Chennai, March 1st, 2024: Ahmedabad Defenders picked up a thrilling 15-12, 15-11, 14-16, 13-15, 15-13 win over the Mumbai Meteors in the third season of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 on Friday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai. Nandhagopal was named the Player of the Match.
Nandha’s attacks posed a challenge for Mumbai as skipper Muthusamy Appavu kept setting up the attacker with solid passes. LM Manoj contributed from the middle, despite Shameem’s towering presence. Amit Gulia kept chipping away points, but Max Senica’s pipe attack helped Ahmedabad take the lead.
Manoj blocked the Mumbai attackers. Ilya Burau added another edge to Ahmedabad’s defence as the defending champions showed impeccable tactical play. A couple of unforced errors created a chance for the Meteors, but a crucial super point win allowed the Defenders to take control. Ajith Lal’s struggles with service continued throughout the night, hurting Mumbai.
Nandha’s rocket serve rattled the Meteors, but Shubham replied with a thunderous spike. Saurabh Maan’s gutsy showing from the middle allowed the Meteors to find a way back into the contest, while Shameem found ways to close down Nandha. Shameem started to win the battle of the middles and the Meteors pushed the game to a final set.
Jerry Daniel came off the bench and delivered the goods in the serves, putting pressure on the opposition. But a super point win in clutch moments changed momentum and Shikhar Singh repaid coach Dragan Mihailovic’s faith by making key blocks in the final few minutes. Nandha closed out the game with a super serve and the Defenders won the match.
Watch the LIVE coverage of RuPay Prime Volleyball League Season 3 from 15th February 2024, 6:30 PM onwards, only on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu).
