The Bulgarian men's national volleyball team lost to Ukraine with a score of 1:3 (25:20, 19:25, 24:26, 22:25) in their last match of the Volleyball Nations League tournament, played in "Arena Burgas". Despite a strong start and the support of the crowd, the Bulgarian volleyball players failed to maintain their level throughout the match and succumbed to the Ukrainian team, who were more stable in defense and serving.

Thus, the "Lions" finished the home tournament with 2 wins (against Japan and Slovenia) and 2 losses (against Turkey and Ukraine), remaining in 11th place in the standings with 11 points. Debutant Ukraine surprised with excellent play and is now fifth with 15 points.

🟥 First Set: Energy and domination from the first point

Bulgaria started with a bang with powerful attacks by Iliya Petkov and Asparuh Asparuhov, quickly taking a 4:1 lead. An ace by Petkov and blocks by him and Asparuhov gave a comfortable lead – 13:6. Serves also worked excellently, and Aleksandar Nikolov demonstrated class in attack from the back row. Ukraine tried to regain their rhythm, but the combinations between Palev and Antov, as well as Nikolov's powerful spikes, secured set point and the final 25:20 for Bulgaria.

🟨 Second Set: Lost rhythm and Ukrainian pressure

The beginning of the set was even, with Bulgaria showing stable defense and good organization. Aleksandar Nikolov was again a leader in attack, and Rusi Zhelev impressed with a saved ball. At 16:16, however, the Bulgarian volleyball players showed hesitation. After a series of points by the Ukrainians and an ace by Yurii Semeniuk, the opponent closed the set with 25:19. At this point, Ukraine showed greater stability in serving and blocking.

🟧 Third Set: A thriller that ended with missed opportunities

Bulgaria started with a point lead, and Palev distinguished himself with a block. Asparuhov hit an ace at 117 km/h, and attacks by Nikolov and Antov maintained parity. At 20:20, the set became a real battle – with aces from both sides and crucial blocks. An ace by Yanchuk gave Ukraine set point, but Antov responded with the same. At 24:24, however, a curious event – a physical obstruction by the coach of Ukraine towards Rusi Zhelev – led to tension, and the Ukrainians snatched the set with 26:24.

🟩 Fourth Set: Attempts at a comeback, but lack of decisiveness

A strong start by Aleksandar Nikolov and Georgi Tatarov kept the intrigue alive, as both executed key attacks and blocks. Parity was maintained until the middle of the set when Ukraine pulled ahead by three points. The Bulgarians responded with attacks by Antov and Tatarov, and a block-out by Nikolov reduced the deficit to 22:24. The last point, however, went to the Ukrainians – 25:22 and a 3:1 victory.


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• Defense:Ukraine dominates with75 saved balls in defenseagainst51Bulgaria - a clear advantage that gave them the opportunity for more secondary attacks.

• Reception:Almost even (79 against 76), but Ukraine more often managed to convert good reception into a successful attack.

• Distribution:Ukrainian setters made13 more successful plays(124 against 111), which shows a more flexible and effective scheme.

• Block:Balance between the two teams, butYurii Semeniukstood out with6 blocks, key to the victory.

⭐ Top scorers:

• Bulgaria:

  • Aleksandar Nikolov – 22 points (2 aces)

  • Asparuh Asparuhov – 14 points (1 ace, 1 block)

  • Venislav Antov – 11 points (1 ace, 1 block)

• Ukraine:

  • Yurii Semeniuk – 17 points (2 aces, 6 blocks)

  • Dmytro Yanchuk – 15

  • Illya Kovalov – 15

After an emotional week in Burgas, where Bulgaria proved it has potential but also needs more consistency, the final stage of the group phase is ahead. It will become clear whether the "Lions" will qualify for the VNL 2025 finals. 🇧🇬🔥