In the league standings last year, Kolkata had finished second with eight points. Benglauru Torpedoes had narrowly failed to qualify for play-offs after finishing fifth with six points.
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Defending champions Kolkata Thunderbolts kick-off the Prime Volleyball League 2023 season when they take on Benglauru Torpedoes on Saturday. The contest in Benglauru will be difficult to call for various reasons. Being the defending champions, Kolkata will be filled with confidence and will be keen to start this season on a positive note. However, the home support will be for Torpedoes, which could give them extra motivation to do well in front of their supporters.
This game will begin the second season of the PVL and what better way to start than to see the defending champions in action in the opener itself. Kolkata Thunderbolts lifted the title last year after overcoming Ahmedabad Defenders 15-13, 15-10, 15-12 in the final. That edition had seven teams, with a total of 24 matches happening between them. In the league standings last year, Kolkata had finished second with eight points. The runners-up Ahmedabad had topped the table with 10 points.
Benglauru Torpedoes had narrowly failed to qualify for play-offs after finishing fifth with six points. In the end, Benglauru had won three and lost three. It is something they would be keen to rectify this campaign, as they would like to add more consistency to their game. On the other hand, Kolkata Thunderbolts had won four and lost two in the league phase. They would be keen to mount another deep run in the competition, as they bid to defend their title.
Read More – Prime Volleyball League 2023: Live Streaming, When and Where to Watch, Format, Rules, Participating Nations, Schedule & Results
Bengaluru Torpedoes will begin the second season of the Prime Volleyball League with a new coach in David Lee. It is important to note that Lee, who is a three-time Olympian, is beginning his coaching journey with the Torpedoes after ending his playing career, as he also took part in the first season of the PVL. He featured in the lineup of Calicutt Heroes as a player last season. Notably, Lee had won a gold with the USA Volleyball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
On the other hand, Kolkata Thunderbolts will be eager to retain the title with Narayan Alva as the head coach of their team. Besides, Ashwal Rai, will be continuing as the captain of the squad for season two of the Prime Volleyball as well. Most notably, the team had recently unveiled their mascot ‘Toofan, The Tiger’ and also launched their new ‘away’ jersey.
| Kolkata Thunderbolts | Ahmedabad Defenders |
| Calicut Heroes | Kochi Blue Spikers |
| Hyderabad Black Hawks | Chennai Blitz |
| Bengaluru Torpedoes | Mumbai Meteors |
| Date | Match | Time (IST) |
| 4 February | Benglauru Torpedoes vs Kolkata Thunderbolts | 7 pm |
The Prime Volleyball League 2023, which is held from February 4 to March 5, will consist of 31 matches. The games commence at 7pm. On the double header days, the second match begins at 9:30pm. The Season 2 will be broadcast exclusively by Sony Sports Network across Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 3 and Sony Sports Ten 4. It can also be livestreamed on SonyLIV. Besides, the 2nd edition of the PVL will be streamed globally on Volleyball World across all countries (except the Indian Subcontinent).
