Date:21/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/21/stories/2008122155191600.htm

Sport - Volleyball

Kerala downs Bengal

Special Correspondent

VISAKHAPATNAM: For holder Kerala women, their first league match in the 57th senior National volleyball championships for the ONGC Cup at the Port indoor stadium here late on Saturday evening turned out to be a tough one as West Bengal made them strain their every sinew before going down 1-3.

Runner-up Railways, however, scored a straight-set win over Chandigarh in pool B.

In the men’s section runner-up Tamil Nadu combined well to beat Karnataka 3-1 in its first match in men’s pool B match in the.

But on the distaff side, which saw both sides clashing in pool B, it was the turn of Karnataka to prevail over Tamil Nadu with better coordination.

Andhra Pradesh men beat Gujarat 3-1 in pool C after losing first set.

The results: league: Men: Pool B: Tamil Nadu bt Karnataka 25-28, 30-32, 25-20, 25-28. Pool C: AP bt Gujarat 21-25, 25-15, 25-17, 25-13; Chandigarh bt Jharkhand 25-15, 29-27, 25-16. Pool D: Orissa bt Himachal Pradesh 25-20, 26-24, 25-26. Pool E: Rajasthan bt Goa 25-29, 25-22, 25-21; Maharashtra bt West Bengal 27-25, 25-28, 33-31.

Women: Pool A: Kerala bt West Bengal 26-24, 24-26, 25-13, 26-24. Pool B: Railways bt Chandigarh 25-9, 25-4, 25-13; Karnataka bt Tamil Nadu 25-22, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21. Pool C: Jharkhand bt Mizoram 18-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-16; Uttar Pradesh bt Rajasthan 25-13, 25-10, 25-16; Jharkhand bt Mizoram 18-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-16. Pool D: Gujarat bt Bihar 25-22, 25-11, 25-23. Pool E: Delhi bt Himachal Pradesh 25-21, 16-25, 28-26, 25-19.