PANAJI
Kochi Blue Spikers picked up a hard-fought win over the Goa Guardians 11-15, 17-15, 15-13, 10-15, 15-10 in the RR Kabel Prime Volleyball League powered by Scapia at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad on Sunday. Hemanth was named the Player of the Match.
Goa captain Chirag Yadav set the tone early, starting the game with a super serve. Kochi matched the intensity with captain Erin attacking from the outside zones. Goa's gutsy move of a super point paid rewards as Erin made a service error.
Amarinder Pal Singh attacked from the centre court for the Spikers, while Hemanth brought firepower with his serves. Kochi skipper Byron Keturakis formed a two-man block with Amarinder to stop Chirag's attacks, and the strategy worked.
Erin continued to gain in confidence with his movement, and Kochi capitalised on their momentum. Prince overcooked his serve, costing Goa a super point, and Kochi took control.
Trailing behind, Goa dug deep with Rohit testing the opposition from the service line. Substitute Vikram provided much-needed depth in the front court in both attack and defence, and the Guardians pushed the game to the fifth set.
Libero Alan Ashique made excellent saves to earn Spikers crucial points in the deciding set. Hemanth took charge in the front court across all departments. A smart review call for Erin earned Kochi a crucial super point, and Kochi sealed a memorable 3-2 win.
