PVL 2023: Ahmedabad Defenders go down against Hyderabad Black Hawks

Guru Prashanth was named the Player of the Match.

Hyderabad Black Hawks registered an emphatic win against Ahmedabad Defenders at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka in their first encounter of the second season of RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23, on Monday. Despite featuring a relatively inexperienced squad, Hyderabad Black Hawks stunned the Season one runners-up as they picked up a 13-15, 15-9, 15-14, 15-11,10-15 victory to get two points from the contest. Guru Prashanth was named the Player of the Match.

The young Hyderabad Black Hawks side earned the first point in the game with a faulty serve from Nandagopal Subramaniyam. But Ahmedabad quickly equalised with a spike from LM Manoj. Hyderabad Skipper SV Guru Prashanth showcased his prowess on the right side as he put on a perfect block to take his side ahead. A spike from Hemanth gave the Black Hawks a 7-4 lead, but Ahmedabad reduced the gap with a sweet serve from Danial Moatazedi. As Nandagopal delivered a super ace, Defenders took lead in the match. Just when it looked like the set might slip away from Hyderabad, Guru, with a beautiful spike brought his side back to level pegging. But an erroneous spike from Guru gave Defenders a 15-13 win in the first set.

Ashamatullah's picture-perfect block gave Hyderabad the first point in the second set. But Danial, with a powerful spike, equalised straight away. Andrew Kohut with a delectable left-handed shot brought the scoreline to 3-3, but Guru, with another spike, put Hyderabad ahead once again. A block from Lal Sujan MV gave Black Hawks the lead at the set break, putting the Defenders on the backfoot. Trent got too much on a spike and the ball ricocheted outside, giving Ahmedabad an easy point. With a super point on offer, Sujan's spike won Hyderabad two points after which super-sub Azmath delivered a super serve to win the second set 15-9 for the Black Hawks.

Santhosh earned the first point in the third set with a spike as Ahmedabad Defenders took an early lead but Hyderabad Black Hawks kept up the pressure as John Joseph EJ showcased his attacking powers. A sensational rally ended as Danial committed an error and Hyderabad earned a crucial point. Carlos Zamora, with a tap over the net, brought Black Hawks back to level pegging. With a spike, Santhosh gave Ahmedabad a 10-9 lead. But a tap shot from Guru equalised the score once again. Winning the super point, Ahmedabad took advantage in the set. But with a punching shot over the net, Guru once again levelled the scoreline. Danial's faulty serve ended the set in anticlimactic fashion and Hyderabad won the set 15-14 to take lead in the match.

Needing to win the set, Angamuthu came on for Ahmedabad Defenders and he hit a perfect spike to give an early lead to his side. But John Joseph, with a tap over the net, equalised the scoreline for Hyderabad. Danial's block went outside and Hyderabad Black Hawks took lead in the set. Trent's block further extended Black Hawks' lead as pressure built up on the Defenders. A wayward serve from Parth Patel saw Hyderabad extending their lead to 8-6. With a spike and two back-to-back aces, Ashamatullah gave Hyderabad three crucial points. Ahmedabad won the super point as Danial hit the empty back line to close the gap his side. But with a block, Saurabh Maan won his team the match point and Hyderabad Black Hawks won the set 15-11.

High on confidence after winning the match, Hyderabad Black Hawks shower they will not take it easy as John Joseph put on a block to level the scoreline to 3-3. As Angamuthu's spike went wide, the Black Hawks extended their lead. But with a couple of powerful hits, Angamuthu put his side ahead in the set. Two consecutive errors from Defenders once again allowed Hyderabad to equalise. Danial's tap over the net gave Ahmedabad a 12-10 lead in the final set. With a super point on offer, Hyderabad's John struck the net and Defenders took two crucial points. With another error from Hyderabad, Ahmedabad won the set 15-10 but the Black Hawks won the match 3-2.

Kochi Blue Spikers will be up against Chennai Blitz at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in the fourth match of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League in Bengaluru at 1900 hrs IST on Tuesday, 07 February 2023.