Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 11 : Kolkata Thunderbolts put on a dominant performance to beat the Chennai Blitz 15-11, 15-12, 15-13 in the RR Kabel Prime Volleyball League powered by Scapia at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, on Saturday. Jithin N was named the Player of the Match.
Pankaj Sharma was on point with his attacks early on for Kolkata, while Jerome Vinith continued his magic touch for the Blitz. Kolkata began targeting the middle zone through Matin Takavar, with Chennai lacking experienced players in the department, according to a press release from PVL.
Shrikanth's acrobatic skills thrilled the crowd as the Chennai libero made tremendous digs to keep the game alive for his side. Ashwal Rai continued to impress in his new position, as he earned a crucial super point for the Thunderbolts with a solid block on Luiz Felipe Perotto.
Chennai's defence left a lot to be desired on the night as the Thunderbolts were able to find gaps to get themselves easy points. Jerome ran a one-man show to lead his side's counterattack for the Blitz. But Kolkata's defence remained impenetrable, making it difficult for Chennai to get their attacks going.
From setter Jithin's passing to Muhammed Iqbal's blocking, everything worked in sync for the Thunderbolts. Ashwal's all-rounder performance was matched by the tremendous efforts of the rest of his team. Late substitution Suryansh Tomar provided last-minute fireworks as Kolkata Thunderbolts picked up their second win of the season.
Earlier in the day, Bengaluru Torpedoes continued their winning run in the RR Kabel Prime Volleyball League powered by Scapia at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, defeating Kochi Blue Spikers 13-15, 17-15, 15-9, 15-12. Matt West was named the Player of the Match.
Abhishek CK provided the early flair to Kochi's attacks, but the Torpedoes matched up their intensity with Sethu's super serve. Bengaluru Torpedoes captain and setter Matthew West continued his form with his distribution, keeping his side in the game.
Nitin Minhas' monster block earned Coach David Lee's side a crucial super point. But Kochi's smart review call pulled back a point for his side.
Erin Varghese kept the intensity up for Kochi despite the Torpedoes relying on Joel Benjamin and Jalen Penrose to put back the pressure. An injury to setter Byron Keturakis affected Kochi's momentum.
The Torpedoes found their way back, with Penrose growing more dangerous by the minute. Unforced errors from Kochi increased, further piling on their troubles. Sethu joined in on the attack in the front court to tilt the game in the Torpedoes' way.
Aravindh made an impression on the court for The Spikers. But his efforts were too little, too late as Bengaluru continued to test the opposition's defence. A thunderous spike from Joel earned Bengaluru Torpedoes their third win in a row.
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