION: Libero
HIGH SCHOOL: Malava Girls High School
FAVOURITE FOOD: Beef burger and pizza
WHAT DO PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU? They don’t know that I am a strong woman from the village and a mother.
OLYMPICS APPEARANCE: Kundu is making her second appearance at the Olympics after Tokyo 2020
HOBBIES: I like dancing and spending time with my daughter kasichana
WHAT’S THE FUNNIEST THING THAT YOU HAVE EVER DONE: Making everyone to believe that I was pregnant for the second time.
ROLE MODEL: Japanese libero Simge Akoz from Japan
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS: Best Defender in Cup of Nation 2019, Best Libero Kenyan League from 2014 ,2016,2017,2018, 2019 and 2022 and Best Libero also in local Kenyan tournaments countless times
LOICE SIMIYU can play three positions in a setter, opposite hitter and outside hitter making her a utility player in the Malkia Strikers and her local club Kenya Pipeline.
NAME: Loice Simiyu
AGE: 21
HEIGHT:174
POSITION: Opposite hitter
CURRENT CLUB: Kenya Pipeline
HIGH SCHOOL: Kwanthanze Secondary School
FAVOURITE FOOD: Chapati and Chicken
OLYMPIC APPEARANCE: First time at Olympics Paris 2024
NAME: Leonida Kasaya
AGE: 30
HEIGHT: 169
WEIGHT: 71kg
POSITION: Outside hitter
CURRENT CLUB: Kenya Pipeline
FORMER CLUB: KCB Women’s Volleyball Team
HIGH SCHOOL: Malava Girls High School
FAVOURITE FOOD: Ugali and mrenda.
OLYMPICS APPEARACE: Kasaya is making her second appearance at Olympics.
HOBBIES: Kasaya likes to plait hair.
ROLE MODEL: Gabriela Braga Guimaraes from Brazil.
NAME: Esther Mutinda
AGE: 25
HEIGHT:176
WEIGHT: 70
POSITION: Setter
CURRENT CLUB: KCB Women’s Volleyball Team
FORMER CLUB: Kenya Pipeline
FORMER SCHOOL: Kwanthanze Secondary School
FAVOURITE FOOD: Githeri
OLYMPICS APPEARANCE: Mutinda is making her debut at Olympics
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS: Best Setter in Local League (2023/2024 and 2022/2023).
ROLE MODEL: Best Setter in 2020 Olympics Joanna Wolosz from Poland.
WHAT PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: Is that I can also make a good attacker.
JEMIMAH SIANG’U’s attributes of good reception and services definitely gives her an edge over other outside hitters. She is a reliable player at her club Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
NAME: Jemimah Siang’u” Magereza”
AGE: 25
HEIGHT: 8.1
WEIGHT: 78
HIGH SCHOOL: Soweto Academy
POSITION: Outside hitter
CURRENT CLUB: Directorate of Criminal Investigations
FAVOURITE FOOD: Chapati and Chicken
OLYMPIC APPEARANCE: Jemimah is making her maiden appearance at Olympics.
HOBBIES: Dancing Sleeping
Role model : Mercy Moim
If MELDINA SANDÉ is not on the volleyball courts, she is with The Kenya Prisons Band churning out remix for both local and International music.
She realized her singing prowess while at Mukumu Girls High School in a Music Class before the interest to start playing volleyball grew thanks to persistence from her games teacher bore fruits.
NAME: Meldina Sande
AGE: 27 years
HEIGHT: 8.2
WEIGHT: 83kgs
CURRENT CLUB: Kenya Prisons
POSITION: Outside hitter
HIGH SCHOOL: Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls High School
FAVOURITE FOOD: Chapati
WHAT PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME …I am so emotional
OLYMPICS APPEARANCE: First time at Olympics Paris 2024
HOBBIES: Singing, watching and listening to music
ROLE MODELS: Brackcides Agala, Mercy Moim and Aggripina Kundu because of their composure in reception and game.
PAMELA ADHIAMBO was a jack of all trade while at her former Secondary School, Nyakach. She played football, netball, handball and athletics but it was volleyball that made all the difference.
Adhiambo played for Kenya under 20 national team during the Africa Nations championship in 2018 in Nairobi.
NAME: Pamela Adhiambo
AGE: 23
HEIGHT:175 cm
WEIGHT: 67 kg
POSITION: Outside hitter
Current Club: Kenya Pipeline
HIGH School: Nyakach Girls High School
UNIVERSITY: Adhiambo is studying Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Finance at the Cooperative University.
FAVOURITE FOOD: Chapati and beef stew.
ROLE MODEL: Rose Magoi
HOBBIES: Reading and watching movies
OLYMPICS APPEARANCE: Adhiambo will be making her first appearance
FUNNIEST THING I HAVE DONE: I’m not not into cooking but when i tried to cook, I ended up burning the whole meal.
JULIANA NAMUTIRA “Bull dozer” was feted the Most Valuable Player in the 2023/2024 Kenya Volleyball Federation National League.
Deservedly so, she earned a place in the Malkia Strikers squad for the Olympic Games where she will be making her maiden appearance.
Nicknamed Bulldozer while at her former Secondary School, Soweto Academy, because for her unmatched power and energy in her attacks, the nickname she says powers her..
Despite her calm demeanour, Namutira says she a player with firm principles.
NAME: Juliana Namutira “Bull dozer”
AGE: 23 years
HEIGHT: 178 cm
WEIGHT: 72 kgs
POSITION: Outside hitter
CURRENT CLUB: KCB Women’s Volleyball Team
HIGH SCHOOL: Soweto Girls High
FAVOURITE FOOD: Fish, greens ,ugali, and fingerlings (omena)
WHAT DO PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU? I am a person with firm principles.
OLYMPICS APPEARANCE: Namutira will be making her maiden appearance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
HOBBIES: Watching, singing and relaxing
ROLE MODEL: Mercy Moim
INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES: Best Attacker Paul Bitok Tournament 2024, Most Valuable Player during Kenya volleyball play offs 2023/2024 season, Best attacker Kenya volleyball league 2022/2023
