The two young Bulgarian volleyball players Kalina Veneva and Mikaela Stoyanova started the new season in the Italian Serie A1 with losses, but with different presence on the court. 17-year-old Veneva was a starter and played the entire match for Brescia, while Stoyanova received a brief appearance for her new team Macerata.

Kalina Veneva a starter already in the first round

Banca Valsabbina Millenium (Brescia) lost at home to Talmassons with 0:3 (15:25, 19:25, 15:25) in front of 1550 spectators at "Palasport Jimmy George" in Montichiari.
Kalina Veneva started in the starting lineup and remained on the court throughout the match. The Bulgarian international finished with 5 points with 20% efficiency in attack. In reception, she recorded 37% positive and 12% perfect.
Veneva was Brescia's third most effective player after Andrea Michalevic with 11 points and Oleksandra Bytsenko with 6.
The guests had a serious advantage in two of the main elements. Talmassons won the block with 14:1 and finished with 6 aces against none for the hosts. Giorgia Frosini was the top scorer in the match with 20 points.
For Veneva, however, the first official match with the Brescia team carries another important sign. At just 17 years old, she earned a starting spot at the start of the season in one of the strongest club championships in the world.

Mikaela Stoyanova entered briefly against Bergamo

Macerata also started the season with a loss. The team lost their away match to Bergamo with 1:3 (17:25, 23:25, 25:16, 21:25) in front of 1292 spectators at "Pala Facchetti" in Treviglio.
Mikaela Stoyanova appeared briefly in the first set. The Bulgarian opposite hitter executed one serve and received two balls in attack, but failed to score a point.
The main burden of the position in this match fell on Clara Decortes. She remained on the court throughout the four sets and finished as Macerata's top scorer with 22 points. Rebecca Gardini added 15.
The guests managed to come back into the match after losing the first two sets and took the third decisively with 25:16. However, Bergamo did not allow the match to go to a tie-break and closed the fourth set with 25:21.
Unlike Veneva, for Stoyanova the Italian elite is not unfamiliar territory. She played in Serie A1 last season with Vallefoglia, and this summer she moved to Macerata. The first round brought her only a brief appearance, and she will now seek more playing time in competition with Decortes.

In the second round of Serie A1, Kalina Veneva and Brescia will visit Chieri, while Mikaela Stoyanova and Macerata will have their first home game of the season - against Gianlorenzo Blengini's Vero Volley Milano. Both matches are on October 11.

photos:legavolleyfemminile.it