Bengaluru Torpedoes knocked defending champions Kolkata Thunderbolts out of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League Powered by A23 Season 2 following their stunning 3-1 (15-10, 10-15, 15-13, 15-10) win in the first semi-final.

A spirited Bengaluru side looked dominating right from the very beginning. After having established a 9-6 lead early in the first set, the team hardly broke a sweat in clinching the round.

Kolkata tried to make a comeback after winning the second set, but that, unfortunately, was the only positive they could muster from the entire fixture. In all fairness, Kolkata looked fatigued and it can be understood by the fact that they made 20 errors across four sets compared to Bengaluru’s 16.

Here are three things we learned from the semi-final clash:

A very unlikely Kolkata performance

Kolkata Thunderbolts looked far from being their previous self throughout the contest. Credit where it’s due - Bengaluru Torpedoes made a firm statement, but it’s fair to say Kolkata seemed lost. They couldn’t decode their opponent’s attacking strategy and this is where the game was lost.

For what it’s worth, if Bengaluru would have minimized their errors, Kolkata would have found themselves in deeper trouble. One must remember that it is the same team that won the first three sets in each of their last two matches. On Friday, however, there was no glimpse of that Kolkata side which lost just one game in the league stage.

Bengaluru good in attack but defence looked weak

Bengaluru’s trio of Pankaj Sharma, Ibin Jose and Tsvetelin Tsvetanov were at the forefront of every attack. While the players were largely successful as suggested by the stats - 28 attack points as compared to Kolkata’s 21 - their defence should have done better to keep Kolkata in check.

This is where the defending champions managed to gather points. If Bengaluru had somehow managed to maintain the equilibrium, the game could have been won more easily.

The match duly lived up to the hype

Kolkata Thunderbolts entered the contest as sheer favourites. After all, they had already beaten Bengaluru Torpedoes early in the tournament and that game was nothing but a cakewalk for the team. On Friday, though, Bengaluru looked like a different team altogether.

If Kolkata looked dominant in attack, Bengaluru were a step ahead. The two teams played a tantalising game of volleyball as suggested by the rallies that put the spectators on the edge of their seats. The one in the third set, in particular, was nothing but a piece of pure masterclass from both teams. It’s unfortunate that only one team had to win that point.