Manipal vs Jodhpur Institute of Engineering and Technology (JIET), the first volleyball match of BOSM, started off under the moonlit sky, with a lot of excitement among the spectators. The BOSM English Press got an opportunity to talk to the JIET team just before the match. The team was very confident about their game-plan and spoke greatly about their physical fitness. Although they wished they had an opportunity to practise under the lights first, they were confident enough to start aggressively and not hold back their spikes. The Manipal team formed a huddle and then walked onto the court with their “choo!!” shout, while the JIET team jogged on with calmness on their faces. Manipal won the toss and chose to serve first.

JIET got the scoreboard ticking through a solid block executed by their middle blocker. Manipal was quick to equalise through a fierce smash by Bharmal, the team captain. They went on to win 3 consecutive points. A lot of unforced errors by JIET ensured that Manipal held onto their lead throughout the first set. Manipal’s star spiker, Bharmal’s smashes made sure that his team won the first set with a comfortable scoreline of 25-10. The JIET team—seeming quite worried—went right back to their dugout to regroup and discuss strategies.

The second half began with everyone expecting Manipal to floor JIET, but what followed was a game of long rallies, aggressive spikes and strategic defensive blocks. The first six points were equally shared between both the teams. This excited JIET’s supporters, who had witnessed a rather one sided set, and the decibel levels grew correspondingly. The deadlock was finally broken when JIET’s Barmer won a point with a perfectly timed block. Subsequently, JIET scored through a couple of spikes and went on to take the lead for the first time in the match. Manipal fought hard and levelled the scores right back. Most of the second half went on similarly, with momentum swinging constantly towards both teams. In the end, it was the unforced errors of JIET which proved to be fatal. Bharmal continued to score crucial spike points and clearly proved to be the difference between the teams in the second set. Manipal presented themselves with a match point by Harsh smashing the ball right between two JIET players. The match point was won by Bharmal, who was in top form since the first whistle. The set ended with the scoreboard flashing 25-21.

Manipal’s top player and captain – Bharmal talked to BEP after the match. Surprisingly, he wasn’t quite satisfied with their performance. He expected them to win much earlier. Talking about his expectations from the team, he wants to improve the team’s performance as the tournament progresses. He hopes to play the final and believes this win shall give them the confidence to reach there. Since this was the first group game, Manipal sits at the top of the table, for now.