Jakub Przybyłkowicz, MVP of Euro U18, will have the opportunity to face the Bulgarian bronze medalists again, who will also participate in the World Championship in India in 2027.
“For two years I have been observing Simeon Nikolov's game and I am filled with admiration. I especially respect him for being an offensive setter. He is aggressive in attack, on serve, and on block. Besides, he sets very well. I want to be like him.”
These words belong to Jakub Przybyłkowicz – one of the most promising young setters in European volleyball. In an interview for Polish TVP Sport in May, he named Bulgarian national player Simeon Nikolov and Italian Simone Giannelli as the two players in his position whom he admires.
The Polish talent also finds a physical resemblance between himself and Nikolov, emphasizing the advantages that height gives setters in modern volleyball.
Just two months after the interview, Przybyłkowicz won the European U18 title in Italy and was named the most valuable player of the championship.
In the semi-final in Porto San Giorgio, Poland defeated Bulgaria 3:2 (19:25, 25:19, 33:35, 25:17, 15:10), and subsequently triumphed with the gold medals. The Bulgarian team, led by Miroslav Zhivkov, finished third after a 3:0 (25:19, 25:19, 25:23) victory over host Italy.
In the ideal team of the championship, alongside Przybyłkowicz, two Bulgarians were also included – outside hitter Nikola Gradinarov and middle blocker Adrian Ganev.

Even before the European triumph, the young Pole had attracted the attention of Nikola Grbić. On May 20, 2026, during the friendly tournament Silesia Cup in Sosnowiec, Przybyłkowicz (with № 75, editor's note) debuted for the Polish men's national team in the match against Serbia, lost 2:3 (25:23, 22:25, 26:28, 25:22, 14:16). At the age of just 17 years and 13 days, he became the youngest debutant in the history of the Polish representative team.

Now the setter faces his next challenge. He has been included in Jacek Nawrocki's squad for the Eastern European Volleyball Zonal Association (EEVZA) U19 Championship, which starts today until October 31 in Yerevan.
Poland is in Group A along with Georgia and Estonia, while Ukraine, Armenia, and Latvia are in the other group. The winners of both groups will meet in the final, with only the champion receiving a direct quota for the European U20 Championship in 2027.
Bulgaria has already secured participation in Euro U20 through the qualifying tournament in Sofia. The squad of Ventsislav Simeonov then included five of the bronze medalists from Euro U18 – Nikola Velikov, Pavel Dzheneve, Nikola Gradinarov, Adrian Ganev, and Ivaylo Donov. Dimitar Peychinov, who joined after training with the men's national team, was also part of the team.
For some of the Bulgarian volleyball players, 2027 could offer two major international championships. The European U20 will be held from July 21 to 30 in Osijek (Croatia) and Podgorica (Montenegro), and from August 19 to 29, the bronze generation will have the opportunity to compete at the U19 World Championship in Pune (India).
Poland also has a quota for the World Championship thanks to its European U18 title. Thus, Przybyłkowicz and his teammates can once again meet the Bulgarians on the world stage, regardless of the outcome of the Euro U20 qualification.
A possible new match between the two generations will be another chapter in the rivalry that began with the dramatic semi-final in Porto San Giorgio.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov