The Bulgarian national volleyball team delighted nearly 6,000 spectators in "Arena Burgas" with a dramatic and inspired 3:1 (18:25, 25:23, 25:21, 25:22) victory over Slovenia. This was the second consecutive success for Gianlorenzo Blengini's team in the second week of the Nations League, which sends the "Lions" to fifth place in the provisional standings with 11 points. Slovenia arrived as the 5th placed team from the last Olympic Games in Paris 2024, but the Bulgarians showed character, class, and inspired play to turn the match around after losing the first set. Tomorrow, another big derby awaits – against Turkey at 7:00 PM, again in Burgas.
▪ First set (18:25) – powerful Slovenia dictates the pace
Bulgaria started with a bang – with a serve from Simeon Nikolov and attacks from Asparuhov and Antov, taking a 6:2 lead. However, Slovenia quickly found their rhythm, and Brčko's aggressive serve turned the score to 9:8. Mozic and Mujanovic made difficult attacks, and Uroš Planinšič added an ace for 20:16. Despite Aleksandar Nikolov's attempts to bring back the intrigue, the Slovenians dominated and won the set 25:18.
▪ Second set (25:23) – the return of the "Lions"
Led by Aleksandar Nikolov, who recorded an ace at 127 km/h, Bulgaria set a striking pace – 5:2.
Asparuhov and Antov stabilized the reception, and Grozdanov scored in the center. At 20:17, Slovenia attempted a comeback, but Nikolov and Dimitrov kept their composure. A service error from Mujanovic brought the equalizer – 25:23 and 1:1 sets.
▪ Third set (25:21) – the block works flawlessly
Nikolov again led – with an ace, blocks, and diagonal attacks. A series of points after Petkov's serve and a double block by Nikolov and Grozdanov led to 12:3. Slovenia narrowed the gap to 16:13, but Bulgaria withstood the pressure. A block by Grozdanov and a pipe by Asparuhov ended the dispute – 25:21.
▪ Fourth set (25:22) – substitutes shine, Bulgaria triumphs
Simeon Nikolov, who conducted with zeal and composure, delivered an ace for 15:12. Dimitar Dimitrov came in brilliantly from the bench – with line attacks, a single block, and a point for 23:20. The last word belonged to Grozdanov and Dimitrov – with a double block that ended the dispute: 25:22 and a 3:1 victory!
🔍 Statistical Analysis
Bulgaria excelled in key elements:
Block:11 against 8 – dominant role of Nikolov, Grozdanov, and Dimitrov.
Serve:7 aces (4 from Nikolov and Petkov), against 6 for Slovenia.
Opponent errors:34 points gifted by Slovenia.
Although the Slovenians were more effective in attack (47 against 41), Bulgaria compensated with aggressive serving and defensive discipline. Aleksandar Nikolov was unstoppable with 19 points, and Dimitar Dimitrov shone with 11 from the bench. Simeon Nikolov had another strong match as setter and scorer.
№ Name Position Points Attack Block Serve Rating (%) 23 Aleksandar Nikolov Outside hitter 19 16 1 2 +14.55 13 Dimitar Dimitrov Opposite hitter 11 7 4 0 +11.76 8 Asparuh Asparuhov Outside hitter 8 6 2 0 0.00 1 Simeon Nikolov Setter 7 4 1 2 0.00 11 Alex Grozdanov Middle blocker 6 3 2 1 -9.38 3 Iliya Petkov Middle blocker 5 2 1 2 -7.14 18 Venislav Antov Opposite hitter 3 3 0 0 -15.79 2 Krasimir Georgiev Middle blocker 0 0 0 0 Libero 4 Martin Atanasov Outside hitter 0 0 0 0 -100.00
