Hyderabad, Oct 16 (IANS) Hyderabad Black Hawks defeated Goa Guardians 15-13, 20-18, 15-17, 15-9 in the Prime Volleyball League at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad on Thursday. Yudi Yamamoto was named the Player of the Match and the Hyderabad Black Hawks climbed up to sixth place on the table with seven points.

The Hyderabad Black Hawks raced to a two set lead while Goa Guardians struggled with unforced errors. Prince’s presence at the net helped pull back a set for the Guardians but Yudi Yamamoto and Sahil’s relentless attacks secured the 3-1 win for the Hyderabad Black Hawks.

Hyderabad began the first set on the front foot, with Brazilian Victor Yudi Yamamoto and Sahil Kumar shining at the net. While the Guardians’ Nathaniel Dickinson and Chirag Yadav kept them in touch with powerful spikes. However, Sahil Kumar’s thunderous spike helped the Black Hawks claim the first set.

Both teams continued to trade points but Dushyant’s blocks helped Goa earn their first lead of the game halfway through the second set before Hyderabad’s Niyaz Abdul powered through the Goan blockers to force a deuce. And Sahil Kumar then stepped up to secure the set point for Hyderabad.

Goa took a slight lead early in the third set courtesy of Dushyant Singh’s super serve. While Sahil helped close the gap for Hyderabad later in the set, Prince and Gaurav Yadav combined to pull a set back for the Guardians.

Hyderabad regained their rhythm at the start of the fourth set with Shikhar Singh showcasing his blocking prowess. Unforced errors from Goa saw Hyderabad’s lead grow further. Shikar Singh’s blocks, Yudi Yamamoto’s relentless attacks, and Sahil’s dominance at the net saw Hyderabad Black Hawks seal a much needed victory.

–IANS

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