PVL 2024: “Super 5s is good for all teams,” says Calicut Heroes captain Jerome Vinith
The third season of the Prime Volleyball League (PVL), set to begin at the SDAT muti-purpose Nehru indoor stadium on Thursday, was officially launched at the Taj Club House here on Wednesday.
The league CEO Joy Bhattacharjya and Baseline Ventures Pvt. Ltd. Co-founder and Managing Director (MD) Tuhin Mishra were present with the nine team captains.
Ahmedabad Defenders, Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Chennai Blitz, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Kochi Blue Spikers, Kolkata Thunderbolts, Mumbai Meteors, and this season’s entrant Delhi Toofans are the nine teams.
This season, which ends on March 21, will see the introduction of Super 5s. The Super 5s stage will take place from March 11 to 18, when the top five teams from the league stage will compete in a round-robin format.
The team that finishes first in the Super 5s will directly qualify for the final, while the second-placed and the third-placed teams will compete in the eliminator on March 19 to decide the other finalist.
On Super 5s, Calicut Heroes captain Jerome Vinith said: “It’s good for all the teams because it’s very difficult to show our potential in 15 points. The semifinal is just one match, and 15 points is very short-term. It’s very nice of Prime Volleyball to add this thing.”
Every match will be played for five sets, and each set will be played for 15 points.
A 5-0 win will bring the team three points, while any other win will bring two points. In case of a tie in the number of points in the standings, the sets won will be considered.
The eliminator and final will be played in the standard best-of-five format.
A team may call for a Super Point before it gets to 11 points in the set to double its point if it wins the rally. However, if that team loses the rally, the opponent wins two points.
If a serve lands untouched on the opponent’s court, it’s a Super Serve that earns the serving team two points.
Speaking on the occasion, Joy Bhattacharjya said: “Indian players, other than cricketers, normally don’t get the credit they deserve. We want this to be the league where whatever happens, the players get the best facilities, coaching, nutrition, physios, and mental health to give their best performance.
“All we need to do is make sure that these players are celebrated. If we want these players to do well, we must support them. All we want is for Chennai to come out and support them the way they have been supporting them for the last two or three years. We are confident that will happen.”
He added that international coaches bring new perspectives to Indian volleyball through the league.
“Teams have now got international coaches. I’m delighted about the Indian coaches, but international coaches also bring fresh, new perspectives into Indian volleyball.”
Defending champion Ahmedabad Defenders will face Chennai Blitz in the inaugural match of the season.