Hyderabad, Oct 22 (IANS) Goa Guardians qualified for the semi-finals after the Delhi Toofans defeated the Kolkata Thunderbolts 18-16, 11-15, 12-15, 15-11, 15-12 in Season 4 of the Prime Volleyball League at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad on Wednesday. Saqlain Tariq was named the Player of the Match.

Goa will now play Mumbai Meteors in the first semifinal on Friday.

Wednesday’s game started with both teams attacking from the middle. Delhi’s Jesus Chourio made the first major dent. Ashwal Rai kept the pressure up for the Thunderbolts with strong spikes. A smart review call from coach Manoj Nair helped the Toofans win the first set.

Pankaj Sharma’s missile service put pressure on the Toofans’ defence. Ashwal kept up the pressure on Delhi’s libero Aljo Sabu. Matin Takavar made a super block on Chourio, and the Thunderbolts won the second set.

Aayush made two important blocks as Delhi regained composure. A risky super point for the Thunderbolts backfired with Carlos’ super spike. But Aayush’s overhit shot cost the Toofans a super point, and the Thunderbolts took the lead, winning the third set.

Losing two sets meant that Delhi were out of contention for a place in the semi-finals. But the result did little to deter Delhi skipper Saqlain Tariq from seeking a win. Abhishek Rajeev and Muhammed Jasim led their fightback. With a smart block from Jasim, Delhi pushed the game to the fifth set.

With Kolkata’s Matin off court, Delhi began running the play from the middle, utilising both Jasim and Aayush. Matin’s return put pressure on the Toofans. But tremendous defending from libero Aljo helped the Toofans win a super point, and the Toofans scripted an unforgettable win, eliminating Kolkata.

Earlier on Tuesday, Kochi Blue Spikers bowed out of the tournament with a solid win in the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) 2025 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, defeating Ahmedabad Defenders 15-13, 14-16, 17-15, 15-9. Erin Varghese was named the Player of the Match. The result did not affect Ahmedabad’s position in the table, as they are already through to the semifinals.

–IANS

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