Kochi Blue Spikers recorded its first win in three matches outslugging Chennai Blitz 15-12, 15-11, 14-15, 12-15, 15-10 in the Rupay Prime Volleyball League championship at the GMC Balayogi Stadium (Gachibowli) here on Wednesday.
With this fourth straight loss in four games, Blitz campaign has effectively ended in the League while Spikers kept its hopes alive.
Player of the match Cody Coldwel drew from his experience to come up with a vintage display combining power and precision and importantly excelled with some stunning blocks too.
Spikers was off to a dominating start thanks to the brilliant coordination shown by Raheem, Coldwel and A. Karthik as it repeatedly rattled the rival defence mixing up big spikes and lovely placements.
But to the credit of Blitz, it came back strongly winning the third and fourth sets thanks to an outstanding performance by Fernando David Gonzalez, G.S. Akhin and Naveen Jacob Raja with setter P. Prashant making amends in coming up with some splendid blocks in the company of the tallest player of the day Vaishnav.
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It was not that Spikers suddenly lost the rhythm but credit to Blitz for coming up with a better display under pressure.
With two sets all, Kochi maintained a slender lead with Coldwel being all over from the left-corner of the forecourt - every time he jumped in the air there was panic for such was his power and there was deception too.
With Abdul Raheem, Erin Varghese being the perfect foil to him, it was Coldwel show in the final set to help Spikers finish as a deserving winner.
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