The 18-year-old Bulgarian opposite hitter Aleksandar Manushev made an impressive start to the new season in the Swiss National League A. The young volleyball player, who comes from CSKA, scored 16 points in Lausanne's 3:0 (26:24, 25:15, 25:21) away victory over Näfels in the first round of the championship.
Manushev was a starter in all three sets, demonstrating excellent efficiency in attack. The Bulgarian finished with 14 successful attacks from 19 attempts, which is a 74% success rate. He added one block and one ace, and his overall efficiency rating was +7.
With his 16 points, Manushev became the second most effective volleyball player for Lausanne, trailing only Noe Aravena, who finished with 18 points. Anthony Matini added 9 points for the winners.
The match in the "Lintharena" hall started evenly. The hosts from Näfels put up serious resistance in the first set, but Lausanne managed to snatch it with 26:24. In the second part, the guests asserted their superiority and won with 25:15, and in the third, they closed the match at 25:21.
Lausanne demonstrated significantly higher efficiency in attack – 60% against 36% for Näfels. The guests also had an advantage in blocking with 11 against 7 points, which further tipped the scales in their favor.
For the hosts, the most effective player was James Ryan Norris with 9 points.
Manushev's strong performance in the very first round is a promising sign for the Bulgarian opposite hitter, who is taking his first steps in Switzerland's elite club championship.