PVL: Ahmedabad Defenders stun hosts Chennai Blitz, win opening contest in straight sets
Feb 16, 2024
Chennai (Tamil Nadu)[India], February 16 : The defending Champions Ahmedabad Defenders picked up a comprehensive 15-10, 15-11, 15-12 win over the hosts Chennai Blitz at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Thursday to kick off the third season of Prime Volleyball League. Muthusamy Appavu was named the Player of the Match.
The Defenders did not get off to the best of starts, with Leandro Jose combining with skipper Akhin GS. But the momentum turned for Ahmedabad after a quick advice from coach Dragan Mihailovic. Ilya Burau made up for the absence of Danial Moatazedi, with stunning smashes down the right channel. Blitz found little answers for Max Senica's serves, while unforced errors further hurt their cause.
Skipper Muthusamy Appavu remained the backbone for Ahmedabad, as he kept serving up balls in equal measure to all his players, keeping Blitz guessing from where the attack could come from. Midway through the game, Ahmedabad began misfiring, and Blitz found an opening. But Muthu's perfect pass to Angamuthu brought a super point in the Defenders' corner and the door was shut as quickly as it was opened.
Leandro kept earning picking points for Chennai, but Nandagopal and Angamuthu kept control of the outside lines deep into the game. With a resounding win in straight sets, the Defenders proved their title win was not a fluke.
