Chennai: Delhi Toofans added another win to their results column, defeating the Hyderabad Black Hawks 15-11, 13-15, 15-9, 15-11 in a tense battle in the third season of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Monday. Santhosh was named the Player of the Match.
Ivan Fernandez's left-handed spikes proved to be key for Hyderabad and Ashamat Ullah helped with attacking serves. Lazar Dodic's spikes kept games in balance, but unforced errors started creeping up on Delhi. While Stefan Kovacevic's blocks were on point, Santhosh started finding his feet with attacks, and earned a Super Point to get Delhi ahead.
Aponza began working his magic in the middle with monstrous blocks, while Ivan kept testing Delhi's defence with angled spikes. The addition of Anu James in attacks relieved pressure on Santhosh, allowing him to play freely. John Joseph's block shut the doors on Delhi and the Hawks jumped right back into the contest.
Dodic's thunderous play from the service line rattled the Hawks, while Hemanth's incessant attacks kept Hyderabad at par. Service errors hurt the Hawks, while skipper Saqlain's clever play helped Delhi regain control. Hemanth began firing from the outside line, and the Hawks reopened the door for themselves. But Delhi middle blockers Aponza and Aayush shut the doors tight and the Toofans picked up a gritty win.
Watch the LIVE coverage of RuPay Prime Volleyball League Season 3 from 15th February 2024, 6:30 PM onwards, only on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu).
