Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium: Calicut Heroes returned to winning ways in dominant fashion, defeating the Hyderabad Black Hawks 15-13, 18-16, 16-14 in the third season of the Prime Volleyball League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, here on Saturday.
Sahil Kumar began well, justifying his selection in the starting line-up for Hyderabad. Jerome Vinith's fiery attacks helped Calicut gain momentum. Mohan Ukkrapandian's passing allowed Vikas Maan to attack from the middle, but strong blocks from Stefan Kovacevic, Sahil, and Prince kept things close. But Player of the Match Chirag Yadav's involvement in attacking moves pushed Calicut ahead.
As Stefan began swinging from the middle to push Hyderabad, Calicut's Vikas showed his swings from the region to help his side. Sahil's threat from Zone 4 (front-left spot) and a few unforced errors from Calicut allowed Hyderabad to make way back into the contest. But Danial Moatazedi made crucial blocks and Chirag's incessant attacks gave Calicut control of the topsy-turvy battle.
Despite being on the back foot, Hyderabad's defensive game remained strong, keeping them in the hunt. Sahil's swings proved hard for Calicut's two-man block to tackle.
Hemanth's consistent pipe attacks helped Hyderabad and the momentum shifted. But two massive blocks from Ukkra and Chirag helped Calicut find their way back and win the game in straight sets.