Coach Atanas Petrov's team achieved a decisive 3:0 (25:22, 25:16, 25:16) victory over Mexico in a round of 16 match played in Osijek. Thus, our national team, who are European champions from 2024, will face the winner of the Belgium-Brazil match in a battle for a place in the top 4 of the championship.
First Set
The start of the match was difficult for our girls, who had to catch up from a two-point deficit in the middle of the set. After the 16th point, the Bulgarians managed to take the lead thanks to good play from Okoro, Veneva, and Naneva. Another lapse followed, allowing the Mexicans to close to within a point (22:21) after an error by Okoro on serve. Immediately after, however, a successful 'from the leg' attack and a block brought the first set point. The set ended after a block from our side for 25:22.
Second Set
The second part started much more confidently for the Bulgarians, who took a 3:0 lead and gradually increased their pressure to 11:4. From then on, they did not relinquish the initiative and, despite a few inaccuracies, managed to decisively close the set. It ended after an attack error by the Mexicans at 25:16.
Third Set
The last set started more evenly, with our team taking the lead after the sixth point, but the Mexicans stayed close and did not allow a significant break. At the very beginning of the set, Okoro felt pain in her right leg and left the court, replaced by Edna Todorova, who performed admirably. The Bulgarians again pressed in the middle of the set and pulled away by five points. They did not allow a comeback until the end and closed the set with the same score as in the second set
— 25:16, after a block.
1️⃣ Team Statistics:
| Element | Bulgaria | Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 38 | 30 |
| Block | 12 | 3 |
| Ace | 7 | 2 |
| Opponent Errors | 18 | 19 |
| Total Points | 75 | 54 |
2️⃣ Individual Skills:
| Element | Bulgaria | Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive digs | 57 | 59 |
| Reception | 48 | 66 |
| Setting | 89 | 99 |
3️⃣ Top Scorers:
| Bulgaria | Points | Mexico | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veneva (18) | 12 | Cruz (32) | 11 |
| Parapunova (19) | 12 | Tanguma (31) | 9 |
4️⃣ Individual Statistics:
| No. | Name | Position | Total Points | Attack | Block | Serve | Errors | Efficiency % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Veneva | Outside Hitter | 12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 17.50 | |
| 19 | Parapunova | Outside Hitter | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 12.50 | |
| 30 | Naneva | Middle Blocker | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 23.08 | |
| 21 | Angelova | Middle Blocker | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 13.79 | |
| 4 | Okoro | Opposite | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 9.09 | |
| 9 | Todorova | Outside Hitter | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10.00 | |
| 14 | D. Ivanova | Setter | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -15.38 |
The Bulgarians demonstrated solid superiority at the net, both in attack and in blocking – 12 blocks compared to just 3 for Mexico. The well-organized setting (89) was also a key factor, allowing for varied attacks and maintaining tempo. Only in reception did the Mexicans have an advantage (66 against 48), but this was not enough to turn the tide of the match.
Veneva and Parapunova led the team with 12 points each, showing excellent efficiency, while for Mexico, Cruz was the top scorer with 11. Atanas Petrov's girls maintained concentration in key moments and did not allow the opponent to get back into the match.
