Kochi Blue Spikers defeated Black Hawks Hyderabad 3-2 victory in the RuPay Pro Volleyball League on Friday.
It found a new star in Suresh Khoiwal, who was given a long stay on the court for the first time in this league and repaid the confidence in full.
With David Lee, the biggest star here inspiring the side, and captain and setter M. Ukkrapandian doing his job smartly, the 23-year-old Suresh came up with some strong smashes in the third and fourth sets which should offer the team plenty of options in the matches ahead.
The big difference was the home side’s two-man block where David stood out.
Black Hawks won the opening set and led 11-10 in the next but the home side won two points — one on a David smash and another on Suresh’s strong serve — and made 1-1.
The other sets were also close but Blue Spikers were lucky with the super point each time. Attacker Ashwal Rai topped Black Hawks’ charts with 15 points, including 11 smashes, while Alexander Gerard and left-handed attacker Carson were close behind.
Blue Spikers’ third win from as many matches brought it close to a semifinal berth.
The result: Kochi Blue Spikers bt Black Hawks Hyderabad 3-2 (12-15, 15-11, 15-12, 15-10, 14-15).
Sunday’s match: Kochi Blue Spikers v Calicut Heroes, 7 p.m.