Champions Levski Sofia achieved their second consecutive victory since the start of WINBET Super Volley, after overturning Dea Sport with a 3:1 (17:25, 25:18, 25:20, 25:13) win in the second round of the championship. The 'Blues' overcame a shaky start and established complete dominance in the final part, despite not using one of their most experienced players - Todor Skrimov.
The match in the capital's 'Levski Sofia' hall was the first for Dea Sport after the registration of three foreign players who missed the opening round due to the lack of international transfer certificates.
Japanese players Kosuke Hata and Hiroki Koto, as well as Brazilian Victor Alcantara, were already available to the Burgas team, but their presence proved insufficient to stop the champions.
Unlike the first round, when Tsvetan Sokolov had to rely on a very limited squad, this time Dea Sport had more rotation options. However, brothers Georgi and Valentin Bratoevi remained out of play.
Levski was also not at full strength. The experienced Todor Skrimov was listed in the official protocol but did not appear on the court due to a physical problem. After the match, head coach Nikolay Zhelyazkov expressed hope for his speedy recovery, without specifying when the outside hitter would be available again.
The start was entirely in favor of the guests. Dea Sport took an 8:4 lead, then increased their advantage to 16:9. The Burgas team demonstrated high efficiency in attack and finished the first set with an impressive 70% success rate in attack, winning it 25:17.
The champions' reaction was swift. In the second set, Levski gradually stabilized their game, and after a minimal lead at 16:15, they managed to pull away to 21:17. The hosts closed the set 25:18 and restored parity.
The third set proved to be a turning point in the match's development. Levski took an 8:6 lead, increased their advantage to 16:10, and maintained the initiative until the end for a 25:20 win.
In the fourth set, the champions already dominated completely. Nikolay Zhelyazkov's boys took a 16:9 lead, and at 21:12, the outcome of the match was practically decided. Levski scored a total of 6 aces in this set alone and finished the match with a decisive 25:13.
The most effective player for the winners was Kristiyan Titriyski with 20 points, including 4 aces. Gordan Lyutskanov added 17 points, impressing with a 70% success rate in attack - 14 successful attacks from 20 attempts. Svetoslav Ivanov finished with 11 points, and Lazar Buchkov contributed 8. Dimitar Peychinov also played for Levski, undergoing a change in his playing role this summer - from opposite hitter to middle blocker. The young volleyball player appeared in the second and third sets and finished with 1 point from an attack.
For Dea Sport, Tsvetan Sokolov scored 17 points, of which 15 were from attack and 2 aces. Outside hitter Erik Stoev added 12 points, and among the newly registered foreigners, Kosuke Hata recorded 6, Victor Alcantara - 4, while Hiroki Koto performed the duties of a libero.
Statistics show how seriously the game changed after the first set. Levski finished the match with 10 aces against 6 for the guests and 8 points from blocks against 5. The hosts also had an advantage in attack - 55% success rate against 47% for Dea Sport.
Particularly indicative was the drop in the Burgas team's attack. After 70% efficiency in the first set, they finished with only 35% in the fourth, when they scored only 6 points from attack.
Thus, Levski continues its winning streak in the championship, while Dea Sport remains without success after the first two rounds. The return of the foreigners expanded the possibilities of the Burgas squad but did not solve the problems with consistency in play, which proved decisive against the champions.
In Dea's next match, the Bratoevi brothers, who served a two-match suspension, will also be available.
photos: Nikolay Varadinov
