Cuddalore With Us qualifies for TNVL playoffs, aims for direct final
Cuddalore With Us continued its dominance in the Tamil Nadu Volleyball League (TNVL) 2024 with yet another 4-1 win against Krishnagiri Bulls on Tuesday, January 9, in Chennai.
Ashwin Raj's sublime serves backed by the spikes of Jerome Vinith helped Cuddalore to confirm the win in the first three sets before they extended the unassailable lead in the fifth by the scores 21-20, 21-17, 21-17, 19-21, 21-20.
Ashwin picked up 19 attacking points to finish as the Player of the match. For Krishnagiri Bulls, the opportunity to qualify for the TNVL playoffs isn't over. We shall discuss this later in this piece.
On the other hand, Virudhunagar King Makers defeated Viluppuram Super Kings 21-15, 18-21, 21-19, 21-19, 21-20 to end their slender hopes of making it to the playoffs.
Karthik's effective blocking and Saju Prakash's crucial block were key in Virudhunagar's perfect gameplay, while Amit Gulia, Saminathan, and Prabhakaran stood tall for Viluppuram, but their intense efforts couldn't yield the desired results they vouched for.
Which teams have qualified for TNVL playoffs and which teams still have a chance?
Though Chennai Rockstars lost their opener to Cuddalore With Us in a five-set thriller, the hosts sit on top of the points table. Thanks to their crushing 5-0 win over Viluppuram Super Kings that helped them pocket three points.
Cuddalore have won all four round-robin games and joined Chennai in the TNVL playoffs. Virudhunagar King Makers (5 points) and Krishnagiri Bulls (4 points) remain in contention for the third spot in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Kumari Phoenix and Viluppuram have to win their respective final league game against Krishnagiri Bulls and Cuddalore With Us by a 5-0 margin to stand a chance of mathematical qualification.
Chennai and Cuddalore will eye on the top spot to get a direct entry in the final of the inaugural season. Krishnagiri cannot afford to drop points and target for all three points with a 5-0 win against the Kumari outfit.
Virudhanagar will have a stiff challenge from table leaders Chennai Rockstars in their march to playoffs. If they force the game to a decider they can qualify if Krishnagiri lose or just pick one point in their game against Kumari.