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The second edition of the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) is set to be held in the first week of February 2023.
Ahead the auction taking place in Kolkata in October, Muthoot Pappachan Group-owned volleyball team Kochi Blue Spikers has retained three players ahead of the 2023 PVL.
The players have been contracted for two years. Each franchise has been allowed to retain a maximum of three members from their respective teams and the Kochi-based team has fully utilized the option.
Attacker Erin Varghese, middle blocker Dushyant G. N, and Libero Venu Chikkana are the three players who have been retained. Despite the outcome, Varghese played a vital part in most games for the Kochi Blue Spikers in the first edition of the competition, which was held in Hyderabad.
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Kochi to host the 2023 edition of Prime Volleyball League:
The second edition of the 2023 Prime Volleyball League will be hosted by Kochi, the primary venue for the upcoming edition of the tournament. Some of the matches will also be held in Ahmedabad.
Speaking about hosting the upcoming edition as well as retaining players, the owner of Kochi Blue Spikers, Thomas Muthoot, in an official statement, said:
“We are looking forward to a successful season next year. We have initiated advance arrangements prepping for the season, which includes taking feedback from the experts of the game and pre-season training strategies. We have retained three players and looking forward to recruiting the best talents to form a formidable side. We are committed to do our best toward this beautiful sport and the fans of Kochi Blue Spikers.”
In what was a thrilling and successful first edition, Ashwal Rai-led Kolkata Thunderbolts were crowned champions of the inaugural edition of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League held earlier this year.
The Kolkata Thunderbolts exhibited an incredible all-round performance to humble the Ahmedabad Defenders 3-0 (15-13, 15-10, 15-12) to clinch the inaugural Prime Volleyball League (PVL) title at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on February 28, 2022.
Having had solid leads in matches but then failing to capitalize on the momentum has hurt Kochi in the past.
The Kochi Blue Spikers fell short on several occasions to finish seventh in the table. However, this time around, they will look forward to bouncing back by assessing their mistakes.
