2007 Women’s World Championship


Super Serbs sink African queens

Sapporo, Japan, November 9, 2007: World No. 9 Serbia improved their World Cup win-loss record to 5-1 with a routine 3-0 victory over 18th-ranked Kenya in the sixth day of the 2007 Women’s Volleyball World Cup in Sapporo on Friday.

The 2006 World Championship bronze medalists won 25-15, 25-16, 25-10 to drop the African champions to 0-6. The Kenyans are still waiting to celebrate their first set after six straight sweeps -- and that will be quite an occasion when it happens, judging by their high spirits and exuberance on court.

Although Dorcas Ndasaba pounded a couple of early winners through the Serb block on the left, the Serbs reached the first TTO at 8-2.

The usual suspects such as Nikolic and Molnar were quickly into their groove, and at one point the Serbs formed an orderly queue at the net before Citakovic killed one ball.

Every Kenyan point was greeted with cheers from the crowd as well as the players, and Jane Wacu received special applause for an excellent dig on the powerful Brakocevic.

Having lost their way somewhat at 10-6, Serbia took a TO but returned to face an improved Kenyan block, 10-8.

The outstanding Veljkovic, a great prospect at 17 years old, steadied the Serb ship with some crunching blocks of her own, but she was then rejected by a pumped up Brackcides Khadambi when they went head to head down the middle. Normal service was resumed when Molnar took Serbia into the second TTO leading 16-12 with a thundering drive from the left.

Trailing 22-13, Kenya took their second TO, but they still could not work out how to stop the flow of attacks from Molnar. As Kenya stretched for their shots, attack errors followed and Serbia wrapped up the opening frame 25-15.

In the second set, Brakocevic cranked up the power with some sharply angled spikes into the feet of the Kenyan defenders, Citakovic took over the net, and Serbia went into the first TTO with a six-point advantage, 8-2.

Khadambi reduced the gap with a towering winner from the left, but was then blocked by the spring-heeled Molnar on the opposite flank. A flying dig from Vesovic enabled Molnar to score with a fluid spike down the middle, and a Brakocevic bullet serve extended the lead to 12-3 and sent Kenya into a TO.

On the resumption, Catherine Wanjiru came up with a couple of big winners on the left, and Diana Khisa blocked Molnar as the Kenyans put some points together. Mercy Moim followed Wanjiru's path to points with a winner on the left, followed by a block on Brakocevic after Molnar's mid-air dummy. The Kenyans were flying mid-set, closing the gap to 15-12, as the Serbs struggled for rhythm and focus.

A stunning block by Veljkovic on Ndasaba stirred the Serbs back to life, and Kenya called a TO trailing 18-13.

A Brakocevic blunder on the right prompted more joyous scenes in the Kenyan camp, but the Serb attacker quickly corrected her sights and proceeded to bombard the Kenyan defence with some lusty blows. Again, attack errors under no pressure cost Kenya points as they lost the second set 25-16.



The Serbs looked in a hurry to finish the match and strung together a series of quick points as the Kenyans' fire flickered on and off. Molnar blocked Ndasaba and Serbia led 8-3 at the first TTO.

Isailovic took her opportunity with a classy strike at the net, and Nesovic jumped and pumped a powerful winner from the right as the Serbs ploughed on.

Nesovic then popped up on the opposite side and did the same, bringing the ball down sharply into the smallest of spaces on the Kenyan front court. Nesovic continued the assault and brought up the second TTO at 16-8, thanks to the acrobatic digging of libero Majstorovic.

Khadambi pulled off a stunning block on Molnar to show the Serbs they could not have things all their own way, but Kenya needed a TO at 18-10. Nesovic had cut loose and thrashed point after point, and a looping set from Simanic set up Molnar wide left.

The Kenyans could not handle the pace and the precision of the Serb attacks, and spiked into the block to necessitate another TO at 22-10. Serbia finished it 25-10 for 3-0 against a tired Kenya.



Photo Caption

WANJIRU (right) of Kenya spikes against CITAKOVIC and SIMANIC (SRB)