Badlapur, Thane: Host Mumbai, along with Kolhapur and Latur, secured semi-final berths in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Cup State-Level Volleyball Tournament organised jointly by the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services, the Maharashtra Volleyball Association and the Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council at the Badlapur Gymkhana grounds in Hendrepada.
In the Under-21 Girls’ category, Mumbai registered their second successive victory by defeating Pune 25-19, 25-19. Shivapriya Paniker, Divya Mehta and Vedika Samgir delivered standout performances as Mumbai held their nerve in a closely fought contest till the closing stages.
Nagpur kept their campaign alive in the same category with a dominant 25-5, 25-6 victory over Sambhajinagar.
In the Under-18 Boys’ category, Kolhapur produced a strong comeback performance to defeat Mumbai 26-28, 25-21, 15-12 and confirm their place in the semi-finals.
Mumbai had taken the opening set through the attacking play of Mehul Tajne and Yash Shetty, but Kolhapur bounced back strongly in the next two sets. Vaibhav Dhage’s powerful smashes and Nikhil Wagh’s accurate passing proved decisive as Kolhapur turned the match around.
Latur also booked a semi-final spot after defeating Pune 25-19, 25-21 in another league encounter. International players Shriyash Khandekar, Suvez Shaikh and Faizan Shaikh starred for Latur with an impressive all-round display.
Pune must now defeat Amravati in their final match to stay in contention for the semi-finals.
In the Under-18 Girls’ category, defending champions Latur suffered a heartbreaking defeat against Kolhapur. Despite spirited efforts from international players Gayatri Nande and Shruti Raut, Latur lost 25-20, 21-25, 16-14 in a thrilling contest. Following the defeat, several Latur players were seen in tears on the court.
