Sport - Volleyball

Kerala outclasses Tamil Nadu

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

BREEZING THROUGH: Kerala’s Sheeba P.V. essays a smash in her team’s comfortable win over Tamil Nadu.

BANGALORE: Kerala women brushed aside the challenge from Tamil Nadu on the penultimate day of the 15th South Zone Senior National volleyball championship, conducted by the J.P. Nagar Sports Club, here on Saturday.

Kerala women won 25-12, 25-17, 25-5.

Before the next match between host Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh could get underway, the skies opened to put the organisers in a fix. Sunday is the last day of the championship.

Sheeba P.V. spiked hard from all angles and with the tall Tiji Raju also playing her heart out, the Kerala girls were on a roll in the first set before easing out in the second.

TN’s Vasanthi and Mahalakshmi took advantage of the loose play to run the rivals close but the allround supremacy of the Kerala women saw them through. In the third with the threat of rain looming, Kerala wasted little time in finishing off the match.

Late last night, Karnataka men survived a tough opening set against Tamil Nadu and then had it easy in the next two. Karnataka won 25-23, 25-16, 25-22.

Ragul, the Southern Railway star in the TN ranks, flopped, thus enabling the host the leeway to sneak through.

Ragul never recovered his form and despite some brilliant setting by TN captain Thavachelvan, the team was kept at bay by some fine showing by Karnataka at the net.

Kerala men pounded AP in the night’s last encounter to give themselves a shot at the title.

Kerala men won 25-18, 29-27, 25-22.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu