Ahmedabad Defenders were the first team to secure advancement to the 2023 semifinals in India’s RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 at the half-way point of the last third leg of the regular season, as the first four matches at the Regional Sports Centre (Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium) in Kochi were played from Friday through Sunday with Ahmedabad, Calicut Heroes, leg hosts Kochi Blue Spikers and league rookies Mumbai Meteors celebrating two-point victories.
Prime Volleyball League 2023
Ahmedabad book first semifinal spot in India
VBTV streams all RuPay Prime Volleyball League 2023 matches
Published 05:48, 27 Feb 2023
Now playing in their home state Kerala, Calicut managed a 3-2 (13-15, 15-8, 15-14, 15-13, 8-15) win over Chennai Blitz in the leg opener on Friday, leaving the opponents out of contention for the semifinals on just two points and a 1-5 win-loss record. Heroes’ opposite Jerome Vinith contributed the match high of 14 points, all in spikes, towards his team’s fourth win of the season and was named Player of the Match. Outside hitter Ashwin Raj Mahesh also reached the double digits with 10 points to his name (eight attacks and two blocks).
“This was a very important win for us, especially after our loss to Ahmedabad”, Jerome Vinith said after the match. “In view of the upcoming semifinals, this is very crucial for us. This is our home crowd, they are giving us amazing support and we should prepare well for going to the semifinals. Mentally and physically, we are strong and we will give our best.”
Saturday’s match was an exciting Kerala derby between Kochi and Calicut and sparked great excitement among the local fans. Blue Spikers delivered a huge upset, claiming a 3-2 (15-13, 14-15, 12-15, 15-7, 15-11) victory over Heroes and registering their first win of the season. Kochi’s outside Erin Varghese led the team with 14 points, including an ace and two blocks, and earned the Player of the Match award, while Brazilian middle blocker Valter Da Cruz Neto added another 10 points (three blocks). Jerome was once again on fire for Calicut and topped the scorers’ charts of the match with 21 points (one ace), which, however, did not suffice for a win to stamp the team’s ticket to the playoffs.
“All these people on the stands are here for us, so it’s our duty to win,” Erin Varghese said after accepting his award. “We were able to correct our mistakes from the previous matches and the coaches were very helpful in that and in making the points in the crucial moments.”
Kochi were hoping to please the home crowd with another upset as they came out on the court for Sunday’s first match against table leaders Ahmedabad and even managed to take a 2-1 lead before Defenders regained control and lived up to their status on the way to a 3-2 (15-5, 11-15, 9-15, 15-12, 15-14) victory. Outside Nandagopal Subramaniyam led the way with 14 points, of which two aces and three blocks, and took the Player of the Match nomination. Opposite Angamuthu Ramaswamy and middle Manoj Lakshmipuram Manjunatha added 12 and 10 points, respectively, while opposite Jibin Sebastian scored 13 times for Kochi. The win consolidated Ahmedabad’s top position in the standings, where they have 11 points and a 5-1 win-loss record, and left Kochi out of contention for the top four spots in the final ranking.
The weekend ended with Mumbai Meteors’ 4-1 (14-15, 15-9, 15-12, 15-11, 15-8) victory over Hyderabad Black Hawks, which kept the Prime Volleyball League rookies within reach of the semis, in sixth place on five points and 2-4. It was the last match of the regular season for Hyderabad. Black Hawks stand above the cut-off line, in fourth on eight points and 4-3, but could be pushed out of the way as the last results of the regular season unfold over the remaining four days. Hyderabad’s opposite Guru Prashanth hammered out the match high of 18 points and confirmed his leading position in the season’s best scorer ranking with a total of 114 points. Cuban opposite Hiroshi Centelles Rosales, who claimed the Player of the Match award, and outside Amit Gulia scored 13 and 11 points, respectively, for the winners.
The RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 is telecast live on Sony Sports Ten 1 (English), Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil and Telugu) and Sony Sports Ten 2 (Malayalam) channels in India and is streamed on **VBTV** outside the Indian subcontinent.
RuPay Prime Volleyball League remaining regular season match schedule in Kochi:
Feb 27, 19:00 local (13:30 UTC): Kolkata Thunderbolts v Chennai Blitz
Feb 28, 19:00 local (13:30 UTC): Bengaluru Torpedoes v Calicut Heroes
Mar 1, 19:00 local (13:30 UTC): Mumbai Meteors v Kochi Blue Spikers
Mar 2, 19:00 local (13:30 UTC): Kolkata Thunderbolts v Ahmedabad Defenders
Read more on the Rupay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 official website.
