The Bulgarian men's U20 national team lost its last test match against France before the start of the European qualification. Ventsislav Simeonov's boys took the lead, but subsequently failed to cope with the powerful serve and attack of the French and lost 1:4 (25:21, 22:25, 17:25, 13:25, 9:15).
The match was played behind closed doors in the 'Hristo Botev' hall in the capital and was the last of a series of three control matches between the two teams.
Bulgaria started strong and won the first set 25:21. The second set proved to be the most contested, lasting nearly half an hour. France won it 25:22 and equalized to 1:1, after which they gradually took control of the match.
The French made a particularly significant difference from their serve. 'Les Bleus' recorded 12 aces against only 1 for Bulgaria, which put the Bulgarian reception under serious pressure.
The Bulgarians had an advantage in blocking, but France compensated with a more effective attack, also aided by their better positive reception. The third and fourth sets were won by the French with 25:17 and 25:13 respectively.
By prior agreement, a fifth set was also played, in which France prevailed 15:9, making the final score 4:1.
The most effective player for Bulgaria was Aleksandar Manushev with 12 points, while Yoan Kostadinov and Evan Georgiev added 10 points each. Georgiev was the only Bulgarian volleyball player who played throughout the entire match. Ventsislav Simeonov used his squad as widely as possible, with all 15 players entering the game.
For France, the top scorers with 15 points each were Matteo Mrozek and Robin Wisniewski, and Viden Natsev finished with 14 points.
Thus, Bulgaria concluded the series of three test matches against France with one 4:1 victory and two 1:4 losses. All three control matches between the two teams in the 'Hristo Botev' hall were held behind closed doors.
The next challenge for Ventsislav Simeonov's team is the U20 European qualification. The tournament will be held in Sofia from August 25 to 29 and will provide Bulgaria with the first direct opportunity to qualify for the European Championship.
In addition to Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Russia, and Belarus will participate in the qualification.
The participation of Russia and Belarus also leads to a special condition in the qualification regulations. If Russia or Belarus wins the tournament in Sofia, the best-placed team from the Balkan Volleyball Association (BVA) will also receive a direct quota for the European Championship.
This means that if Russia or Belarus finishes first, Bulgaria can qualify directly for the European Championship even as second in the final standings, provided it is the highest-ranked representative of the BVA.
However, if the tournament is won by Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey, or North Macedonia, the standard regulations apply, and the direct quota is only for the winner.
photo:bfv.bg
