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DCI nab elusive final spot
Anne Lowem (left) of Prisons vies on the net against DCI players during their KVF National League Semi-final Play-offs at KPA Makande Hall in Mombasa.
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have dedicated their first ever qualification to the final of the Kenya Volleyball Federation women’s National League play-offs to their departed coach Daniel Bor.
The DCI side, started in 2018, defeated former champions Kenya Prisons 3-2(25-21,25-22,17-25,16-25, 15-12) for a straight two games win in their best of three semi-final play-offs at the Makande Hall, in Mombasa yesterday.
DCI will now square it out with former champions Kenya Pipeline for the Kenyan title in the finals set for June 6-8 at the Moi International Sports Centre indoor arena, in Nairobi.
Pipeline also completed a double against reigning champions KCB with a 3-1 ( 21-25,25-23,25-18,25-23) win in their semis second encounter yesterday.
They beat the bankers by a similar score on Friday.
Bor passed away last year in March.
A visibly emotional DCI coach Patrick Sang said the qualification to the final came through hard work, discipline and the foundation Bor had put in the team.
“I was Bor’s assistant coach at the time, and I remember before he left for the course he told me that he was leaving the team in my able hands. Little did I know that would be his last world to me and the team at large.
“It feels good that we are inching closer to that goal and I just want to thank the management for believing in me. I know Bor is smiling in heaven and is super proud of what we are doing,”said Sang.
He said that their work was not yet done and they were hungry to go all the way.
“We have our eyes on the title . The fact that we have beaten an experienced side like Kenya Prisons thrice now and we also beat Kenya Pipeline in the regular season shows this was no fluke.
“I believe it will not be by a fluke if we bag the title,” he said.
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The former General Service Unit player said they would work on mental strength to manage a game under intense pressure.
DCI defeated Prisons in the Kipchumba Karori international tournament semi-final in Eldoret last year.
Kenya Prisons coach Josp Barasa acknowledged that DCI had improved and wished them well in the finals .
“DCI played well. We had good starts in the sets but our finishing was poor and we were punished.
“Again we are known to be strong on blocks but today, the department collapsed. It’s painful but now we have to prepare to play for a third place finish which again will not be easy,” said the former Malkia Strikers assistant coach.