Kakamega: Cheptil High School of Kenya lifted their first-ever FEASSA Boys' Volleyball title after edging out Namugongo Secondary and Vocational School of Uganda in a thrilling 3-2 final in Kakamega.
According to Kenya News Agency, the win denied Namugongo a long-awaited victory, marking the second consecutive year the Ugandan side has lost in the finals to a Kenyan opponent. Last year, they fell to Namwela Secondary, also from Kenya.
Cheptil, who were knocked out at the semifinal stage in 2024, showed resilience to come back stronger this year. Principal David Ng'etich praised his team's determination against what he termed a 'tough and relentless' Namugongo side. 'The game was tight, not easy at all. Namugongo is a strong team, but my boys gave their all. We have always been a strong school in volleyball and today we finally achieved what we've been chasing for years,' Ng'etich said.
Cheptil's teacher in charge of volleyball, Hillary Melly, recalled that his side had beaten Namugongo 3-1 in the group stages, which boosted their confidence. However, the final proved far more difficult. 'We won the first set, then lost the second and third. But my boys regrouped, fought back, and took the fourth and fifth sets to clinch victory. Namugongo was well-prepared, but our determination carried us through,' Melly said.
Namugongo head coach Joshua Osia admitted defeat but hailed the contest as one of the toughest. 'I am happy we gave a good account of ourselves, and Kenyans appreciated our fight. We've struggled against Kenyan teams in boys' volleyball, but we are planning better for next year,' he said.
He expressed optimism about his young squad, pointing to standout player Opoya William, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Namugongo has now lost back-to-back finals against Kenyan teams-falling to Namwela in 2024 and Cheptil in 2025.