Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

The national indoor women’s volleyball side Malkia Strikers were comprehensively beaten on Saturday morning by the Brazilian national U21 team in the third build-up match of their ongoing tour of the South American nation.

The Kenyan queens went down 3-0 (27-25, 25-13, 25-16) at the Brazil Volleyball Academy in Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro.

Paul Bitok’s side pushed their opponents during the first set with Kenya Pipeline outside hitter Veronica Adhiambo leading the charge. However, that first set was as good as it would get for Kenya as the team fizzled out in the second and final stanzas with poor reception of the ball coupled with the Brazilian juniors’ well-timed blocks separating the two teams.

In his assessment after the game, Bitok held nothing back as he described his charges performance as “not good”.

Receiving end

He said, “The general performance of the team was not good. We displayed bad receptions of the ball as well as being poor with our attacking play. We had fewer quick attacks through the middle and against a strong team like this you are always going to be on the receiving end.”

The nine-time African champions, who are in Brazil preparing for the 2022 World Championships set for September 23 to October 15 in the Netherlands and Poland, have one day to regroup before facing the same opponents on Sunday at the same venue.

Bitok kept faith with the same line-up that finished the win over Sesi Sorocaba earlier this week for the duel with the Brazil juniors with Adhiambo, who came on for her club teammate – the experienced Noel Murambi – in the Sorocaba game, showing good improvement according to her coach.

Veronica Kilabat (KDF), Yvonne Wavinya (Kenya Prisons) and Violet Makuto (Kenya Pipeline) also got a taste of the action on Saturday.

Malkia Strikers are in Brazil courtesy of world governing body FIVB’s Empowerment Programme which is geared toward creating a high level of performance by national teams of the global body’s member states.

Beach volleyball

In other news, Gaudencia Makokha and Brackcides Agala will again represent the country in beach volleyball with the latest call-ups being for the upcoming Commonwealth games set to begin in a week’s time in Birmingham, UK.

The pair are finalizing their last-minute preparations and will depart for England on Monday.

Below is the team that is in Brazil;

Outside Hitters – Noel Murambi, Mercy Moim, Yvonne Wavinya and Veronica Adhiambo, Meldine Sande

Middle Blockers – Belinda Barasa, Gladys Ekaru, Edith Wisa, Magdaline Mwende and Lorine Chebet

Opposite Attackers – Violet Makuto and Sharon Chepchumba

Setters – Veronica Kilabat and Emmaculate Nekesa

Liberos – Veronica Makokha and Aggripina Kundu

Coach – Paul Bitok, Assistant Coach – Japheth Munala