Bulgarian talent Simeon (Moni) Nikolov continues to make a strong impression in collegiate volleyball in the USA. The Long Beach State setter was again named "Freshman of the Week" in the prestigious Big West conference. This recognition comes after impressive individual statistics and a leadership role in his team.
Nikolov, who has started in all nine of Long Beach State's matches this season, has demonstrated excellent performance in all aspects of the game. In the last match against champions UCLA, Nikolov showed exceptional skills, averaging 9.50 assists per set. Additionally, he contributed five points and seven aces in offense, and in defense added two digs and two blocks.
The award is even sweeter for Moni because it comes at a time when his father and mother are with him.

Dominant serve
One of Nikolov's strongest weapons this season is his serve. With an average of 1.13 aces per set, he not only tops the Big West ranking but is also among the national leaders in this metric. This makes him a key figure in Long Beach State's strategy, especially during crucial moments in matches. He holds the record for the strongest serve - 128 km/h.

This is the second time Moni has been honored as "Freshman of the Week" in the Big West conference. The first time was on January 29, 2025, after his impressive performances in matches against Lindenwood, McKendree, and Lewis, where he averaged 11 assists per set and scored 14 points from attacks.

In the Big West Player of the Week rankings for men's volleyball, there is another Long Beach State player - Daniil Sharstynovich, who grabbed the award for Best Defender of the Week.