The first "Bulgarian" derby in NCAA: Nikolov vs. Delibosov
A historic moment for Bulgarian volleyball in the NCAA! Two teammates from the Bulgarian U20 national team - Moni Nikolov and Stiliyan Delibosov, who won silver medals at the last European Championship, faced each other in a Big West conference match.
Ultimately, #1 Long Beach State defeated #7 CSUN 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-20) and maintained their perfect season record.
Long Beach State Dominance
CSUN started strong and led 10-7 in the first set, but Long Beach quickly responded, tying the score and taking control in key moments. Daniil Hershtinovich was unstoppable with 14 points at an impressive 73.7% attack efficiency. In the second set, "The Beach" asserted complete dominance, finishing with 63.2% efficiency against just 14.3% for CSUN. In the third set, Nikolov's serve and Long Beach's solid block gave the hosts no chance.
The Bulgarian Mark in the Match
🔹Moni Nikolov (LBSU)- 11 points (23 assists, 7 digs, 4 aces, 1 block, and 6 of 6 successful attacks)
🔹Stiliyan Delibosov (CSUN)- 7 points (5 attack points, 40% efficiency, 1 ace, 1 block)
Both Bulgarians left their mark on the match - Nikolov orchestrated Long Beach's game and once again showed his class with a strong serve, while Delibosov demonstrated offensive efficiency, albeit with limited opportunities against the opponent's powerful block.
What's Next?
Long Beach State (15-0, 1-0 Big West) remains undefeated and will host Sacred Heart on Friday.
CSUN (13-3, 0-1 Big West) will seek revenge against Princeton on March 12.
