PVL 2023 Semi-Finals: Ahmedabad Defenders, Calicut Heroes clash for a place in final

The defenders finished as runners-up last season.

Ahmedabad Defenders and Calicut Heroes are all set to face off in the second semi-final of the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) 2023. The match will take place at the Regional Sports Centre in Kochi on Saturday.

Ahmedabad Defenders finished the round-robin stage second with five wins out of the seven matches, while Calicut Heroes finished on third with four wins out of the seven matches. 

“During the robin-round stage, we have gained a lot of confidence to face any team. The players believe they can put up a good show in the semi-final as they have been doing so far in the league,” Mohan Ukkrapandian, Calicut Heroes setter said.

Mohan also talked about the Ahmedabad squad and said that his side has learned from the errors they made and are working on them to improve. 

“We know how Ahmedabad Defenders plays because they have kept the core of their squad intact. We have made some unforced errors in matches leading up to this but we are working on them as a team and will make sure that those mistakes are not repeated again else it will cost us the match,” he added.  

Meanwhile, Angamuthu Ramaswamy, who has been the star player for Ahmedabad, believes that the team is well prepared and heading in the right direction under the right guidance from their coach Dakshinamurthi.

“Everyone knows how important this match is to us. In my opinion, Calicut are more formidable opponents compared to Bengaluru Torpedoes in every department. I also want to improve my block and my defence. I am working on it and hopefully I will perform even better in the semi-final,” Angamuthu said.

When asked to talk about any strategies that Ahmedabad Defenders will try and execute against Calicut Heroes, Angamuthu didn’t reveal much. “We have a plan against them. We know Calicut are a strong team and we are working on that. Our support and coaching staff have shown us some videos on how they play, what is their style, so we will make a strategy accordingly,” he signed off.           

The Prime Volleyball League (PVL) 2023 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. The live streaming will be available on Volleyball World TV outside the Indian subcontinent, starting February 4, Saturday.