Paris 2024: African queens ready to conquer the world in France

Malkia Strikers captain Trizah Atuka in Miramas, France. [NOC-K Media]

We take a look at the national women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, that will be featuring at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games that gets underway in the French capital today. Kenya will face Brazil in their opening match on Monday.

Name: Trizah Atuka

Age: 32

Club: Kenya Pipeline

Position: Middle blocker

She is an epitome of resilience! Her determination, perseverance, will power and never-die-spirit saw her bounce back from career threatening injuries to etch her name in the annals of history as Malkia Strikers captain and flagbearer for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Mukumu Girls alumnus has had a very illustrious career winning many accolades with the national team as well as her club Kenya Pipeline. She played for the national under-18 and under-20 teams before getting her first call up to the senior team in 2014. She had a stint at KCB before joining Kenya Pipeline in 2013. Atuka won the best middle blocker award at the 2024 Africa Games.

Name: Edith Wisa

Age: 30

Club: KCB

Position: Middle blocker

She is not only among the longest serving Malkia Strikers players but also one of the lucky five who will be making their second appearance at the Olympics. The reserved yet lethal blocker was cut out for success since her days as the captain of former national and East Africa schools champions Lugulu Girls. She has had a very successful career winning titles and individual awards locally and internationally. Wisa who will deputise Atuka in Paris played for Kenya Prisons until 2019 when she shifted her allegiance to KCB.  

Name: Esther Mutinda

Age: 25

Club: KCB

Position: Setter

A star in the making, Mutinda will be looking to fit perfectly in the shoes of Kenya’s prolific setter Janet Wanja who has been mentoring her since her appointment to Malkia Strikers technical bench. Mutinda honed her skills at volleyball powerhouse Kwanthanze Secondary School. At Kwanthanze, she led her side to national and East Africa titles before joining Kenya Pipeline. In December 2022, she signed a lucrative deal with KCB and has since been the club’s as well as Malkia Strikers first choice setter. She was voted the KVF 2023-2024 league best setter.

Name: Emmaculate Nekesa

Age: 21

Club: Kenya Pipeline

Position: Setter

She is the youngest member of the squad and also among players who had early break and a chance to enjoy success at a tender age. Nekesa was named the best setter at the 2023 African Championships and was instrumental in Kenya’s victory. She joined KCB from Kwanzanthe Secondary School and won the 2021- 2022 Africa Club Championships title with the bankers. She moved to Kenya Pipeline in 2023 and has been a regular in the national team 2021 though she didn’t make the team for the Tokyo Olympics.

Pamela Adhiambo

Age: 23

Club: Kenya Pipeline

Position: Outside hitter

She is arguably one of the most thick-skinned and resilient players Kenya has ever produced. Right from her years at Nyakach Girls through to her break into top-tier volleyball and now flying the Kenyan flag high internationally, Adhiambo has had her fair share of unwarranted attacks.  She has, however, silenced her critics with her achievements over the years. She was named the 2022-2023 KVF league most valuable player. She played for the national under-20 team in 2018 and featured for Malkia Strikers in 2024 Africa Games, her brilliant show at the FIVB challenger Cup cemented her place in the Paris Olympics squad.

Name: Belinda Barasa

Age: 23

Club: KCB

Position: Middle blocker

She faced a bleak future due to financial constraints that stalled her academic journey. However, her breakthrough came thanks to her height and body structure that embody the physical requirements of a volleyball player. Were it not for an opportunity she was offered to study and play volleyball, Barasa would have been in the long list of school dropouts whose talents were wasted due to poverty. The former Kesogon Secondary School player overcame her struggles to become a world class player. She is a gold medallist at the 2023 Africa Championships and has featured for Kenya at the World Championships as well as Challenger Cup.

Loice Simiyu

Age: 23

Club: Kenya Pipeline

Position: Opposite hitter

She is one of the players churned out from volleyball powerhouse Kwanthanze Secondary School that will be representing the country at the Olympics. Simiyu’s impressive show at club and national team level has seen her represent Kenya at the 2023 and 2024 FIVB Challenger Cup.  She was also in the teams that won gold at the 2023 African Championships and bronze at Africa Games. She has also enjoyed success with her club Kenya Pipeline over the years winning silver and bronze medals in 2023 and 2024.   

Name: Leonida Kasaya

Age: 30

Club: Kenya Pipeline

Position: Outside hitter

She will be making her second appearance at the Olympics. The former Malava Girls student brings a wealth of experience to the squad having played at the last Olympic games. Kasaya boasts of success locally and internationally for Kenya and her current team Kenya Pipeline and former side KCB. She has won medals with country and club over in her career that spans over a decade. She has been an integral part of Malkia Strikers having been in the team that won the 2015 Africa Games gold medal.

Name: Veronica Adhiambo

Age: 25

Club: GS Panionions (Greece)

Position: Outside hitter

Popularly known as Ugenya’s finest, Adhiambo is one of the lucky Kenyans who broke into professional ranks internationally. A football player at first, Adhiambo began playing volleyball at St Ann’s Sega Girls and would help her side qualify for national games several times. She has also played professionally in Turkey for Tarsus Belediyespor, locally she played for Kenya Pipeline. She has won two continental individual awards. Adhiambo won the 2023-2024 Greek league with her side GS Panionios. She was named the best outside hitter at the 2024 Africa Games and 2022 Africa Club Championships. She has represented Kenya in many international events.

Juliana Namutira

Age: 25

Club: KCB

Position: Outside Hitter

The fast-rising outside hitter will make her Olympic debut after a very successful season with her club KCB. Her star kept on shining and she is set to become one of the most dependable players for the country. Namutira christened Bulldozer seems to have cemented her place in the national team courtesy of her impressive show locally and internationally. She is a gold medallist at the 2023 Africa Championships, has featured for Kenya at the 2023 and 2024 FIVB Challenger Cup and was named KVF most valuable player for the 2023-2014 season. She played for Kenya Defence Forces before signing for KCB.

Name: Lorine Chebet

Age: 24

Club: Kenya Prisons

Position: Middle blocker

The soft-spoken prison wardress returns to the Olympics as one of the young players in the squad. Chebet is one of the few players who got their break at a tender age and has been a regular in the national team since 2018 when she represented the country in the World Championships. She is among Kwanzanthe Secondary School alumni who will be flying the Kenyan flag in Paris. She has featured for the country in the FIVB World Cup, the 2023 and 2024 Challenger Cup among other global tournaments and Africa Championships. She won gold in 2023 and silver in 2021 Africa Championships.

Name: Sharon Chepchumba

Age: 25

Club: KCB

Position: Opposite hitter

She is without doubt among the most decorated players in the squad. She has owned her place on the volleyball court right from her school days as a player for giants Kwanthanze Secondary School. Her prowess would see her dominate the international stage to earn her a three-season professional stint in Greece where she played for Aris Thessaloniki and PAOK. She boasts of five individual awards among them the 2023 Africa Championships and 2022 Africa Club Championships MVP awards. The 2022-2023 best scorer in the Greek league, best spiker at the 2021 Africa Championships and 2019 Africa Club Championships best opposite hitter. Chepchumba has been a key player in the national team and has been a regular since making her debut for the country in the 2018 FIVB World Championships. She has played for Kenya Prisons, Kenya Pipeline and KCB locally.  

Agrippina Kundu

Age: 31

Club: Kenya Pipeline

Position: Libero

She is one of the seasoned players in the squad having made her international debut in 2013 at the FIVB under-23 World Championships. She completes the list of Olympiads who will be making their second appearance. She is among a crop of players who made Malava Girls famous in the sport. She has played for Kenya in many continental and global events. She has won gold and silver medals in the 2023 and 2021 Africa championships. Kundu also won the 2019 and 2024 Africa Games gold and bronze medals and several continental medals as well as the KVF league with her club Kenya Pipeline.