Jane Wacu is a household name in both Kenya and Africa women Volleyball game, as one of the best setters in the continent has ever produced.

Over the years she has cemented her position as one of the most valuable players in the women national team popularly known as the Malkia Strikers. Jane spoke exclusively to GiveMeSport Women's Grace Mwelu.

Born in a family of five she was the only child in the family that pursued sports actively.

"Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to play sports, most of the times I was at the playground playing football with the rest of the children in the neighbourhood." 

"Once I joined the high school Volleyball team I immediately knew that this was the sport I was going to play, I loved the challenge and teamwork it came with."

Wacu started playing volleyball in high school at Tetu secondary school, in 2005 she joined the Kenya Pipeline club and also earned her first call up to play for the Kenya national women volleyball team the following year.

She later joined the Kenya Prisons Volleyball club in 2007.

Wacu was named the best setter in the 2013 Africa cup of nations volleyball championship.

In the year 2015, she was part of the team that represented Kenya at the FIVB volleyball world cup.

"I can not imagine my life without this sport that has given so much to me, I get play with my amazing and hardworking teammates and travel around the world while at it ."

"Volleyball is my life and if I was not playing volleyball I definitely would be playing football as a striker."

Notes Wacu who is currently based in Seychelles and plays for the Anse Royal volleyball club.

"My goal to is to set up a sports academy for children from a poor background in the near future, this will be a dream come true as I want to give children the opportunity to experience sport the same way I have been fortunate to play volleyball"

Having played volleyball for over a decade Wacu hopes to mentor girls to embrace sports.

"I would like more girls to dare to dream and achieve more than I have managed to achieve in my career, the joy that comes with representing my country in a sport I love can never be explained in words"

Wacu recently played a key role in the national team at the Zone V Africa qualifiers in Uganda where the Malkia strikers earned a chance to defend their 2019 Africa Games title in Rabat later in the year.