Muthusamy Appavu excelled as defending champions Ahmedabad Defenders picked up a comprehensive 15-10, 15-11, 15-12 win over the hosts Chennai Blitz at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Thursday to kick off the third season of Prime Volleyball League.
The Defenders did not get off to the best of starts, with Leandro Jose combining with skipper Akhin G.S for Chennai Blitz.
But the momentum turned for Ahmedabad after a quick advice from coach Dragan Mihailović. Ilya Burau made up for the absence of Danial Moatazedi, with stunning smashes down the right channel. Blitz found little answers for Max Senica’s serves, while unforced errors further hurt their cause.
Skipper Muthusamy Appavu remained the backbone for Ahmedabad, as he kept serving up balls in equal measure to all his players, keeping Blitz guessing from where the attack could come. Midway through the game, Ahmedabad began misfiring, and Blitz found an opening. But Muthu’s perfect pass to Angamuthu brought a super point in the Defenders’ corner and the door was shut as quickly as it was opened.
Leandro kept picking points for Chennai, but Nandagopal and Angamuthu kept control of the outside lines deep into the game. With a resounding win in straight sets, the Defenders proved their title win last year was not a fluke.
Bengaluru Torpedoes beat Kolkata Thunderbolts
Bengaluru Torpedoes began their campaign in the third season of the Prime Volleyball League with a 16-14, 14-16, 15-13, 15-10 win over the Kolkata Thunderbolts at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Thursday.
Rahul delivered his super serve special as Kolkata took early control. Skipper Ashwal Rai joined the party and Bengaluru found little answers for Kolkata’s aggressive serves. But coach David Lee showcased his tactical mindset, switching play to Srajan, who brought Bengaluru back with powerful serves. Showcasing his magic along the lines, Thomas Heptinstall, who was named Player of the Match, nudged Torpedoes marginally ahead.
Kolkata turned to Vinit Rai, who served up solid gameplay to turn the tables again. The passing from Kolkata improved as the game went on, while Torpedoes hurt themselves with unforced errors. The topsy-turvy battle turned into a contest between the outside hitters with Vinit going against Heptinstall.
Coach David’s high-risk, high-reward strategy paid rewards as Heptinstall made the most of his height advantage, splitting the gap between two Kolkata blockers. Vinit continued to remain a threat in Kolkata’s corner, despite blockers Srajan and Mujeeb trying to block attacks from the middle. Onur Cukur added more spark to Kolkata’s attacks with brilliant passing. But Torpedoes maintained their discipline in defence, and with a thrilling super point, picked a stunning win.’
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