For Kesogon Secondary School, the 2026 season has already offered an opportunity to rewrite a story that has been building for several years. The Trans Nzoia-based girls' volleyball side arrived in Morogoro on the back of another national championship campaign that ended with gold, but also with something potentially more valuable: a second chance to finish the year with two major trophies.Their FEASSSA campaign began emphatically on Thursday, as Kesogon swept Tanzania's Lumala 3-0, winning the sets 25-3, 25-7 and 25-12.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsKesogon conceded just 22 points across three sets, immediately underlining the quality and intensity that has made them one of Kenya's most consistent girls' volleyball programmes.And with their biggest domestic rival Kwanthanze absent from Morogoro, the question now is whether this could finally be Kesogon's golden year.Kesogon's journey to Morogoro has been shaped by one recurring storyline: coming close, but not quite finishing the job.##NAJAVA_MECA_9894249##The Rift Valley side has consistently been among Kenya's elite over the past four seasons, repeatedly reaching the decisive stages of the KSSSA and FEASSSA championships.Their breakthrough came in 2023 when they won their maiden KSSSA national title, defeating perennial powerhouse Kwanthanze.That victory also sent Kesogon to the FEASSSA final in Huye, Rwanda, where Kwanthanze turned the tables and denied them regional glory.A year later, Kesogon again reached the KSSSA final but lost to Kwanthanze before finally getting their revenge on the regional stage. FEASSSA 2026: Kenyan girls frustrated in Day One of football action in MorogoroIn the 2024 FEASSSA final, Kesogon defeated Kwanthanze 3-0 to claim their maiden East African championship in Mbale, Uganda.The rivalry continued into 2025: Kwanthanze defeated Kesogon in the KSSSA final and then repeated the feat at FEASSSA, winning 3-1 in Kakamega to retain the regional crown.That defeat left Kesogon with another silver medal and another reminder of how narrow the margins can be at the highest level. This year, however, the landscape has changed.Kesogon's biggest domestic rival will not be in Morogoro. Kwanthanze, the defending KSSSA and FEASSSA champions, failed to qualify for this year's FEASSSA Games after finishing forth at the KSSSA national championship.Kesogon had already eliminated Kwanthanze in the national semi-final before going on to defeat Mwitoti Girls in the final, securing the national title and their place at the regional championship. That result gave Kesogon another KSSSA crown and, more importantly, removed the team that has stood in their way repeatedly at FEASSSA.FEASSSA 2026: False start for Kakamega as Kenyan champions fall to Ugandan sideIt is a significant change, for years, a Kesogon campaign at the regional level has almost inevitably carried the possibility of another chapter against Kwanthanze. This time, the two-time defending champions are watching from home, leaving Kesogon as one of the most experienced Kenyan sides in the competition.But the absence of Kwanthanze does not make the road to the title easy; it simply removes one obstacle. Kesogon's opening result against Lumala suggests they have arrived in Morogoro with clear intentions.The 25-3 opening-set victory was particularly ruthless; Lumala managed only seven points in the second set before Kesogon closed out the match 25-12.For a team that has spent the past few seasons playing at the highest level of Kenyan and East African school volleyball, such a start will reinforce the belief that they can go all the way again.But the Rift Valley side will know that the group stage is only the beginning.Their next assignment is against Mengele of Tanzania on Monday, followed by Seroma Christian High School on Tuesday and GS Indangaburezi of Rwanda on Wednesday.FEASSSA: Hapless Yala fall to record champions Kitende in Group B openerThose matches will provide a much stronger examination of Kesogon's credentials and, more importantly, their ability to maintain the intensity shown in the opening match.Kesogon's biggest motivation in Morogoro may ultimately be what happened at the national championship. They have already secured the KSSSA title in 2026 after beating Mwitoti in the final. If they can now reclaim the FEASSSA crown, they would complete a remarkable national-regional double.FEASSSA 2026: Mixed fortunes for Kenyan teams as Day One action concludes in MorogoroIt would also represent a significant statement from a programme that has spent the last four seasons challenging the very best without always getting the reward.For a side that won its first FEASSSA title in 2024 and finished runners-up in 2025, this year's campaign offers another chance to reclaim the trophy.And with Kwanthanze out of the equation, the path is arguably clearer than it has been in years.
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