Kolkata Thunderbolts couldn’t have asked for a better start to their title defence in Season 2 of RuPay Prime Volleyball League Powered by A23 as they registered a 3-2 win (15-11, 15-11, 15-14, 10-15, 14-15) over Bengaluru Torpedoes.
Led by the formidable Ashwal Rai, the Thunderbolts were high on confidence throughout the contest. This was seen in the first set, as they came from 7-10 down to win 15-11.
Kolkata would carry the momentum into the following two sets. However, the third set was quite eventful with a tug-of-war ensuing towards the end as both sides were evenly matched at 14-14. Ultimately, a service error from Bengaluru's Ibin Jose propelled the holders to a 15-14 win & sealed the victory in straight sets.
Despite losing the game, David Lee’s side didn’t walk away empty-handed as they claimed the remaining two sets by scores of 15-10 and 15-14.
Take a look back at the top three moments from the curtain-raiser of the 2023 RuPay Prime Volleyball League Powered by A23.
Tsvetelin Tsvetanov scores the first point of Season 2
Kolkata Thunderbolts served first in the opening match of RuPay Prime Volleyball League Powered by A23 Season 2. After a shaky rally, outside hitter Tsvetelin Tsvetanov hit a fantastic spike that earned Bengaluru Torpedoes their first campaign point.
Ashwal’s Super Serve to regain the lead in Set 1
With Kolkata Thunderbolts trailing 10-11, skipper Ashwal Rai delivered a Super Serve that earned his team two valuable points. While Bengaluru Torpedoes called for a review, it was shown that the ball landed safely before the opposition’s service line.
Ibin Jose’s service fault signals Bengaluru’s defeat
The third set was the highlight of the Bengaluru Torpedoes vs Kolkata Thunderbolts match, as both teams wrestled for points at every interval.
The scores were tied 14-14, with the next point being a match point for the Thunderbolts. Ibin Jose, serving for the set-defining point, made an unsuccessful serve as the ball landed out of bounds.
This meant Narayan Alva’s side would seal the result within the opening three sets.