Hyderabad, Oct 10 (IANS) Ahmedabad Defenders defeated the defending champions Calicut Heroes 12-15, 15-12, 15-12, 16-14 in the Prime Volleyball League at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, in Hyderabad on Friday. Battur Batsuuri was named the Player of the Match.

Ashok Bishnoi and Shameemudheen formed a two-man block line early on to counter Angamuthu’s attacks. The Defenders’ back line distributed their passes brilliantly to tackle Calicut’s offence. In the absence of Shon T John, Batsuuri played the dominant attacking role for Ahmedabad, helping his side with a fiery display.

Abdul Raheem began making an impact on the court for Calicut across all departments. Santhosh added attacking depth to the defending champions, putting pressure back on Ahmedabad. Mohan Ukkrapandian was on point with his passing, playing the captain’s role as Calicut edged ahead.

Nandhagopal opened up the doors for Ahmedabad to find a way back with cross-body spikes and a powerful super serve. Ahmedabad gained in confidence as the match progressed, but Calicut relied on Raheem to keep the game levelled.

Skipper Muthusamy Appavu rallied his troops to set up plays at a crucial juncture, making a significant difference on court. Batsuuri, along with Angamuthu, continued to attack the opposition’s court, aiming to put Ahmedabad in control. Both teams displayed tremendous defensive prowess, not making it easy for the opposition to score. Akhin had the last laugh, scoring the winning point for Ahmedabad with a thunderous spike.

Prime Volleyball League is India’s first professional volleyball league with 10 teams. The league successfully completed Seasons 1, 2 & 3, and Season 4 will continue till October 2025. Prime Volleyball League works closely with the global body of Volleyball (Fédération Internationale de Volley Ball, FIVB). The league has players from India and worldwide, where the international players come through FIVB’s international transfer procedure.

Earlier, Chennai Blitz defeated Goa Guardians 12-15, 15-11, 11-15, 18-16, 15-13 in the Prime Volleyball League at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, on Thursday. Jerome Vinith was named the Player of the Match.

–IANS

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