This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
Kenya's national women's volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, bid for a World Cup win but fell short against Brazil in a match played in Hamamatsu, Japan on September 18, 2019.
Despite a good start, the Kenyans lost in straight sets of 20-25, 17-25, and 14-25. Captain Mercy Moim, the top scorer for Malkia Strikers with nine points, used her experience well in attack and defense to ensure they repelled the Brazilians early on in the match.
However, the Brazilians eventually opened a gap and used their experience to repel the Kenyans and win the set 25-20.
Coach Paul Bitok made changes to the lineup in the second set, but the Kenyans still made a number of errors, which gave the Brazilians a big lead. Despite a late fightback, Malkia Strikers could not get the better of the Brazilians.
Bitok had gone with a starting lineup of Moim, Janet Wanja, Violet Makuto, Trizah Atuka, Noel Murambi, and Edith Mukuvilani, with Agripina Kundu as the libero. The team managed to contribute a total attack score of 15 compared to Brazil's 16, but they were let down by many errors.
