Hyderabad, Oct 14 (IANS) Mumbai Meteors defeated the Kochi Blue Spikers in a five-set thriller, winning the match 15-7, 7-15, 13-15, 15-8, 15-11 in the Prime Volleyball League at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad on Tuesday. Karthik was named the Player of the Match.

Despite trailing early on, Kochi fought hard to push the in-form Meteors on the back foot. But in the end, the Meteors managed to hold on to continue their winning run in the tournament.

Mumbai setter Om Lad Vasant started strong with his passes. Petter Alstad Ostvik blocked Erin Varghese’s spikes as Mumbai took an early lead. Tremendous defence from the Meteors allowed them to get ahead.

In need of a response, Kochi brought on Hemanth and Amal K Thomas to provide much-needed attacking flair. Amrinderpal Singh continued his form in the defence as he made solid blocks. Hemanth earned a super point and Kochi levelled the game.

The confidence grew in Kochi’s camp with each passing minute. Setter Moushin played a key role for Kochi with his distributions. Abhishek’s contributions in the attack helped Kochi take the lead.

To find a way back, Mumbai brought veteran blocker Karthik A and setter Vipul Kumar on the court, and the game began to swing towards Mumbai once again. Amit Gulia’s smart receptions helped the Meteors push the game to the fifth set.

Shubham Chaudhary showed his defensive strengths, making crucial blocks. Despite service pressure from Amal, Mumbai managed to script a hard-fought victory, with Mathias Loftesnes leading the attack charge.

With the win, the Mumbai Meteors retained their top spot in the table with 11 points in 4 games. Meanwhile, Kochi Blue Spikers are presently lying in ninth position in the table after 5 matches.

–IANS

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