Bulgarian middle blocker Krasimir Georgiev recorded a second consecutive victory with his new team Rapid (Bucharest), which defeated Steaua 3:1 (21:25, 25:22, 25:17, 25:23) in the capital derby of the second round of the Romanian Divizia A1.
The match had special significance for Georgiev, who last season played for Steaua before moving to Rapid in the summer.
The Bulgarian started as a starter in all four sets, finishing with 6 points - 5 from attack and one block. Georgiev converted 5 out of 8 attacks, achieving 63% success rate.
The hosts had to make a comeback after Steaua won the first set 25:21. Rapid equalized after a contested second set, which ended 25:22, and in the third, they established a more serious superiority and took the lead after 25:17.
The fourth set again offered intrigue, but the hosts showed greater resilience in the final rallies and closed the match 25:23.
The most effective player for Rapid was Bradley Gunter, who played in the Bulgarian championship, with 24 points, including 21 from attack. Luca Martonos added 16 points and was named the most valuable player (MVP), and Ethan Garrett finished with 14.
For Steaua, Dmytro Shapoval stood out with 19 points, followed by Tim Stor with 15.
Rapid had an advantage in attack, scoring 57 points with a 49% success rate against 47 points and 44% for the opponent. However, Steaua recorded more block points - 11 against 9, as well as more aces - 5 against 4.
Thus, Krasimir Georgiev's team continues undefeated since the start of the season, after defeating CSM Bucharest 3:1 in the first round. In that match, the Bulgarian distinguished himself with 10 points, including two blocks.