Kochi Blue Spikers ended their campaign at the Prime Volleyball League on a high after notching up a solid 3-1 win over Ahmedabad Defenders, in Hyderabad, on Tuesday.
Erin Varghese was named the Player of the Match as Kochi beat Ahmedabad 15-13, 14-16, 17-15, 15-9 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium.
The result did not affect Ahmedabad's position in the table, as they are already through to the semifinals. They are currently third in the league standings with 12 point from seven games. Mumbai Meteors and Bengaluru Torpedoes have also made it to the last-four stage.
Ahmedabad started strong with Battur Batsuuri's persistent attacks before a super serve from Kochi's Jasjodh Singh bridged the gap between the two teams. Jasjodh came up with a super block on Shon T John and subsequently tremendous defending from Amrinderpal Singh helped them pocket the first set.
Erin's ferocious serves caught Ahmedabad off-guard in the second set, and the Spikers maintained their momentum. Ahmedabad brought Nandhagopal and Akhin on the court, and the new formation reaped rich rewards.
Akhin blocked Kochi's relentless attack from the middle zone, helping the Defenders level the score.
A smart review helped the Defenders reclaim a crucial point. Fine defending from Jasjodh and Hemanth's cross-body spikes helped Kochi regain momentum, and the tables turned once again.
Nicolas Marechal played a key role on the back court in the third set as the Spikers took control of the game.
Hemanth continued to put pressure on Ahmedabad's defence with strong spikes. Unforced errors further posed problems for Ahmedabad.
Libero Alan Ashique's quickfire defensive moves helped save Kochi important points. Amrinderpal and Jasjodh kept dominating the middle zone as Kochi surged ahead.
The Spikers won the game with a faulty serve from Arshak Sinan.