The volleyball players from the Bulgarian national team lost to the host Brazil with 0:3 (23:25, 17:25, 13:25) in their third match of the Nations League.
After a very strong first set, in which Marcelo Abbondanza's team was evenly matched almost until the last point, the Bulgarians gradually lost rhythm. Brazil pressed with their serve, increased their attack efficiency, and closed the match decisively.
The most productive player for Bulgaria was Alexandra Milanova with 9 points, while Borislava Sazhikova added 7. For Brazil, Tainara scored 14, and Ana Cristina finished with 13 points.
| Statistic | Brazil | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 41 | 29 |
| Block | 7 | 6 |
| Serve | 10 | 4 |
| Opponent errors | 17 | 14 |
| Total points | 75 | 53 |
Bulgaria was close to Brazil only in blocking, but the difference in attack and serve decided the match. 41 attack points against 29 show the serious superiority of the hosts, and 10 direct points from serves further rattled the reception of the Bulgarian team.
| Category | Brazil | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Digs | 68 | 66 |
| Reception | 50 | 65 |
| Setting | 97 | 94 |
The figures show that Bulgaria did not significantly concede in defense and even had better reception statistics, but the problem was in finishing attacks. Brazil converted more situations into direct points, while the Bulgarians often failed to materialize good rallies.
After the defeat, Bulgaria remains in 21st place in the world ranking with 159.23 points, losing only 0.56 points due to Brazil's higher position.
Bulgaria's last match of the first tournament is tomorrow against European champion Turkey.
photo:volleyballworld.com
