The third season of the Prime Volleyball League is set to start in Chennai on February 15.

After resounding success in the first two seasons, the league has added some new features to add more flavour to the competition. Firstly, a ninth team Delhi Toofans joins the earlier eight. Next, the league has decided to include an exciting Super 5’s stage for the new season.

In the Super 5s stage, the top five teams from the league stage will compete in a round-robin format to determine the final three teams. The team finishing first in the Super 5s will earn direct qualification for the final, while the teams finishing in the second and third places will compete in the Eliminator to book a berth in the final.

Ashwal Rai, who has led the Kolkata Thunderbolts in the first two seasons, and who will wear the captain’s hat in Season 3 as well, can’t wait for the league to begin.

The Thunderbolts were champions in the inaugural season and fell in the semi-finals to Bengaluru Torpedoes in the next.

“What happened in the last edition is behind us now,” Rai told The Telegraph from Mysore where the Thunderbolts are having their camp. “Yes, we were playing brilliantly and were on course to retaining the title. But that day in the semi-finals, it was Ahmedabad which was the better team. Such things happen and we certainly are not wasting time brooding over that loss.

“It’s a new year, a new season and most importantly we now have a new coach in the very experienced Iranian Rahman Mohammadirad and an assistant coach in Davoud Moghbeli.

“We have a new strategy this year and the training sessions under Mohammadirad have been a major learning experience for us all. Our new coach has shown us how minor changes in tactics can make a lot of difference on the court,” Rai said.

According to Sumedh Patodia, team director of the Thunderbolts who will, in this season, also double up as the Coordinator, PVL marketing and Ops Committee, the change in format was necessary so that it does not come down to a team being eliminated simply on the grounds of one bad day. “The new format gives the teams multiple chances. One setback will not mean an outright ouster, as it was in the earlier seasons,” said Sumedh.

Coach Mohammadirad also believes in relaxation along with intense training. Hence the boys also took a break and went to the Bandipur National Park and came back rejuvenated after having sighted a tiger.

Back to training, the boys are focused on reclaiming their lost crown.

Prime Volleyball League Season 3 will be telecast live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD from February 15