Bulgaria started the third week of the Nations League with a 0:3 (19:25, 17:25, 17:25) loss to world rankings leader Poland in the Hoffman Estates Arena in Chicago (USA).
Thus, Gianlorenzo Blengini's team remains with 5 wins, 4 losses, and 14 points after nine matches played, while the Poles recorded their seventh success and, with 20 points, climbed to second place in the temporary standings of the Nations League.
Nikola Grbic could rely on Tomasz Fornal for the first time this season, as he returned to play and formed a strong tandem with Wilfredo Leon. The only absentees from Poland's squad were the recovering Jakub Kochanowski and Jan Firlej.
Bulgaria started the first set evenly, and at 5:5, did not allow the opponent to pull away. The decisive factor turned out to be middle blocker Bartłomiej Lemański's serving run. After two consecutive aces, Poland led 11:7, and shortly after, Lemański added a block for 17:11. In the end, Wilfredo Leon scored an ace for 23:17, and the Poles closed the set at 25:19.

The second set started excellently for the "Lions," who led 5:3 after good blocking and an attack by Alex Nikolov. However, Poland once again turned the tide with Lemański's serve, which leveled the score at 7:7, and then Leon's run brought a 12:9 lead. Bulgaria could not cope with the Polish block, and the hosts practically decided the set already at 16:11, before winning it 25:17.

The third set began most competitively. Bulgaria led 7:4 after an excellent block against Tomasz Fornal and forced Nikola Grbic to call a timeout. It was after this that Poland made a run of four consecutive points, turned the score around, and took definitive control of the match. Lemański scored his fifth ace of the match for 11:8, Leon also troubled the Bulgarian reception, and "Drużyna polska" (the Polish team) easily reached the final 25:17 and 3:0.
Statistics showed where Poland made the difference. Nikola Grbic's team finished with an advantage in attack (33:26), blocking (13:6), serving (8:4 aces), and digs in defense (28:19). Bulgaria was more stable only in reception (62% against 41%), but this could not compensate for the opponent's superiority in the other elements.
The top scorer for Bulgaria was Alex Nikolov with 8 points, and Asparuh Asparuhov added 7. For Poland, Bołądź finished with 13 points, and Lemański scored 11, five of which were direct from serves (aces).

For Bulgaria, a key match awaits against the host of the final tournament, China, which could prove decisive for preserving their chances of qualifying among the top seven teams in the preliminary phase.

Photos:volleyballworld.com