Prime Volleyball: Kolkata heads into semi-finals with win over Kochi

Kolkata Thunderbolts finished second on the table after defeating already eliminated Kochi Blue Spikers 3-2 (13-15, 15-11, 15-13, 15-8, 10-15) in the final round-robin Prime Volleyball League match at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday. Kolkata’s fourth victory in six first-round matches helped it jump from fourth in the standings. Thunderbolts universal Vinit Kumar clinched the ‘Man of the Match’ award in the contest against Blue Spikers, which had bowed out of the competition following a 2-3 defeat to table-topper Ahmedabad Defenders on Tuesday. After losing the opener to Kochi, Kolkata pocketed the next three sets to win the match. Blue Spikers finished the inaugural season with just a solitary win off six fixtures.

SEMI-FINAL LINE-UP: Ahmedabad Defenders (1st) vs Hyderabad Black Hawks (4th) on Thursday; Kolkata Thunderbolts (2nd) vs Calicut Heroes (3rd) on Friday