The Bulgarian women's national volleyball team began its participation in this year's edition of the Volleyball Nations League with a dramatic 2:3 (18:25, 12:25, 25:23, 25:19, 4:15) loss to Canada in a match that lasted two hours. The match was the first under the leadership of the new coach Antonina Zetova and was played in front of nearly 1500 spectators at the TD Place Arena in Ottawa.
There was also Bulgarian support in the stands.
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The first set started better for the hosts, who built a solid lead from the beginning thanks to the strong play of captain Kiera Van Ryk. The Bulgarians tried to get back into the game, but Canada controlled the events and won 25:18.
In the second set, Canada's dominance became even more palpable. After a series of errors and weaknesses in reception, the Bulgarians fell behind early in the score and failed to offer resistance, losing decisively 12:25.
The third set, however, brought a reawakening for our team. After an even start, Bulgaria managed to pull ahead with good performances in block and counter-attack, especially from Hristina Vuchkova and Aleksandra Milanova. Captain Atanasijevic also played strongly. Despite a brief equalization, the Bulgarians showed character and reduced their deficit to 1:2 after 25:23.
The fourth set started with a bang for Bulgaria with a service run by Mikaela Stoyanova and very strong play from the middle blockers. Our volleyball players did not lose control and equalized the score after 25:19, sending the match to a tie-break.
In the decisive fifth set, Canada asserted dominance from the start, taking an 8:0 lead. The Bulgarians failed to find an answer, and Kiera Van Ryk and Hilary Johnson finished the match 15:4, bringing their team a 3:2 victory.
The most effective player for Bulgaria was captain Elitsa Atanasijevic with 14 points. Nasya Dimitrova and Aleksandra Milanova added 12 each, and Hristina Vuchkova distinguished herself with 11. For Canada, Kiera Van Ryk played the strongest with an impressive 25 points.
The U18 European champion Viktoria Ninova also made her debut for the women's team.
BULGARIA
:
| Player | Total Points | Blocks | Aces |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elitsa Atanasijevic | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Nasya Dimitrova | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| Aleksandra Milanova | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Hristina Vuchkova | 11 | 4 | 0 |
| Mikaela Stoyanova | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| Lora Slavcheva | 5 | 1 | – |
| Iva Dudova | 4 | – | 1 |
| Lora Kitipova | 0 | – | – |
| Galina Karabasheva | 0 | – | – |
| Viktoria Ninova | 0 | – | – |
| Merelin Nikolova | 0 | – | – |
| Iveta Stanchulova | 0 | – | – |
| Emileta Racheva | 0 | – | – |
| Darina Naneva | 0 | – | – |
🇨🇦CANADA:
Канада
| Name | Total Points | Block | Ace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kira Van Rik (capt.) | 25 | 2 | 4 |
| Hilary Johnson | 18 | 0 | 2 |
| Emily Malio | 14 | 5 | 1 |
| Nyadholi Tokbom | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrea Mitrovic | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Bree O'Reilly | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Abigail Gauson | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Quin Pelland | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Casey Yost (libero) | – | – | – |
| Remaining reserves | – | – | – |
| Name | Total Points | Block | Ace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kira Van Rik (capt.) | 25 | 2 | 4 |
| Hilary Johnson | 18 | 0 | 2 |
| Emily Malio | 14 | 5 | 1 |
| Nyadholi Tokbom | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrea Mitrovic | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Bree O'Reilly | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Abigail Gauson | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Quin Pelland | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Casey Yost (libero) | – | – | – |
| Remaining reserves | – | – | – |
| Name | Total Points | Block | Ace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kira Van Rik (capt.) | 25 | 2 | 4 |
| Hilary Johnson | 18 | 0 | 2 |
| Emily Malio | 14 | 5 | 1 |
| Nyadholi Tokbom | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrea Mitrovic | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Bree O'Reilly | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Abigail Gauson | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Quin Pelland | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Casey Yost (libero) | – | – | – |
| Remaining reserves | – | – | – |
| Name | Total Points | Block | Ace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kira Van Rik (capt.) | 25 | 2 | 4 |
| Hilary Johnson | 18 | 0 | 2 |
| Emily Malio | 14 | 5 | 1 |
| Nyadholi Tokbom | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrea Mitrovic | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Bree O'Reilly | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Abigail Gauson | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Quin Pelland | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Casey Yost (libero) | – | – | – |
| Remaining reserves | – | – | – |
This dramatic loss did not affect Bulgaria's ranking in the world standings, where it remains in20th position with 153.91 (-0.01).
Bulgaria's next match is tonight (June 5) at 23:00 against the Dominican Republic.
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