Prime Volleyball League 2024: Ahmedabad Defenders outshine Chennai Blitz in season opener with straight-sets win
Defending champions Ahmedabad Defenders claimed an easy 15-10, 15-11, 15-12 win over the hosts Chennai Blitz in the opening contest of Prime Volleyball League 2024 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Thursday.
Blitz blockers Leandro Jose and Akhin GS started off well for their side as the Defenders did not get off to a good start initially. They might have missed Danial Moatazedi but Ilya Burau made up for him with some impressive smashes down the right channel.
The momentum turned towards the Ahmedabad side after a quick advice from coach Dragan Mihailović. Max Senica was at his best with his attacking skills as the Blitz found little answers, while unforced errors further hurt their cause.
Skipper Muthusamy Appavu proved to be the lynchpin for Ahmedabad, serving up evenly to all his players, keeping the Blitz uncertain about the source of the impending attack.
Halfway into the match, Ahmedabad’s performance faltered a bit as the Blitz found an opportunity to score. However, Captain Muthu's impeccable pass to Angamuthu secured a super point for the Defenders.
Leandro continued to accumulate a few important points for Chennai, but Nandagopal and Angamuthu maintained control over the outside lines throughout the game.
Prime Volleyball League 2024: How does the qualification work?
A total of nine franchises are taking part in the Prime Volleyball 2024 season, namely Ahmedabad Defenders, Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Chennai Blitz, Delhi Toofans, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Kochi Blue Spikers, Kolkata Thunderbolts, and Mumbai Meteors.
The Super 5s stage will take place between March 11 and 18 in which the top five teams from the league phase will take on each other in a single round-robin format to determine the final three teams.
The top-ranked team at the end of the Super 5s phase will directly qualify for the grand finale while the teams finishing in the second and third places will lock horns in the Eliminator on March 19. The winner of the Eliminator will be the second team to book a spot in the final.
Notably, Ahmedabad Defenders secured the trophy in the second season of Prime Volleyball League with a 15-7, 15-10, 18-20, 13-15, 15-10 win over the Bengaluru Torpedoes.