Panjim (Goa) [India], August 16 (ANI): Black Hawks U21 (Hyderabad) were crowned champions of the inaugural Guardians Trophy 2026 after defeating hosts Goa Guardians U21 3-1 in the final at the Don Bosco Oratory, Panjim, on Sunday.
The victory brought the curtain down on three days of U21 volleyball in Goa, with the youth squads of all 10 Prime Volleyball League franchises competing on one platform for the inaugural Guardians Trophy title, according to a press release.
After 20 group-stage matches and two semifinals, Goa Guardians U21 and Black Hawks U21 (Hyderabad) emerged as the final two, setting up a fitting conclusion to the tournament.
Hosts Goa Guardians U21 had to dig deep in their semifinal, overcoming Mumbai Meteors Youth 3-2 in a five-set battle.
Mumbai took the opening set 16-14 before Goa responded to win the next two 15-12 and 15-10. Mumbai forced the contest into a deciding fifth set with a 15-12 victory in the fourth, but Goa held their nerve when it mattered most, taking the decider 15-10 to book their place in the final.
In the second semifinal, Hyderabad Black Hawks U21 produced a commanding performance against Ahmedabad Defenders U21, winning in straight sets.
Hyderabad edged a closely contested opening set 16-14 before taking the second 15-9. Ahmedabad pushed them again in the third, but Hyderabad closed it out 16-14 to secure a 3-0 victory and their place in the championship match.
The final brought together a Goa side that had gone through the entire group stage unbeaten and a Hyderabad team arriving on the back of an impressive straight-sets semifinal victory.
Hyderabad made the stronger start, taking the opening set 16-7. Backed by the home crowd, Goa responded in the second, winning 15-11 to level the final and keep their hopes of lifting the trophy on home soil alive.
The third proved pivotal. With little separating the two teams, Hyderabad edged the set 16-14 to move within one set of the championship.
The Black Hawks then took control of the fourth, winning 15-8 to complete a 3-1 victory and become the first-ever champions of the Guardians Trophy.
Final Score: Goa Guardians U21 1-3 Hyderabad Black Hawks U21 7-16, 15-11, 14-16, 8-15
Guardians Trophy 2026 Individual Awards
MVP of the Tournament: Sarthak - Hyderabad
Best Server: Sarthak - Hyderabad
Best Opposite: Sarthak - Hyderabad
Best Attacker: Deepak - Hyderabad
Best Blocker: Suraj - Goa
Best Setter: Arjun - Goa
Best Libero: Yogesh - Goa
The conclusion of the Guardians Trophy marks the completion of the inaugural edition of a tournament created by Goa Guardians to provide India's emerging volleyball players with a competitive platform at the franchise level.
The tournament brought together the U21 setups of all 10 Prime Volleyball League franchises in Goa, giving young players the opportunity to represent their respective franchises and compete against some of the best talent in their age group.
Winning Prize Money: INR 120,000 (Hyderabad Black Hawks U21)
Runners-Up Prize Money: INR 60,000 (Goa Guardians U21). (ANI)
Black Hawks U21 crowned inaugural Guardians Trophy 2026 champions
