Malkia Strikers Debutant Nyongesa has ground to Cover ahead of Future Assignments

Kenya Women’s Volleyball team libero Cellestine Nyongesa says she still has ground to cover despite impressing on her debut at the FIVB World Championship in Phuket, Thailand.
Nyongesa, who plays for Kenyan champions Kenya Pipeline, was on court as Kenya beat Vietnam 3-0(25-23,25-20,25-18) in their final Pool G match on Wednesday to complete the group assignments on a high.
Group winners Poland and second-placed Germany from proceeded to the Round of 16 that gets underway on Friday in Bangkok, while Kenya, who finished third in Pool “G”, and bottom-place Vietnam, were knocked out of the competition.
Nyongesa, who has been in the cold for nine years, playing second fiddle to teammate and experienced libero Aggripina Kundu, said she has learnt a lot from her fellow liberos from other countries.
“They do things differently. Their posture, approach to the games, and even how they are receiving is totally different from what I do. I hope that whatever I have picked from here will help me be a better player in the coming days,” said Nyongesa, 29.
“She (Kundu) might have been overlooked in this championship, but she is still a good libero and a force to reckon with. I’m still learning a lot from her. And I admire how she plays. When I joined Pipeline in 2015, I found her we formed a healthy rivalry.”
Nyongesa, a Malava Girls High School alumnus, now hopes she can cement her place in the national team.
“It’s humbling that I finally earned a national team call up and given a starting role. I last played for the national team during the 2015 Under 23 championship in Slovenia, and since then, I have been unlucky. I’m happy that my patience, hard work, and discipline have paid off, and I just want to play well.”
Nyongesa says a win against Vietnam has really motivated them ahead of future assignments.
“Teamwork won us the game. Every department worked, and we hope to be better in future assignments,” she added.
Nyongesa is among the first batch of Malkia Strikers players who are expected to jet back into the country from Thailand on Friday at 2:30pm EAT.