Dunav (Ruse) continues to actively build its squad for its return to Winbet Super Volley in the 2026/2027 season. The latest new addition is 21-year-old opposite hitter Aleksandar Shopov, who arrives with experience from abroad and is expected to strengthen the competition in attack.
Shopov is 197 cm tall and is a product of the "Stoichev-Kaziyski" Volleyball Academy. His career then took him through Austrian club TSV Raiffeisen Hartberg, where he played for two seasons, and during the last campaign, he defended the colors of French club C'Chartres Volley.
With his signing, the Ruse-based club continues its serious recruitment process ahead of its first season back in the elite league. Before him, the club introduced 18-year-old Latvian national setter Markus Vensbergs as its first new addition. Described as one of the most promising players in his position, he arrives from Estonian champions Pärnu, with whom he won the national title last season.
The management also managed to retain several key figures in the team. Opposite hitter Simeon Dobrev returned to Ruse, having won the Bulgarian Cup with Neftochimic 2010 last season. Middle blocker Lyubcho Yankov will remain with the blue squad for a third consecutive year, and captain Angel Pavlov will begin his impressive 18th season at the club, getting closer to the 400-match mark for Dunav.
The only 16-year-old middle blocker Kan Dobrudzhan will also be part of the first team. The 201 cm tall academy product receives a chance to establish himself among the men's team after impressing new head coach Krasimir Mironov.
Mironov will lead Dunav in its return to the elite league. He earned the trust of the club management after leading the team to the championship title in the Higher League with an impressive record of 25 wins in 25 matches.
Alongside the new additions, the club also parted ways with one of its key figures from last season. Setter Konstantin Nechev moved to Neftochimic 2010, having been among the crucial players for securing promotion to the elite league.
The squad building in Ruse shows that Dunav has no intention of being merely a participant in Winbet Super Volley. The combination of promising young players, experienced leaders, and a foreign addition in the key setter position suggests that the "dragons" will aim for much more serious goals already in their first season after returning among the best.