Sport - Volleyball

Indian Navy records win

NELLORE: Barring a third set reversal, Indian Navy, Kochi faced few problems in subduing Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), Hyderabad 25-17, 25-13, 25-27, 25-12 in a Group A men’s match of the National volleyball league at the A.C. Subba Reddy Sports Complex here on Monday.

Central Railway, Mumbai defeated Southern Railway, Chennai 24-26, 25-13, 25-17, 25-17 in the women’s section.

Superior court sense would have set apart the Navy squad, especially its judgement of the outgoing ball.

Bolstered by considerable bench strength, timely substitutions kept its attack fresh, evident from the variation in its spiking.

Individual skills of its frontline, very much visible through Manu Babu’s spiking or Boby Xavier’s drops, ensured the side combined well as a team. So did Siju Joseph contribute to that cohesion through his reverse or sideways flipped drops that unerringly picked gaps on the rival turf.

His stationary serves in the fourth set, seemingly innocuous stuff, found the corner of the rival half, three times on the trot.

In earlier matches, he could be seen using his right foot quite nonchalantly, to mop up some low retrieves.

Superlative setting by Central Railway and Indian skipper Vaishali Phadtare, backed up by effective spiking from Priyanka Bora and Hemlatha Ursal, took the Mumbai side virtually to the top of the women’s league.

Barring an upset by SAI, Thalasserry, which has lost all its matches so far, the crown, that carries a Rs. 1 lakh purse, is well within Central Railway’s grasp.

The results: Men: Group A: Indian Navy bt SAAP 25-17, 25-13, 25-27, 25-12. Women: Central Railway bt Southern Railway 24-26, 25-13, 25-17, 25-17.

Sunday’s results: Men: Group B: ONGC, Dehradun bt Karnataka Police 25-22, 25-18, 25-18.

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