Kenya’s Malkia Strikers began their defence of the CAVB Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship title in emphatic fashion, sweeping Zambia 3-0 on Tuesday night at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi under the floodlights.

Playing before an enthusiastic home crowd, Just after the opening ceremony, the hosts dominated from the opening serve, taking control of the Pool A encounter and never allowing Zambia to settle.

Kenya won the opening set 25-14 before stepping up the pressure in the second, cruising to a commanding 25-9 victory. The Malkia Strikers maintained their momentum in the third set, closing out the match 25-11 to complete a clean sweep.

The result gives the defending champions an ideal start as they target a second consecutive continental title and their 11th African crown.

The victory also underlined Kenya’s status among the leading contenders, with the home side combining powerful attacking play, solid defence and consistent serving to keep Zambia under sustained pressure throughout the contest.

The Malkia Strikers will return to action tomorrow against Mali in their final Pool A clash. A victory will officially seal top spot in the group, with Morocco’s absence from the competition leaving Kenya and Mali to battle for the remaining positioning.

Kenya have already secured their place in the quarter-finals, but finishing top of the pool carries added importance as it would hand the hosts the prime seeding heading into the knockout rounds.

A strong performance against Mali would therefore allow Kenya to carry the momentum from their opening victory while positioning themselves favourably for the latter stages of the championship.

Earlier at Kasarani, Tunisia staged an impressive comeback to defeat Nigeria 3-1 in a closely contested Pool C encounter.

Nigeria made the stronger start, taking the opening set 25-18, but Tunisia responded with determination, edging the second set 25-23 before taking control of the match.

The Tunisians won the third set 25-20 and completed the comeback with another 25-20 victory in the fourth to secure a deserved win.

The result adds to an increasingly competitive Pool C, which also features Cameroon and Ghana. Cameroon had earlier announced their intentions with a 3-0 victory over Ghana, winning 25-16, 25-20 and 25-14.

Egypt, Uganda and Rwanda have also made strong starts to the championship. Egypt swept Burkina Faso 3-0 in Pool B, Uganda defeated Senegal 3-0 in the same group, while Rwanda recorded a straight-sets victory over Algeria in Pool D.

Kenya are hosting the continental championship in Nairobi for the first time in 11 years, with the 2026 edition bringing together 16 nations and running until September 5.

The tournament carries stakes beyond the African title. The champions will earn Africa’s qualification place for the women’s volleyball tournament at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, while the top three finishers will qualify for the 2027 FIVB Volleyball World Championship.