Two control matches between teams from the Bulgarian volleyball elite were played as part of the preparation for the new season. CSKA defeated Lokomotiv Avia 3:1. Former national player Nikolay Kurtev also played for the Plovdiv team, maintaining his form with the "railroaders" while awaiting an offer from abroad.

In Stara Zagora, Deyasport defeated Beroe 2016 with 4:1 (25:21, 22:25, 22:25, 21:25, 23:25). The match lasted a little over two hours, and after the first four sets, the guests were already leading 3:1, and the two teams also played an additional fifth set. The most effective player in the match was Tsvetan Sokolov with 21 points for Deyasport, with the national player finishing with 18 successful attacks and 47% efficiency in attack. Hata Kosuke added 11 points. For Beroe, Jakub Rzaca scored the most points – 16, and Nikolay Kotev finished with 13. Nikola Jureta added 10 points. The Stara Zagora team recorded 15 blocks against 14 for Deyasport, while the guests had a slight advantage in attack – 43% against 39%.

For Lokomotiv Avia, the preparation continues with five more control matches. The Plovdiv team will play two test matches against Deyasport, two against Greek Orestiada, and one against Beroe.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov and Beroe 2016