Chennai Blitz stamped its authority over Kochi Blue Spikers with a 3-0 win in the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) season three at the SDAT multi-purpose indoor stadium here on Tuesday.
After losing to Ahmedabad Defenders in the opener, the Blitz switched gears with straight-set wins in its next two matches.
It was not the appropriate start for the Blitz, trailing 0-1 in the first set, courtesy of B. S. Abhinav’s spike into an empty right corner.
The Blue Spikers continued to build on its lead, at 4-1, with Aman Kumar delivering a super serve, with the ball hitting the ground untouched near opposing libero Ramanathan R. However, the Blitz did not throw its towel, as Dhilip Kumar showcased resistance, causing the visitor to falter as the host restored parity at 7-7.
The Blitz’s captain Akhin GS combined with Douglas Bueno and Leandro Jose to ensure that their team scored points at regular intervals and won the first set 15-10 with a super point.
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Back-to-back service errors from both teams in the second set resulted in the Blitz going up 2-1 initially. While the two teams got neck and neck at 10-10, service faults started creeping up again, but the host pulled one through Dhilip’s pike shot to get back on the driving seat.
And Sameer Chaudhary’s one-hand push sealed the second set 15-12 for it.
Akhin, who was the Blitz’s backbone, ensured to use his height of 203 centimetres to the maximum, guarding its defence and leading the attack with Dhilip.
Abhinav, who was quiet in the second set, came to form in the third with a spike towards the Blitz’s Surya Nanjil, leaving him hapless in stopping it and helping the Blue Spikers take a slender 6-4 advantage.
While the visiting side commanded most of the third set till 12-10, three successive points and a time-out saw the host make a comeback at 14-14. Dhilip and Jose’s double block earned the Blitz two straight points, securing its second win.
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