Manuel Zlatanov, grandson of Bulgarian volleyball legend Dimitar Zlatanov, won VolleyNews' reader poll for best outside hitter in the first round of the Italian SuperLega for the 2026/2027 season. The Italian volleyball player, who plays for Piacenza, surpassed Bulgarian international Aleksandar Nikolov and world champion Alessandro Michieletto.
The specialized publication announced the results on October 22, after its readers selected their favorites for the five main positions. Two more Bulgarian internationals were among the nominees - Simeon Nikolov and Iliya Petkov.
The competition among outside hitters proved to be the most contested. Manuel Zlatanov, who made a strong debut for Piacenza in the victory over Padua, gathered 32.76% of the votes. Aleksandar Nikolov, who distinguished himself with 19 points in Lube's success against Verona, came in second with 27.58%. Alessandro Michieletto (Trento) was third with 24.14%.
How did readers vote for the best outside hitter?
The percentages shown reflect the share of votes cast in the VolleyNews poll, not the individual performance metrics of the players.
| Volleyball player | Club | Share of votes |
|---|---|---|
| Manuel Zlatanov | Piacenza | 32,76% |
| Aleksandar Nikolov | Lube | 27,58% |
| Alessandro Michieletto | Trento | 24,14% |
| Giulio Magalini | Cisterna | 15,52% |
Zlatanov wins with a lead of 5.18 percentage points over Nikolov, and the top three together gather a total of 84.48% of the vote. The result shows strong support for Piacenza's young outside hitter, but also serious interest in the performance of the Bulgarian international.
Simeon Nikolov surpassed Simone Giannelli
The younger of the Nikolov brothers also found a place among the top three in his category. Lube's setter received 23.21% of the votes and finished third.
The winner was Paolo Porro (Piacenza) with 36.61%, followed by Bryan Argilagos (Cuneo) with 29.47%. Behind Simeon Nikolov was one of the most established setters in the world - Simone Giannelli (Perugia), who gathered 10.71%.
Thus, both Nikolov brothers made it into the top three in their positions after the first matches of the new season.
Iliya Petkov among the nominated middle blockers
Bulgarian international Iliya Petkov, who plays for Monza, also received recognition from VolleyNews readers. He was included among the four candidates for best middle blocker and finished fourth with 6.50% of the votes.
The convincing winner was Belgian Wout D'Heer from Prata di Pordenone with 47.97%, followed by Aleksandar Nedeljkovic (Trento) with 24.39% and Peng Shikun (Cisterna) with 21.14%.
D'Heer made an impressive contribution to his team's victory over Monza, scoring 19 points, including 6 successful blocks and 4 aces.
Piacenza and Trento with two winners each in the position rankings
VolleyNews readers determined five winners by position, with two teams having two representatives each.
| Position | Winner | Team | Share of votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opposite | Théo Faure | Trento | 44,54% |
| Outside Hitter | Manuel Zlatanov | Piacenza | 32,76% |
| Middle Blocker | Wout D'Heer | Prata | 47,97% |
| Setter | Paolo Porro | Piacenza | 36,61% |
| Libero | Gabriele Laurenzano | Trento | 44,74% |
D'Heer's victory is the most convincing, as he approaches half of all votes in his category. Among the receivers, the competition is the most even, with the difference between the first and third being only 8.62 percentage points.
What do the winners' game statistics show?
In addition to the poll results, VolleyNews also published the statistics of the distinguished players from the first round.
Manuel Zlatanov finished with 14 points against Padua, scoring 9 successful attacks from 18 attempts, 2 aces, and 3 block points. His attack efficiency reached 50%, while in reception he recorded 29% positive and 7% perfect.
Trento's opposite Theo For impressed with 23 points and 80% attack efficiency, without a single attack error. He also added 3 aces.
Setter Paolo Porro contributed to Piacenza's victory with 2 aces and organized the game of his teammates, who finished with 57% attack efficiency.
The award for liberos went to Gabriele Laurenzano, who achieved 50% positive and 19% perfect reception.
It is important to clarify that these are not the official awards of the Italian SuperLega, but the results of a poll among VolleyNews readers.
Nevertheless, the ranking of Alexander and Simeon Nikolov among the top three, as well as the nomination of Iliya Petkov, show that Bulgarian national players are attracting attention early in the season in one of the strongest club championships in the world.
