Ljubljana. The Bulgarian national team recorded one of its biggest victories in the last decade, after defeating world champion Italy 3:2 (18:25, 25:20, 25:23, 19:25, 15:9) in its first match of the Ljubljana tournament in the Nations League.
The success has historical significance. For the first time since 2012, Bulgarian volleyball players defeated the "Azzurri," breaking a 14-year streak without success against one of the world's powerhouses (we last defeated them in the preliminary group of the London Olympics, editor's note). The victory also came against Italy, the team ranked first in the world, which just a year ago triumphed with the world title after defeating Bulgaria in the final of the global championship in the Philippines.
In addition to the prestigious success, the national team also earned 11.32 points for the world ranking, climbing to eighth place with a total of 266.32 points. With this loss, the Italians are once again second in the world. Poland is first.
Bulgaria was the better team.
Although Italy scored more direct points from service – 12 against 8, the other key indicators were in favor of Gianlorenzo Blengini's selection.
Bulgaria finished with 53 attack points against 44 for the opponent and dominated in blocking with 15 points against 12. The national team was also more stable in defensive actions, recording 61 digs against 54 for the Italians, as well as 82 successful receptions against 78.
Even more indicative is the number of errors. The Italians gave away 34 points to Bulgaria against 26 for the Bulgarian squad, which also proved to be a decisive factor for the final outcome of the match.
| Statistic | Bulgaria | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 53 | 44 |
| Block | 15 | 12 |
| Ace | 8 | 12 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 34 | 26 |
| Digs | 61 | 54 |
| Reception | 82 | 78 |
Bulgaria compensated for the deficit in serving with stronger net play and significantly better attack efficiency. The national team was more organized in defense and forced the Italians to make more unforced errors.
The top scorer for Bulgaria was Aleksandar Nikolov with 19 points, of which 17 were from attack and 2 from block. The receiver once again demonstrated his leadership qualities in the most crucial moments of the match.
Martin Atanasov also played a strong match, adding 14 points, including 2 aces and 2 blocks. Asparuh Asparuhov finished with 13 points, while middle blockers Iliya Petkov and Alex Grozdanov each recorded 10 points.
However, the true orchestrator of the success was Simeon Nikolov. The young setter scored 9 points, including 3 aces, and excellently organized the Bulgarian team's attack throughout the match. Rusi Zhelev had a good contribution, playing as libero.
| Player | Total points | Attack | Block | Ace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aleksandar Nikolov | 19 | 17 | 2 | 0 |
| Martin Atanasov | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| Asparuh Asparuhov | 13 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| Iliya Petkov | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Alex Grozdanov | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Simeon Nikolov | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
The statistics show an excellent distribution of points in the Bulgarian squad. Six players finished with at least 9 points, which made Bulgaria's attack difficult to predict for Italy's defense.
The comeback against the champions
After losing the first set 18:25, the Bulgarian national team found the right rhythm. The second set was won 25:20 after a series of strong performances by Alex Nikolov and Asparuh Asparuhov.
The third set became a key moment. Moni Nikolov scored two consecutive aces for an 18:15 lead, and at the end, the double block by Iliya Petkov and Alex Nikolov brought a set point at 24:22. Alex Nikolov closed the set 25:23.
Italy managed to equalize after 25:19 in the fourth set, but in the decisive tie-break, Bulgaria showed class. The national team took a 7:5 lead after an attack by Alex Nikolov, and then an ace by Iliya Petkov and a series of successful blocks increased the lead to 13:7.
At 14:8, Bulgaria reached six match points. The Italians saved the first, but Asparuh Asparuhov ended the match with an attack for the final 15:9 and the historic victory.
After more than a decade of waiting, Bulgaria once again found its way to success against Italy, which is the reigning world champion and one of the favorites for the Nations League title.
Bulgaria is now in the Top 8 of the Nations League
The victory over world champion Italy not only brought valuable points for the world ranking but also elevated Bulgaria to seventh place in the temporary standings of the Nations League. After five played matches, the national team has 3 wins, 2 losses, and 8 points, which places them in the quarter-final zone.
| Place | Team | Wins | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Brazil | 4 | 11 |
| 3 | Italy | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | USA | 3 | 9 |
| 5 | Serbia | 3 | 9 |
| 6 | Turkey | 3 | 8 |
| 7 | Bulgaria | 3 | 8 |
| 8 | Slovenia | 3 | 6 |
A look at the table shows how important the victory in Ljubljana is. Bulgaria not only broke a more than ten-year streak without success against Italy but also took a serious step towards qualifying for the final tournament of the Nations League. After five played matches, the nationals are already among the top eight teams in the competition, which is the main goal in the preliminary phase.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
