Chennai Blitz roars back to beat Kolkata in five-set contest

CHENNAI: Chennai Blitz came from behind to pick a dominant 14-16, 21-20, 15-5, 17-19, 15-8 win over the Kolkata Thunderbolts at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Thursday at the Prime Volleyball League. Raman Kumar was named the Player of the Match.

Sudheer Shetty went toe-to-toe with Akhin GS as the encounter kicked off with the battle of the middles. Vinit Kumar from Zone 2 attacked well, while Ashwal Rai dominated from the middle for the Thunderbolts. But Chennai's Raman's offensive moves kept the game in balance. With Vinit's powerful spike, the Thunderbolts edged just ahead in the intensely-close battle.

Kolkata started benefiting from Prabagaran's aggressive play, but the in-form Dhilip Kumar kept Blitz on the Thunderbolts' toes. The duo of Ashwal and Vinit became a hard puzzle for Chennai to crack, but a crucial super point win changed their fortunes. Sameer's quick thinking brought the home side back into the contest.

Raman's powerful spikes started threatening Kolkata as the game progressed. A few unforced errors and a minor miscommunication from Kolkata allowed Chennai to widen the gap. Vinit continued his roaring form to try and shackle the opposition with consistent attacks and open the gateway back for Kolkata. The aggressive Thunderbolts pushed the match to a final set with Ashwal's spike. Chennai's defensive game only improved in the final set and Joel Benjamin's contribution in attacks provided a path for Blitz to get a vital win.