Calicut Heroes emerged victorious in a hard-fought final against the Delhi Toofans, clinching the Prime Volleyball League season three trophy at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium here on Thursday.
The final scoreline read 15-13, 15-10, 13-15, 15-12, reflecting the intense battle that unfolded on the court.
The opening set was a tightly contested affair, with both teams trading blows. Calicut’s skipper Jerome Vinith and Delhi’s star attacker Santhosh S. kept the crowd on the edge of their seats with their powerful smashes.
Calicut Heroes skipper Jerome Vinith won the Best Spiker and Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The score remained neck-and-neck, with the Toofans even taking a temporary lead at 11-12 after a successful ‘Super Point’ by Rohit Kumar.
However, the Heroes refused to back down. A crucial ‘Super Serve’ ace from its Brazilian attacker Luiz Pelippe Perotto at 13-all secured the first set for the Calicut outfit.
Buoyed by its first-set win, Heroes started the second set with confidence. Vinith and Chirag Yadav continued their dominant attacking display, putting their team in a comfortable position early on.
Toofans tried to claw its way back into the game with attacks from Rohit and Santhosh. But Calicut’s Iranian middle-blocker Daniel Moatazedi rose to the occasion with some key blocks, stifling Delhi’s comeback attempt and giving his team a commanding 2-0 lead.
With its back against the wall, the Delhi Toofans displayed remarkable grit in the third set. Colombian middle-blocker Daniel Aponza and Santhosh played a crucial role with crucial interceptions, while Perotto’s powerful serve continued to trouble the Delhi team. Aponza and Rohit’s impressive showing finally helped Toofans force a fourth set.
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The fourth set saw the Delhi team take an early lead. However, Heroes’ experienced setter Mohan Ukkrapandian and the ever-reliable Vinith orchestrated a magnificent fightback, snatching the lead away from the Toofans.
In a desperate attempt to extend the match, Delhi opted for two consecutive ‘Super Points’ but could only convert one. With the score at 14-12 in Calicut’s favour, Vinith delivered a final, emphatic spike to seal the victory and crown the Calicut Heroes as the champion of the Prime Volleyball League season three.
Vinith, who became the hero of the match, also won the Best Spiker and Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards as well.
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