Bulgarian national player Aleksandar Nikolov and Iran's Foolad Sirjan qualified for the final of the Asian Volleyball Champions League. Nikolov's team defeated Japan's JTEKT Stings Aichi 3:0 (25:22, 25:19, 25:20) in a semi-final match of the tournament in Pontianak (Indonesia).
Aleksandar Nikolov was among the top scorers for the winners, finishing with 14 points, all scored in attack. The top scorer for Foolad Sirjan was Poriya with 16 points, including 4 aces, and Hadji added another 16 points.
Foolad Sirjan showed significant superiority, especially in attack and from serve. The Iranian team scored 51 points in attack against 34 for the Japanese squad, and 8 aces against just 2 for their opponent.
| Statistic | JTEKT Stings Aichi | Foolad Sirjan Iranian |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 34 | 51 |
| Block | 3 | 2 |
| Serve | 2 | 8 |
| Points from opponent errors | 15 | 10 |
| Total points | 54 | 71 |
The statistics clearly show the difference in offensive efficiency between the two teams. Foolad Sirjan dominated in attack and put serious pressure from the serve, which proved decisive for the straight-set victory.
| Top Scorers | Points |
|---|---|
| Poriya (Foolad Sirjan) | 16 |
| Hadji (Foolad Sirjan) | 16 |
| Aleksandar Nikolov (Foolad Sirjan) | 14 |
| Boyer (JTEKT Stings) | 15 |
Foolad Sirjan's individual statistics also highlight the strong performance of the main scorers. Nikolov was stable in attack, while Poriya and Hadji inflicted significant damage from serve and finishing attacks.
In the final, Aleksandar Nikolov and his teammates from Foolad Sirjan will await the winner of the second semifinal between Indonesia's Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi and South Korea's Hyundai Capital Skywalkers.
