The Bulgarian women's national team suffered a heavy defeat to host Thailand with a score of 0:3 (22:25, 20:25, 17:25) in their second match of the second week of the Volleyball Nations League. After the loss, Marcello Abbondanza's team dropped to the penultimate 17th place in the provisional standings with only one victory, with only the Dominican Republic remaining behind the Bulgarians.
The Thai team entered the match after a dramatic 2:3 loss to debutant Ukraine, but against Bulgaria, they showed a much more stable game and deservedly achieved a clean victory in front of their home crowd.
Bulgaria started confidently and took a 19:13 lead after strong performances by Mira Paskova, Mikaela Stoyanova, and an ace by Borislava Saykova. Instead of closing the set, the national team conceded a series of six consecutive points to Thailand, who equalized at 19:19. In the decisive rallies, the hosts were more concentrated and won the first set 25:22.
In the second set, the Bulgarians took a 5:2 lead, but Thailand gradually equalized and turned the tide. At 13:13, the match was completely open, but the hosts imposed a higher tempo in attack and decisively pulled away at the end for 25:20.
The third set began with a 7:4 lead for the Asian team. Bulgaria narrowed the deficit to 10:11 and 11:12, but a series of successful attacks by Kokram Pimpichaya and Janthawisut Sasipapron ultimately tipped the scales. Thailand closed the match with a convincing 25:17.
Team Statistics
| Category | Thailand | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 43 | 34 |
| Block | 10 | 9 |
| Ace | 6 | 3 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 16 | 13 |
| Total points | 75 | 59 |
Thailand was more effective in all key elements of the game. The most significant superiority came in attack, where the hosts scored 43 points against 34 for Bulgaria. The difference in serving was also noticeable – 6 aces versus just 3 for the Bulgarian team.
Additional Statistics
| Category | Thailand | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Digs | 81 | 73 |
| Reception | 55 | 68 |
| Organized attacks | 107 | 101 |
Interestingly, Bulgaria finished with better reception statistics – 68 against 55. However, the national team players failed to convert the quality reception into sufficiently effective attacks. Thailand demonstrated excellent defensive work with 81 saved balls and managed to neutralize a large portion of the Bulgarian team's attacks.
Top scorers
| Thailand | Points | Bulgaria | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sasipapron | 21 | Mira Paskova | 11 |
| Pimpichaya | 18 | Aleksandra Milanova | 11 |
Thailand's two main scorers contributed a total of 39 points and were key to their success. For Bulgaria, there was no player to carry a greater attacking burden, with Mira Paskova and Aleksandra Milanova remaining the top scorers with 11 points each.
The loss had serious consequences for the world rankings as well. Thailand made an impressive leap of five positions and is now 20th in the world. Bulgaria lost four spots and dropped to 26th position.
Photo:volleyballworld.com
