KCB Volleyball Ladies will head to Eldoret this weekend, aiming to defend their Kipchumba Karori International Volleyball Tournament title, as the competition continues to grow in stature on the regional volleyball scene.

The tournament is scheduled to run from Friday, December 19, through to Sunday, December 22, 2025, and is expected to attract elite clubs from Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan. Now in its second edition, the event has drawn over 170 teams this year, including four from Uganda and two from South Sudan, highlighting its rising regional appeal.

KCB’s dominance

KCB are the defending champions after producing a dominant display last year to defeat DCI 3-1 (27-25, 25-16, 18-25, 25-18) in a rip-roaring four-set final, clinching the title for a third consecutive year.

The tournament offers significant prize money, with the champions set to take home Ksh1 million, while the runners-up and third-placed teams will pocket Ksh500,000 and Ksh300,000, respectively.

Speaking ahead of the competition, KCB Volleyball Team Technical Director and Eldoret Tournament Patron Paul Bitok acknowledged the increasing competitiveness of the event.

“We are heading into a tough tournament this weekend, which continues to attract more entries compared to previous years. We are optimistic and look forward to a successful competition,” said Bitok.

The bankers head into the tournament following mixed results in the opening leg of the 2025/26 Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) League, which tipped off last weekend at Nyayo Stadium.

KCB endured a slow start on Friday, going down 3-2 to Kenya Prisons in a closely contested five-set encounter. PHOTO/KCB Volleyball Ladies

Turning it around

The ladies bounced back strongly on Sunday afternoon, sweeping aside Nairobi Prisons 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-13) to secure their first league win of the season. KCB Volleyball Head Coach Japheth Munala expressed satisfaction with the team’s response and early-season progress.

“We have started well this season. On Friday, we made a strong start but faced a tough challenge from Kenya Prisons.
On Sunday, the ladies showed great character and won all the sets,” said Munala.

The tactician further added that the response was encouraging, and they hope to maintain this momentum as the season progresses, especially as they go to defend the title at the Kipchumba Karori Volleyball Tournament this weekend.