The Bulgarian national team for girls under 18 achieved a second victory at the European Championship in Lithuania. The team led by coach Atanas Petrov defeated Greece 3:1 (25:22, 25:15, 25:17, 25:17) in their third group stage match. A day earlier, the young "lionesses" also triumphed over the Netherlands with 3:1, and their only defeat so far remains the dramatic 2:3 loss to Germany on the first day of the tournament.
The Bulgarian team demonstrated its superiority for most of the match, with the only exception being the second set. In the opening set, Greece last led at 9:7, after which our national team imposed its rhythm with a series of strong rallies and achieved a 25:22 victory.
The second set unfolded completely differently. Bulgaria failed to find its usual tempo and allowed the opponent to fully control the proceedings on the court. The Greek team built up a 10:5 lead, and later extended their advantage to 22:13, before leveling the match score after a convincing 25:15.
After that, however, the Bulgarian team reacted like champions. In the third set, Atanas Petrov's girls brought back their aggressive play and gave the opponent no chances, winning 25:17. A similar scenario was repeated in the fourth set. Up to 17:15, the two teams were evenly matched, but then Bulgaria imposed full control, decisively pulled ahead and closed the match after another 25:17.
For the third consecutive match, Bozhidara Ivanova was the top scorer for Bulgaria with 17 points. Ena Todorova also had a strong game and finished with 13 points.
With the victory, Bulgaria temporarily topped the group standings with 7 points. The first two teams qualify for the semifinals, while Greece remains in last place in the standings.

photo: cev.eu