The absence of Kalina Veneva, one of the greatest hopes of Bulgarian women's volleyball, from the squad for the upcoming European Championship, has raised questions among fans. The 17-year-old outside hitter, who debuted for the women's national team at the 2025 World Championship and played for the first time in the Volleyball Nations League this summer, initially received a call-up for Bulgaria's preparation for EuroVolley 2026. Subsequently, however, a decision was made for her not to join the national team's training camp, which will compete in Group B in Brno (Czech Republic) alongside hosts Czech Republic, Serbia, Ukraine, Greece, and Austria.
To avoid any speculation about the young national player's absence,VolleyWeek.bgsought comment from her mother, Petya Veneva, a coach at TPVK.
"Everything is fine with Kalina. She is not injured. She simply won't participate in the European Championship. After such a long season, we decided she needs a rest. In recent months, some minor injuries have appeared, which are not serious but need to be fully healed. Furthermore, a very important step awaits her – moving to Italy, where she will start her professional career and needs to adapt to the new environment, as well as transition to an individual study program," explained Petya Veneva toVolleyWeek.bg.
According to her, the decision was made after a joint discussion within the family and with Kalina, not unilaterally, with the main priority being the preservation of the young volleyball player's health and her preparation for her first season in the Italian elite.
"I have spoken with the federation president, Lyubomir Ganev. They are fully aware of the situation. We are not acting arbitrarily. Everything was discussed in advance," Veneva stated, emphasizing that the leadership of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation had been informed of the decision beforehand.
According to her, the most important thing right now is the health and development of the young athlete, who will play in the Italian elite for Valsabbina Millenium (Brescia) in the new season.
"It's more important for these children to have a long-term career than to be physically and mentally overloaded now. Kalina has plenty of time ahead of her, and I believe the best is yet to come for her," the coach added.
Kalina Veneva is a U18 European champion from 2024 and a U19 World champion from 2025. This summer, the 17-year-old outside hitter also made her first appearance in the Volleyball Nations League with the women's national team, recording 30 points (25 from attack, 3 from blocks, and 2 directly from serves). Starting from the new season, she will represent the Italian team Valsabbina Millenium (Brescia) in Serie A1. It is precisely the demanding schedule over the past two seasons, combined with the need for full recovery and the upcoming adaptation to life and professional volleyball in Italy, that underpins the decision for her to miss EuroVolley 2026.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
