Aleksandar Nikolov is only four points away from overtaking Tsvetan Sokolov in Cucine Lube Civitanova's all-time top scorers ranking. The Bulgarian international could move into seventh place as early as Sunday, October 25, when the Italian vice-champion hosts Padua in the second round of the SuperLega. According to the official statistics of Lega Pallavolo Serie A, Sokolov holds the seventh position with 2026 points scored in 124 matches, while Nikolov is immediately behind him with 2023 points in 145 matches. This means that only three points separate the two Bulgarians, and with four, the 22-year-old outside hitter will overtake his illustrious compatriot.
Tsvetan Sokolov played for Lube between 2016 and 2019, winning the Italian title twice, and in 2019, he also triumphed in the Champions League. Aleksandar Nikolov arrived in Civitanova in 2022 and gradually established himself as one of the team's leading scorers. In June this year, he extended his contract with the club until 2029.
The match against Padua will be Lube's first home game of the new season and will start at 7:00 PM Bulgarian time in the "Eurosuole Forum" hall. Even before the first whistle, Nikolov will be in the spotlight, as he will receive two individual awards for his performance during the 2025/26 regular season. The club's president, Simona Sileoni, will present him with the awards for the top scorer and for the most successful attacks in the regular season of the Italian SuperLega.
"I am excited about the opportunity to play again in the 'Eurosuole Forum' against Padua and to celebrate these awards with the fans. However, I hope that this year Lube will have many more reasons for joy," Nikolov told the club's website. The Bulgarian admits that he feels increasingly confident in his role as a primary attacking hitter: "I'm getting used to this role and, honestly, I'm having a lot of fun!"
Lube started the new championship with an impressive away victory against Verona with a score of 3:0 (25:20, 25:19, 28:26). Alex Nikolov was chosen as the most valuable player of the match after scoring 19 points, including five aces. His younger brother, Simeon Nikolov, who played his first official match in the Italian elite, was also in the starting lineup.
Historical ranking of Lube's top scorers - top 10
| Place | Volleyball Player | Points | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivan Miljković | 4734 | 267 |
| 2 | Igor Omrčen | 3266 | 173 |
| 3 | Osmany Juantorena | 3100 | 240 |
| 4 | Marko Podraščanin | 2382 | 341 |
| 5 | Dragan Stanković | 2182 | 336 |
| 6 | Ivan Zaytsev | 2180 | 160 |
| 7 | Tsvetan Sokolov | 2026 | 124 |
| 8 | Aleksandar Nikolov | 2023 | 145 |
| 9 | Slobodan Kovač | 1884 | 94 |
| 10 | Andrea Zorzi | 1495 | 55 |
At the top of Lube's historical ranking is Serbian legend Ivan Miljkovic with 4734 points, followed by Igor Omrcen with 3266 and Osmany Juantorena with 3100. Among the top six are also Marko Podrascanin, Dragan Stankovic, and Ivan Zaytsev. Sokolov averages 16.34 points per match with Lube against 13.95 for Nikolov. The difference also reflects their different roles in attack. After Sokolov's eventual overtaking, Alex's next target will be sixth-placed Ivan Zaytsev, who currently has 157 points more.
The upcoming match with Padua gives Aleksandar Nikolov the opportunity to add another interesting fact to Lube's Bulgarian history – this time by overtaking Tsvetan Sokolov in the club's scoring ranking.
photocollage from photos of: Nikolay Varadinov and legavolley.it
