Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 23: Goa Guardians qualified for the semi-finals after the Delhi Toofans defeated the Kolkata Thunderbolts 18-16, 11-15, 12-15, 15-11, 15-12 in the RR Kabel Prime Volleyball League powered by Scapia at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, on Wednesday. Saqlain Tariq was named the Player of the Match.
Goa will now play Mumbai Meteors in the first semi-final on Friday, October 24th, 2025.
“This is part of the journey. We are very happy that the team was able to come this far and play it to the wire! We will come back stronger next season, to fight for the trophy again! Until then, our sincerest gratitude to all the fans for their love and support, the players and support staff for their hard work, and the PVL management for putting together a great show!” signed off the inaugural season champions’ Chairman and Principal Owner, CA Pawan Kumar Patodia.
The game started with both teams attacking from the middle. Delhi’s Jesus Chourio made the first major dent. Ashwal Rai kept the pressure up for the Thunderbolts with strong spikes. A smart review call from coach Manoj Nair helped the Toofans win the first set.
Pankaj Sharma’s missile service put pressure on the Toofans’ defence. Ashwal kept up the pressure on Delhi’s libero Aljo Sabu. Matin Takavar made a super block on Chourio, and the Thunderbolts won the second set.
Aayush made two important blocks as Delhi regained composure. A risky super point for the Thunderbolts backfired with Carlos’ super spike. But Aayush’s overhit shot cost the Toofans a super point, and the Thunderbolts took the lead, winning the third set.
Losing two sets meant that Delhi were out of contention for a place in the semi-finals. But the result did little to deter Delhi skipper Saqlain Tariq from seeking a win. Abhishek Rajeev and Muhammed Jasim led their fightback. With a smart block from Jasim, Delhi pushed the game to the fifth set.
With Kolkata’s Matin off the court, Delhi began running the play from the middle, utilising both Jasim and Aayush. Matin’s return put pressure on the Toofans. But tremendous defending from libero Aljo helped the Toofans win a super point, and the Toofans scripted an unforgettable win, eliminating Kolkata.
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Divya Agarwal
