National Volleyball: Easy win for Tamil Nadu, Railways

Reigning champions Tamil Nadu (men) and the Indian Railways (women) could not have asked for a better outing as both scored fluent victories in the preliminary league of the Velammal Silver Jubilee Senior National volleyball championships, here Monday.

Tamil Nadu outplayed Punjab 25-19, 25-15, 25-19 while the Railways brushed aside Andhra Pradesh 25-15, 25-11, 25-22.

Meanwhile, Kerala, semi-finalists last year, won a hard-fought 25-22, 16-25, 25-22, 25-20 win against the Services in a men’s Group A match that could have gone either way.

Kerala just about managed to keep their nose in front with the Services giving as good as they got, but failing to raise their game at critical moments.

In men’s Group D, Delhi, down by two sets, chalked out their second consecutive win by defeating Goa 22-25, 19-25, 25-19, 32-30, 15-12.

The results (preliminary league):

Men: Group A – Kerala bt Services 25-22, 16-25, 25-22, 25-20; Tamil Nadu bt Punjab 25-19, 25-15, 25-19.
Group C – Orissa bt Uttar Pradesh 25-18, 27-25, 23-25, 26-24; Gujarat bt Jammu and Kashmir 25-21, 31-29, 25-19.
Group D: Delhi bt Goa 22-25, 19-25, 25-19, 32-30, 15-12; West Bengal bt Puducherry 25-17, 25-21, 25-20.

Group E: Assam bt Andaman 25-17, 25-17, 25-14.
Women: Group A – Railways bt Andhra Pradesh 25-15, 25-11, 25-22.
Group B: Kerala bt Jharkhand 25-5, 25-8, 25-21.
Group C: Uttar Pradesh bt Bihar 25-6, 25-12, 25-11.
Group D: Andaman bt J and K 19-25, 17-25, 25-15, 25-18, 15-8. Orissa bt Uttarakhand 25-15, 25-9, 25-13.
Group E: Rajasthan bt Tripura 25-21, 25-16, 25-18.
Group F: Himachal Pradesh bt Chhatisgarh 25-21,25-17,25-17; Delhi bt Assam 25-14, 25-17, 25-12.