Calicut Heroes routed the Kolkata Thunderbolts in the third season of the Prime Volleyball League, winning the encounter 16-14, 15-8, 15-5 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, here on Sunday.
Onur Cukur’s clever taps helped the Thunderbolts, but Jerome Vinith’s vicious serves presented a challenge for them. Chirag Yadav and Luiz Perotto helped the Heroes in attacks, but Vinit Kumar’s spikes kept the game in balance. Ashwal Rai’s super serve pushed the Thunderbolts ahead, but Heroes won the super point and took the lead.
The game turned into a battle of Vinith vs Vinit, as both teams played to their attacking best. Chirag put Heroes in complete control with aggressive play from the service line. Middle blockers Vikaas Maan and Danial Moatazedi defended well to shackle the Thunderbolts attackers. Ukkra’s clever passing kept the attackers fresh as the Heroes maintained the dominance.
As Ukkra earned a super serve with a floater, the Thunderbolts looked out of ideas. Chirag dominated with his attacks and the 2022 champions did not themselves with unforced errors. The Heroes closed down the game showing tremendous team effort and earned their third win of the season.
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In the second match of the day, Mumbai Meteors went past the Kochi Blue Spikers with a 16-14, 8-15, 18-16, 15-11 win.
Mumbai’s Ajith Lal was on point with the attacks, but Erin Varghese’s vicious attacks kept Kochi in play. Amit’s aggressive play from the base line posed a threat to the Blues, but Aman Kumar’s spike from the outside line helped Kochi. Setter Aravindhan contributed in attacks, while the Blues hurt themselves with service errors and Mumbai took early lead.
Saurabh Maan’s blocks and Shubham Chaudhary’s spikes pushed the Meteors forwards. Athos Ferreira and Abhinav controlled Kochi’s middle to keep their side in the contest. Abhinav’s blocks tilted momentum as Kochi opened doors for a comeback. Jan Krol’s began scoring freely and Kochi brought game to level pegging.
Om Vasanth Lad brought attacking flair to Kochi’s service. The Blues kept the game in the middle, as Athos controlled the play. Shameem’s monstrous blocking helped Mumbai cover the gap and once again the Meteors had a chance to make a comeback. Amit’s missile serve rocked Kochi’s defence and Mumbai regained their lead. Ajith’s pipe attacks and Saurabh’s blocks helped Meteors, and with Shubham and Amit continuing their rich form in attack, Mumbai cruised to a victory.
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