This archive report was first published on 3 August 2019.
Kenya's women's volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, faced a tough challenge in their second group 'F' match of the Inter-continental Olympic qualification tournament against Netherlands in Catania, Italy on Saturday.
Sharon Chepchumba, a standout player for Kenya Pipeline, led the team's scoring charts with eight points, a tally she also achieved in their previous match against Italy.
Coach Shaileen Ramdoo made three changes to the starting lineup, including the inclusion of Chepchumba, who replaced Janet Wanja, and Violet Makuto, who started ahead of Gladys Ekaru.
However, despite a strong start in the first set, Kenya's performance faded in the subsequent sets, ultimately losing 0-3 (25-17, 25-10, 25-10) to Netherlands.
The loss leaves Kenya at the bottom of the group without a point, with only pride to play for in their final match against Belgium on Sunday.
Italy's match against Belgium later that night could set up a potential final against Netherlands on Sunday, with the winner in each group punching their tickets to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Should Kenya fail to qualify in Catania, they will battle it out for the single slot reserved for African countries in the continental qualifiers slated for January next year.
