BSNL clinch second phase

Volleyball KVL: LIC defeat DYSS in thriller to finish second on table

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) outclassed Karnataka State Police (KSP) 25-12, 25-21, 25-18 to emerge winners in the second phase of the inaugural Karnataka Volley League (KVL) at the Sree Kanteerava stadium on Saturday.    

BSNL, State ‘A’ Division champions, finished the second phase with 14 points from five matches, winning all their games, to top the table.  

In an earlier match, LIC beat DYSS 25-21, 21-25, 25-21, 25-15 to take the second place with their fourth win of the phase as they ended their campaign with 11 points from five matches.  

In the BSNL-KSP match, the former showed their overwhelming superiority in great style in the first set. The dangerous trio of Ravi Kumar, Anup D’Costa and Sujith executed smashes relentlessly to reduce the set to a no-contest.
KSP offered some challenge initially through Nagesh and Girish but the resistance withered soon after.

BSNL took a commanding 16-9 lead as D’Costa leapt and smashed his way past the KSP blockers and Kumar played a superb all-round game. Without any difficulty, BSNL grabbed the first set 25-12 and were on their way.  

The second set saw BSNL opening up a six-point lead at 7-1. For a while, the Cops did the chasing act pretty well as they levelled scores at 10-10 to take the attack to the opposition. 

Kumar and Sujith were firing on all cylinders for BSNL with their penetrating smashes and blocks complementing D’Costa’s booming smashes. They went ahead at 14-12 and maintained the lead to pocket the set 25-21.  
Nagesh was the only saving grace for KSP with his occasional point winning smashes.

In the third set, BSNL started slowly with scores tied at 5-5 at one stage. But very quickly the Policemen were put on the mat with BSNL taking a four-point lead at 12-8.

Then D’Costa along with Kumar and Sujith blew away the KSP defence as they accumulated points at will with their dominating game to close out the match 25-18.

Results: LIC bt DYSS 25-21, 21-25, 25-21, 25-15; BSNL bt KSP 25-12, 25-21, 25-18; ASC bt MEG 25-23, 25-27, 25-20, 25-18.