The Bulgarian national team for girls under 19 years of age achieved an unprecedented success, winning the gold medals at the Balkan Volleyball Championship, which took place in Tirana, Albania. In a dramatic final clash, the proteges of coach Atanas Petrov prevailed over the strong team of Turkey with 3:1 (19:25, 25:18, 25:16, 25:23). Kalina Veneva was the top scorer for Bulgaria with 19 points.
First title in history
This victory is historical for Bulgarian volleyball - for the first time the U19 team grabbed the title in the Balkan Championship. Until now, Bulgaria had four silver and six bronze medals in this age category, but gold had always eluded them. Now that is in the past.
🏆 Women's U19 Balkan Volleyball Championship - Individual Awards
⭐
Kalina Veneva (Bulgaria)
Kalina demonstrated an exceptional level of play throughout the championship, contributing significantly to the success of the Bulgarian team.
🏐
Irmak Alpınar (Turkey)
🛡️
Darina Naneva (Bulgaria)
Darina impressed with strong play in the center of the net, a key role in defense and blocking.
💥
Kalina Veneva (Bulgaria)
In addition to the MVP title, Kalina was also honored as the best outside spiker - a testament to her overall dominance on the court.
🔨
Aylin Uysalcan (Turkey)
🧤
Nena Vujovic (Serbia)
🤝
Klea Tare (Albania)
Flawless tournament performance
The Bulgarian volleyball players demonstrated excellent form and spirit throughout the tournament. They won all their matches:
Group Stage:
Bulgaria - North Macedonia: 3:0
Bulgaria - Turkey: 3:1
Bulgaria - Cyprus: 3:1
Semi-final:
Bulgaria - Romania: 3:0
Final:
Bulgaria - Turkey: 3:1
European Championship Quota
In addition to the gold medals, the success also brings a valuable prize – a direct quota for the 2026 European Championship. The Balkan Championship serves as the first stage of the qualification process, which makes the victory even more significant.
A generation with potential
The excellent performance in Tirana is proof of the high level of preparation, team spirit, and youthful enthusiasm of this team, which became European champions last year. The girls showed that they are capable of facing strong opponents and prevailing with class and will.
photos:balkanvolleyball.org
