Bulgarian international Aleksandra Milanova played one of her strongest matches since the start of the season in the Turkish Sultanlar League. The outside hitter scored 20 points and was the top scorer for Afyon Belediyespor Yüntaş in their dramatic home victory over Manisa with a score of 3:2 (29:27, 21:25, 25:20, 20:25, 15:13) in a match from the eighth round.
The victory is only Afyon's second of the season and broke a streak of six consecutive losses. The success is particularly valuable as it was achieved against a direct competitor in the battle for survival.
Just three days after a heavy defeat to Fenerbahçe, when she finished with only 2 points, Milanova showed a completely different face. The Bulgarian started as a starter and remained on the court for all five sets.
She scored 20 points, all from attack, with 20 successful attacks out of 48 attempts and a 42% success rate. Her attacking efficiency reached 33%, as she made only four errors and none of her attacks were blocked.
Milanova also had significant responsibilities in reception, where she handled 36 balls. The Bulgarian finished with 53% positive and 25% excellent reception, making only two direct errors.
For the winners, Sevgi Ceren Üzgenç Solak added 15 points, and Katiele Alonso distinguished herself with 11.
The top scorer in the match was Ivana Vanjak from Manisa with 22 points, followed by Edina Begić with 21.
The match offered serious drama in front of 1200 spectators at the "Prof. Dr. Veysel Eroğlu" hall. The hosts snatched the first set with 29:27, but Manisa equalized. Afyon took the lead again after 25:20 in the third set, before the guests forced the match into a tie-break.
In the decisive fifth set, Afyon showed stronger nerves and reached victory with 15:13. The match lasted 2 hours and 32 minutes.
The hosts had an advantage in attack with 73 points scored against 66 for Manisa. However, the guests finished with more successful blocks - 6 against 5, as well as 4 aces against 2.
After eight matches played, Afyon now has two wins and 4 points, but remains in last, 14th place. Manisa is immediately ahead of them with 5 points.
In the next round, Milanova and her teammates will visit Beşiktaş, coached by former Bulgaria national team coach Lorenzo Micelli, on November 15.