At just 15 years old, with an impressive height of 207 centimeters, Bulgarian opposite hitter Jason Barutov made an excellent debut for Verona's U17 first team. The young volleyball player was chosen as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in his very first match for the Italian club in this age category.
On October 31, Verona decisively defeated PGS Santa Croce with a 3:0 (25:14, 25:16, 25:9) victory in a Group A match of the regional U17 championship. The match was played in the "Palazzetto Caselle" hall in Sommacampagna, and the hosts demonstrated serious superiority, allowing their opponent to win a total of only 39 points.
For Barutov, this was his first match with the main squad of Verona U17, and his performance also earned him the individual award for best player of the match.
The physical attributes of the young Bulgarian are particularly impressive. Although he is already 207 centimeters tall, Jason is not yet 16 years old. He will celebrate his birthday on November 21, which means he earned the award with the Verona team at just 15 years old.
On November 13, the young opposite hitter will turn 16, and even before his birthday, he already has an individual award with the Verona U17 team.
Barutov plays as an opposite hitter – a position where his imposing height can become a serious advantage both in attack and on the block. His development in the Italian academy will be interesting to follow, especially given his age and physical characteristics.
Verona has two teams in the U17 championship, and the young Bulgarian is already getting the opportunity to play for the first team. His debut with an individual award is a promising start to his participation in Italian youth volleyball.
In addition to gaining experience on the court, Jason Barutov has the opportunity to closely observe the stars of the Italian SuperLega. The young opposite hitter was among the spectators at the match between Verona and Lube Civitanova, won by the "Bulgarian" Lube with a 3:1 score.
This was the first away game for brothers Aleksandar and Simeon Nikolov in Verona as teammates for Lube. After the match, Barutov managed to take a souvenir photo with the younger of the two brothers – Simeon Nikolov.

In Verona, young athletes have the opportunity to regularly follow the performances of the representative team in the SuperLega. For the 15-year-old Bulgarian opposite hitter, this is an additional opportunity to learn from top-level volleyball players while taking his own first steps in Italian volleyball.