Youth V-ball girls’ team ‘ready’ for continental meet

THE NATIONAL youth volleyball team arrived in Cairo, Egypt Thursday night ahead of this year Africa Youth Girls Championships, which is scheduled to run from March 23-30.The tournament organising committee technical meeting is set to sit on Sunday to make draws.Rwanda, handled by Kenyan trainer Paul Bitok, played three build-up matches with leading Kenyan clubs and lost all as part of their preparations for the tourney. Bitok’s youthful girls played their first match against Nairobi Water and lost 3-0 (22-25, 24-25, 25-16), then came up against Kenya Commercial Bank, losing 2-3 (25-23, 27-25, 11-25, 25-27, 12-15) before falling to Kenya Prisons “B” 3-1 (23-25, 20-25, 25-21, 15-25) in the third match.However, despite losing three matches in a row against the highly experienced Kenyan clubs, Rwanda team captain Marie Grace Niyigena said they are ready for the continental showpiece.“The fact that we managed to claim two sets from KCB and one from Prisons shows that the team has talent and if we maintain the form then we’re likely to finish in a medal position in Egypt,” the 17-year old said before the team left Nairobi.