PVL 2024: Mumbai Meteors returns to winning ways after comeback win against Bengaluru Torpedoes

Mumbai Meteors edged Bengaluru Torpedoes with a topsy-turvy 3-2 victory in the Prime Volleyball League season three at the SDAT Multi-purpose Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday.

Both teams had a lot to prove after their previous losses, with Bengaluru 0-3 losing to Delhi Toofans and Mumbai 2-3 to Hyderabad Black Hawks.

Riding on Sethu TR’s clinical service, Bengaluru claimed four consecutive points, which included a super-serve, taking a 4-0 lead in the first set.

On the other side, Shubham Chaudhary kept Mumbai’s fire alive as his attack sailed through three blockers and touched Bengaluru’s libero Midhun Kumar, who failed to retrieve it.

Bengaluru never seemed to be in trouble throughout the first set despite Mumbai’s attempt to narrow the gap to 6-8 as the former eased its way to win 15-8.

While the first set was a Shubham show for Mumbai, the second saw Ammarambath Shameemudheen join the scoresheet to help his team lead 3-2.

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Despite Bengaluru’s combination block by Sethu and Srajan Shetty, Mumbai held ground to secure the second set 15-12. It dictated the pace of the set with its trio, Ajithlal C, Amit Gulia and Saurabh Maan, joining the party after being silenced by Bengaluru initially.

Mumbai dominated the third set, winning close to seven consecutive points to go to 11-4 and eventually taking a 2-1 lead with a 15-10 win.

Its service faults, however, cost it dearly as the neck-to-neck fourth set, at five points each, swung the opponent’s way.

Bengaluru had improved its defence by triple blocking Shubham with Srajan, Sethu and Thomas Heptinstall. With a super point win by Heptinstall, followed by Mujeeb MC’s attack, Bengaluru won 15-11 and dragged the game to the fifth set.

Five successive points in the final set nearly sealed the game for Mumbai, which was at 14-6. Coincidentally, Sethu, whose serve gained praise in the first set, committed a service mistake finally surrendering the match to Mumbai.