Last-placed Dobrudzha caused the upset of the round, defeating favorite and second-placed Neftochimic away with a score of 2:3 (25:17, 19:25, 25:18, 22:25, 12:15). Blocking was the main weapon for the depleted Dobrudzha, who, as hosts' coach Francesco Cadedu said before the match, "had nothing to lose." Neftochimic had problems with a flu virus, due to which Rozalin Penchev was absent from the match, which could serve as some justification for the performance of the hosts' team, which was considered the absolute favorite in this encounter.
The most prolific scorer in the match was the captain of the Burgas team, Aksel Truhchev, who finished with 28 points (8 aces, 3 blocks). David Krustev added another 15 points (2 blocks) for "nafta", with no other home player reaching double digits. For the winners, Gergi Mihalev scored 17 points (1 ace, 1 block), with one point less for the young hopeful Nikolay Ivanov, who made 2 aces and three blocks. Center Viktor Bodurov contributed to the victory with 15 points (2 aces and 7 blocks). Georgi Mihalev was named MVP of the match.
The hosts started the first set hesitantly, with the guests having the advantage until midway through. After the 15th point, Aksel Truhchev "stepped on the gas," garnished with 3 aces, and by the end of the game, he had two more points from service, to form the final 25:17.
The trio Ivanov-Bodurov-Mihalev played at high speed and managed to bring back the intrigue, equalizing the score in sets after a final block from the guests' center. The third set was a "mirror image" of the first, and the score increased to 2:1 in favor of Neftochimic.
In the fourth game, until the 12th point, the initiative was with the hosts, but Dobrudzha raised the "white flag" and forced a tie-break. Bodurov and Mihalev alternated blocks with successful attacks, with the guests' eighth point coming with a 4-point lead in their favor. Dobrudzha brought the score to 5:11, which was followed by a series of errors, bringing the hosts within a point of Dobrudzha (11:12, 12:13). A double substitution followed for Neftochimic, but even that didn't help, as the guests' young hopeful Ivanov had the last word, closing the set and the match with two attacks and making the sensation a reality.
This is Neftochimic's 6th loss of the season and the first for Italian head coach Francesco Cadedu, who replaced the club's resigning icon Ivan Stanev on February 4.
With the two points won, Dobrudzha overtook Dunav and is second to last in the standings, while the loss did not affect Neftochimic's table position, which remained second. This could change after tomorrow's derby between Lokomotiv and Montana, while Dunav has the Dea team as an opponent at home.
