The Bulgarian national U20 team concluded its participation in the European qualification in Sofia with a loss. In their last match, Ventsislav Simeonov's players were defeated by Russia with 0:3 (21:25, 26:28, 22:25) in front of a full "Hristo Botev" hall.
The defeat did not change the most important thing for the Bulgarian team – the "lion cubs" had already secured their participation in EuroVolley 2027 in Croatia and Montenegro. Bulgaria finished the tournament with four wins, one loss, and 11 points, taking second place and receiving the quota as the best-ranked team from the Balkan Volleyball Association zone.
Russia finished at the top with an impeccable record – five wins from five matches and 15 points. Thus, the Russian team took the other quota for the European Championship. Belarus, which also participated in the tournament in Sofia, finished with two wins.
The match offered a serious battle, and Bulgaria had opportunities to change the outcome, especially in the second set.
The start was good for the Bulgarian team, which took a 2:0 lead and subsequently reached 8:6. Up to the middle of the first set, the two teams were close in score, but after the 15th point, Russia gradually took the initiative. The opponent managed to maintain its lead in the final part and closed the set at 25:21.
Bulgaria's biggest chance came in the second set. Russia controlled a prolonged period of the game and reached 23:17, but the Bulgarian volleyball players refused to give up. With Yoan Kostadinov serving, Ventsislav Simeonov's team made a strong run and not only erased the deficit but also got two set points – at 24:23 and 25:24. However, Bulgaria failed to convert them, and Russia snatched the contested set with 28:26, taking a 2:0 lead.
A similar scenario occurred in the third set. The Russian squad, led by Mikhail Nikolaev, managed to pull away to 18:13, but a Bulgarian reaction followed again. The "lion cubs" caught up and equalized at 19:19 before the opponent took the decisive rallies at the end. Russia won the set 25:22 and closed the match in three sets.
Alexander Manushev was the top scorer for Bulgaria with 16 points and 50% attack efficiency. Martin Tatarov added 13 points, including 1 block and 1 ace, with 48% attack efficiency and 21% positive reception.
For Russia, Maxim Lapshin finished with 12 points, 2 aces, 38% attack efficiency, and 72% positive reception. Pavel Morozov added 10 points with 36% attack efficiency. Statistics show that Bulgaria had strong arguments in the match. The "lion cubs" decisively won the blocking battle with 10:4 and finished with 4 aces against 3 for Russia. However, the opponent was slightly more efficient in attack – 48% against 46%, and one of the big differences came from the serve, where Bulgaria made 19 errors against only 9 for the Russians.
Thus, Bulgaria concluded the qualification in Sofia with a balance of 4 wins and 1 loss, with the only defeat coming against the undefeated tournament winner. More importantly, Ventsislav Simeonov's squad fulfilled its main task and will be among the participants in EuroVolley 2027.
photo: cev.eu
