Kenyan block party and after-party against Vietnam

There was a big Kenyan party on the court after the African team shut out Vietnam with a serving ace by captain Meldinah Nemali Sande for the match winner in their last 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship game in Thailand. In Wednesday’s Pool G fixture in Phuket, Kenya put up a huge block party with 21 stuffs to celebrate their first ever World Championship victory over an opponent from Asia. At each of the previous two editions of the competition, Kenya managed to score a win – over Mexico in 2018 and over Cameroon in 2022. Vietnam had to settle for a winless fourth place in the pool standings at their rookie appearance at a World Championship.

• Watch the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship on VBTV

Kenya made up for the abundant unforced errors they made during the game by outperforming the rivals in all three scoring elements, especially in net defense by 21-3 in kill blocks, towards an impressive 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-18) sweep.

Outside hitter Veronica Adhiambo contributed a match-high 19 points, including three kill blocks and an ace. Middle blocker Belinda Nanjala Barasa put up five stuffs to finish with a total of 13 points, while 18-year-old opposite Malyne Terry Tata added another 12. Middle Gladys Ekaru shined as the best blocker of the match with six kill blocks to her name. Outside hitter Vi Thi Nhu Quynh was Vietnam’s most prolific scorer with 12 points.

“The lesson we are taking from here is that everything is possible. We only need to concentrate and we can win big matches,” Kenya’s head coach Geoffrey Omondi Onyango told VBTV.

The big match for the first place in the pool in Phuket will serve off at 20:30 local time (13:30 UTC) and will feature the undefeated teams of Poland and Germany.

2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship: full schedule and results

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