Kochi: In the first semi-final of RuPay Prime Volleyball League, Bengaluru Torpedoes beat the defending champions Kolkata Thunderbolts in the final. Torpedoes won 3-1 in a thrilling match. It was Bengaluru’s team game that paved the way for the champions’ elimination. Score: 15-10, 10-15, 15-13, 15-10. Calicut Heroes will face Ahmedabad Defenders in the second semi-final today (Saturday). The match will be played at Kadawantra Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium at 7 pm.
Kolkata got their first point from Bengaluru’s spike error. Abin Jose and Pankaj Sharma put Bengaluru in front. With Svetanov joining the attack, Torpedoes became stronger. With Ashwal Rai focusing on attack and blocking, Kolkata jumped in too. Vineeth Kumar’s spikes tied the game at 10-10 and the Thunderbolts missed a super point. Bangalore’s serve was also unanswered. Torpedoes won the set 15-10. Rahul’s smash and super serve gave Kolkata a 5-3 lead in the second set. Ashwal and Vinith continued to excel. Unforced errors benefited Bangalore. But Kolkata secured the set on super point. The Thunderbolts tied the game at 15-10 on Praful’s spike.
Alireza Abaluchi gave Bangalore a good start in the third set. At the end of a beautiful rally, Aswal blocked Torpedo’s power smash. Jishnu’s power spike scatters the Thunderbolts. Bengaluru tied at 10-10. Ashwal’s smash led to Kolkata being caught by the Torpedos at Superpoint. Bengaluru took the points after another rally which saw extraordinary performance from both teams. Pankaj’s serve also confused Kolkata. With Cody’s spike hitting the outside court, Torpedos own the set at 15-13.
The two-set win has energized Bangalore. They started chasing Mujeeb’s points and went solo. Mithun Kumar sets the ball up for the attack from an impossible angle. Four consecutive points put pressure on Kolkata. Bengaluru took a 7-2 lead after serving and defending. The Thunderbolts were under more pressure. More errors. Superpoint brought life to Kolkata. But the Bengaluru attack continued. She won the set 15-10 on the super serve and the ticket to the final.
Last Updated Mar 3, 2023, 11:49 PM IST