Bulgaria's national U19 women's volleyball team recorded its first victory at the World Championship, which is being held in Croatia and Serbia. In their second match of Group C, played in the city of Osijek, coach Atanas Petrov's young
lionesses
decisively defeated Spain 3-0 (25:19, 25:22, 25:21). This was an important victory that brought Bulgaria back into contention for qualification after losing their first match to Poland.
| Brief analysis and statistics from the match | Team statistics | Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 38 | 38 |
| Block | 9 | 7 |
| Attacks | 8 | 3 |
| Blocks | 20 | 14 |
| Aces | 75 | 62 |
| Opponent errors | 70 | 71 |
| Total points | 57 | 67 |
| Digs | 100 | 103 |
Reception
Set
Conclusion:
| Although both teams had an equal number of successful attacks, Bulgaria dominated with better blocking (9 vs 7), more aggressive serving (8 aces vs 3), and forced Spain to make more errors, which significantly influenced the final result. | Individual performances of Bulgarian players | No. | Points | Attack | Block | Ace | Efficiency % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Nicole Okoro | O | 17 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 16.67 |
| 19 | Vera Parapunova | OH | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 4.88 |
| 21 | Denitsa Angelova | MB | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 17.14 |
| 18 | Veneta Veneva | OH | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4.88 |
| 30 | Naneva | MB | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0.00 |
| 14 | D. Ivanova | S | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
| 9 | Todorova | OH | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Highest Scoring:
Nicol Okoro was the star of the match with 17 points, of which 12 were in attack, 3 on block, and 2 aces. Her efficiency ratings are also the highest among Bulgaria's attackers.
Standings and upcoming matches
After this victory, Bulgaria has 1 win and 1 loss with 3 points – the same as their next opponent, Turkey. The match between Bulgaria and Turkey will be crucial for future qualification and will be played tomorrow, July 4, at 4:15 PM Bulgarian time.
This success against Spain is not only Bulgaria's first win at the championship but also a psychological boost for the young volleyball players before the important clash with Turkey. If Atanas Petrov's girls manage to show the same stability in attack, block, and serve, their chances of advancing are more than real.
photo:volleyballworld.com
