PVL 2023: Bengaluru Torpedoes look to continue momentum against Chennai Blitz

The match between the two teams is being seen by the fans as a battle of foreign coaches.

After picking a stunning win over the Mumbai Meteors at the Koramangala Stadium in Bengaluru, the Bengaluru Torpedoes will be looking to continue their momentum in PVL 2023 Hyderabad leg when they face off against Chennai Blitz at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on Thursday. Blitz, in their previous encounter, had lost to the Meteors 5-0, and Chennai's Head Coach Ruben believes that his side needs to bounce back after a bad defeat.

"After 0-5 against Mumbai, there is a bigger challenge. We have to bounce back. It is definitely important to show a better picture of our team. Anyway, the competition is so compact and so stressful that we cannot waste time, or think about the past game. We were not expecting such a bad defeat. But we have to look forward and keep working for the next game," Coach Ruben said.

"Bengaluru, after the first win, they may have a bit of energy, but we are two close teams, and we expect a good fight," he added.

Meanwhile, Bengaluru Head Coach David Lee said that Chennai are a better team than they displayed against Mumbai and his side will not be taking them lightly in PVL 2023.

"Chennai will really be wanting to show that they have got good quality and should not have lost 5-0. I think they are a much better team than what they showed against Mumbai Meteors in the previous game. I think, we also, had one of our better matches last time. And we know we have to be ready for a fight as Chennai are not a pushover," Lee said. 

With Coach David leading the Bengaluru troops and Coach Ruben as the Head Coach for Chennai, the match between the two teams is being seen by the fans as a battle of foreign coaches in PVL 2023. But both the coaches view it differently.

"There are two overseas coaches in this season and this is something that may happen more often in the league going forward. However, I do not play I and David do not play against each other, our teams play against each other. The influence we can bring is in the training process. I believe that we can bring some interesting topics to the league," Ruben said.

"Chennai are a very good coached team. I have a lot of respect for Coach Ruben. I don't think it is the battle of the coaches. We can teach them a few tricks but the players are out of their own. It will come down to execution in the end on the court. If our team can beat them in certain areas," Lee added.

On being asked about the team's preparedness ahead of the crucial contest, Wolochin said, "We are analyzing for the game - the videos and statistics and other things. After 2-3 games that know each other better, we can plan a little bit differently than at the beginning of the season.

"The teams are very new and we cannot be fools to be attached to the game plan because during game time, a lot of situations happen, and we may need to adapt. We have to look for solutions constantly. Bengaluru, after the first win, they may have a bit of energy, but we are two close teams, and we expect a good fight," he said.

Lee stressed on how important it is for his team to get off to a winning start in PVL 2023 Hyderabad leg. "It's huge for us to win tomorrow. We had a tough start. We played against two of the toughest teams in the league and we suffered two big defeats. I was really hoping to leave Bengaluru with a 2-1 win record, but right now we all are fighting for the 3rd and 4th positions right now. It is very detrimental for us to win tomorrow. It will not be an easy run for us, but hopefully, we can win both the games back-to-back in Hyderabad," he signed off.

Where to watch:

The RuPay Prime Volleyball League PVL 2023 powered by A23 will be telecast LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 1 (English), Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu) & Sony Sports Ten 2 (Malayalam) channels in India and will be streamed on Volleyball World TV outside the Indian subcontinent, starting February 4, Saturday.