Bulgaria failed to seriously challenge Serbia in the first two sets, and when they finally found their rhythm, it was already too late. Our national team led 20:18 in the third set, but conceded seven consecutive points and lost to the European vice-champion 0:3 (18:25, 14:25, 20:25) in their third match of EuroVolley 2026 Group B in Brno.
This is the second consecutive loss for Marcelo Abbondanza's team after the defeat to Greece, and this time the defeat came on the Italian specialist's birthday. Bulgaria remains with one win, two losses, and 3 points and continues the battle for a place in the 1/8 finals. Serbia already has three wins and a full 9 points, securing their participation in the knockout phase.
After the matches of the third round, Bulgaria is in fifth place in the group with 3 points, only one point behind fourth-placed Ukraine, who has 4. Serbia is the leader with 9 points, ahead of the Czech Republic with 6 and Greece with 5. Austria remains behind Bulgaria without a single point. Thus, the battle for the four spots in the 1/8 finals remains completely open for the national team, and the next match against Austria is now a must-win.
Both teams will rest on August 25. Bulgaria returns to the court on August 26 at 5:00 PM against Austria, while at 8:00 PM Serbia will face Greece.
The start of the match showed why the Serbian women are among the big favorites of the championship. Aleksandra Uzelac, Tijana Bošković, and Vanja Ivanović quickly took a 3:0 lead, but Bulgaria managed to react, and after two attacks by Iva Dudova, equalized at 5:5.
However, the balance did not last long. Serbia pressed again and reached 11:7, and an ace by Minja Osmajić made the score 13:8. After Abbondanza's timeout, the Bulgarians played their strongest period in the first set. Tsvetelina Ilieva distinguished herself with an attack and an ace, Aleksandra Milanova scored a counter-attack, and the difference was reduced to just one point – 12:13.
Serbia did not allow a comeback. Uzelac and Bošković again took the initiative, and Hena Kurtagić's block helped for a new breakaway. At 20:13, the intrigue practically ended, and Uzelac closed the set at 25:18.
The second set developed much harder for Bulgaria. Serbia took a 6:0 lead, as the Bulgarian attack was stopped by blocks several times. Kurtagić dominated at the net, and Abbondanza was forced to seek a change right from the start.
However, no such change followed. Serbia increased their lead to 11:4, and at 18:10, they completely controlled the set. Monika Krusteva's inclusion also failed to change the balance of power, and the Serbian women reached a decisive 25:14.
Only in the third set did Bulgaria show the game with which they could put the opponent under pressure. The beginning again belonged to Serbia, who led 10:5, and a little later Uzelac made it 12:6.
This time, the national team did not break. A block by Elena Kolarova helped reduce the deficit, and Monika Krusteva came in strong with an attack and an ace, bringing Bulgaria closer to 12:14.
Gradually, the difference was erased. Aleksandra Milanova and an ace by Kaya Nikolova brought the score to 18:18, after which Iva Dudova scored a counter-attack, Anja Zubić sent the ball out, and Bulgaria took a 20:18 lead.
This turned out to be the last point for the national team in the match. Branka Tica brought Serbia back into the set, Uzelac equalized with a block, and two consecutive errors in the Bulgarian attack helped the Serbian women turn the score to 23:20. Tica ended the match at 25:20, and Serbia finished the game in three sets.

Aleksandra Uzelac was the top scorer in the match with 18 points. For Bulgaria, Iva Dudova scored the most – 12, and Tsvetelina Ilieva added 7 points. Vanja Ivanović finished with 8 for the winners, and Hena Kurtagić also scored 7.

For Bulgaria, the regret remains mostly for the third set. After turning 6:12 into 20:18, the team had a real opportunity to extend the match, but the 0:7 run at the very end showed the difference between the two teams in crucial moments.

photos: cev.eu