CHENNAI: The Bengaluru Torpedoes bagged a massive comeback win over the Ahmedabad Defenders in the Super 5s stage of the Prime Volleyball League at the Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai, on Tuesday. Despite going down two sets early on, the Torpedoes won the match 14-16, 7-15, 16-14, 15-9, 15-13.
Nandhagopal’s aggressive play from the service line kept the Torpedoes’ defence on its toes, while Thomas Heptinstall kept the attack going solid. Max Senica and Angamuthu kept piling early pressure to keep the scores ticking but a couple of Torpedoes attacks went wayward and it helped the Defenders take an early lead.
Jishnu’s blocks provided an edge to the Bengaluru defence. But Sethu’s misfiring serves hurt the Torpedoes. Ilya Burau and Shikhar Singh combined together to shackle Bengaluru’s attacks, while Nandha’s super serves kept the momentum Ahmedabad’s way. The unforced errors piled up for the Torpedoes again and Ahmedabad took control.
Mujeeb provided such much-needed energy in defence in the third set. Ibin’s fiery spike earned the Torpedoes a super point, opening up doors for a comeback. Sethu found new lease of life in attacks, while libero Midhun’s crucial save rejuvenated Bengaluru’s spirits, pushing the match to the fifth set.
Paulo’s impressive set-ups for pipe attacks allowed Jishnu to show his attacking flair, while also freeing up Pankaj. Shikhar made impressive blocks to keep the game swayed in Ahmedabad’s favour, but Jishnu’s monster block on Nandha brought two teams back to neck-and-neck. Sethu’s shots helped Torpedoes steal important points, while Angamuthu’s overhit proved costly, giving Bengaluru a sensational win.