Hyderabad’s Black Hawks kicked off the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) Season 4 with a thrilling upset, beating defending champions Calicut Heroes 15-12, 18-16, 18-16 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium. Paulo Lamounier earned Player of the Match honors for his steady performance that kept the home team in control.
Early on, Calicut’s Vikas Maan dominated with strong blocks, shutting down Hyderabad’s attacks. Coach Sunny Joseph smartly started Rajasthan’s Ashok Bishnoi, and the attacker fired up his team with aggressive plays that gave the Heroes an edge.
But Hyderabad fought back hard. Sahil Kumar sparked the counterattack, helping the Black Hawks seize the lead as Calicut struggled with shaky first touches that killed their rhythm.
Shameem boosted Calicut’s flow when he hit the court, yet Paulo’s discipline held Hyderabad steady. Ashok nailed a key super point to keep Calicut in the fight, while Vitor Yudi Yamamoto’s sharp cross-court attacks kept pressuring the champions and put the hosts firmly ahead.
Bishnoi’s back-to-back super serves flipped the momentum again, firing up the Calicut fans in the stands, known as the Red Army. Hyderabad responded with firepower from Niyas and 2023 MVP Guru Prashanth, exploiting Calicut’s defensive gaps.
Calicut clung to their super serve for two vital points, but Hyderabad called their own. Niyas sliced through the gaps once more, sealing the win for the Black Hawks in a nail-biter of a PVL opener.
In other PVL Season 4 news, title hopefuls Bengaluru Torpedoes are gearing up for a strong run in the growing league. Their head coach, U.S. two-time Olympic medalist Lee, is determined to grab the trophy after coming close as runners-up in Season 2.
“Our goal is 100% to win—every year,” Lee said. “We’ve always been close, but fallen just short. This team is way better than last season, and we’re ready.”
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