One of the great talents of Bulgarian women's volleyball - Bozhidara Ivanova - will continue her development in Italy. The opposite hitter, born in 2009, is now officially part of SDB Volley Youth - the youth structure of the Italian giant Savino Del Bene Scandicci.
Volleyweek.bghad known for about a month about the preparation of Bozhidara Ivanova's transfer to Italy, but at the request of the people involved in its realization, kept the information until the deal became a fact.
Now the transfer is official, and the Italian club presented the Bulgarian player with a special publication. In the 2026/27 season, Ivanova will be part of the SDB Volley Youth squad, which will participate in the women's Serie B1 and the U19 championship.
The Italians spared no superlatives for their new acquisition. They presented Ivanova as the "Bulgarian bomber" who comes from "Levski Sofia" and emphasized that she will be one of the team's main attacking spearheads.

"I am really very happy to start this new adventure and to become part of this team. I can't wait to meet all the girls, to work together and to give my best on the court!" said Bozhidara Ivanova during her presentation.
The transfer is a serious step in the development of the young Bulgarian. Savino Del Bene Scandicci has one of the strongest club structures in Italian women's volleyball, and SDB Volley Youth is the project through which the club develops promising athletes for volleyball at the highest level.
Ivanova arrives in Italy after an extremely strong period with the "Levski" team and the national teams of Bulgaria. In May, she was chosen as MVP of the final tournament for girls U20, after "Levski" won the championship title.
In the summer, the 196-centimeter opposite hitter continued her strong performance with the national team. Bulgaria triumphed at the U18 Balkan Championship, and Ivanova received the individual award for best opposite hitter of the tournament.
She was among Bulgaria's key figures at the U18 European Championship as well. In the 3:1 (25:19, 26:24, 23:25, 25:13) victory over the Netherlands, Ivanova scored 21 points and was the highest-scoring Bulgarian player.
"Levski Sofia" also wished Bozhidara Ivanova success in her new challenge. It was in the "blue" club that she made important steps in her development before getting the opportunity to continue her career in one of the strongest volleyball schools in Italy.
Thus, one of the most promising Bulgarian athletes from the 2009 generation takes the next big step - from "Levski" to the Savino Del Bene system and Italian volleyball.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov