Bulgarian volleyball player Krasimir Angelov continues to gain experience in the Greek Novibet Volley League, but his Aris is still looking for its first won set of the season. The team from Thessaloniki suffered a third consecutive loss after falling at home to Panionios with a score of 0:3 (19:25, 19:25, 12:25) in a match from the third round.
The 20-year-old Bulgarian outside hitter appeared as a substitute and scored one point from two attacks. After the match, Angelov commented on the team's performance and his adaptation to the Greek championship.
"I am adapting quite well. The Greek championship is at a very high level and I am happy to play in such a competitive league," said the Bulgarian.
Angelov emphasized that the team is working hard but still experiences difficulties with consistency and concentration in decisive moments. According to him, the lack of experience also affects Aris's performance, but he expressed confidence that with more work, the first successes will come.
The 185-centimeter tall volleyball player is a youth product of Slavia, where he played as a libero. Subsequently, he moved to VC "Grad" (Belogradchik), where he already competed as an outside hitter. In the summer of 2026, Angelov took his first international step with a transfer to Aris.
Financial crisis rocked Aris
The Bulgarian's move to the Greek elite coincided with serious financial and organizational problems that shook the Thessaloniki club immediately before the start of the season.
Aris initially built an ambitious selection, including Bulgarian volleyball players Dimitar Dimitrov and Todor Valchev, but subsequently failed to secure the necessary funding. Both left the club, with Dimitrov moving to CSKA and Valchev returning to Neftochimic.
This was followed by a significant budget reduction and urgent squad completion. It was in this situation that Angelov got the opportunity to play in the Greek elite.
After the defeat by Panionios, head coach Giannis Melkas admitted that Aris had not conducted the necessary summer preparation and the coaching staff is still working on both game synchronization and the physical condition of the players.
The coach also revealed that the club has reached an agreement with a new outside hitter, whose arrival is expected in the coming days.
Atanasijevic with an impressive 85% in attack
In the winning team, Serbian opposite Aleksandar Atanasijevic, husband of Bulgarian volleyball player Elitsa Vasileva-Atanasijevic, played a strong match.
The former Serbian international finished with 12 points, 11 of which were from attack and one ace. He scored 11 from just 13 attacks, achieving an impressive 85% success rate.
Interestingly, Atanasijevic and Elitsa Vasileva defend the colors of the same club - in the men's and women's teams of Panionios, respectively.
The top scorer in the match was Alexandros Nanopoulos with 16 points, including 5 aces and 2 successful blocks. He also received the MVP award. Mohammad Hagparast added 13 points, while for the hosts, Julien Winkelmüller finished with 11.
Panionios demonstrated serious superiority in serving with 10 aces against only one for Aris. The visitors also dominated in blocking with 8 against 2 successful blocks.
The match in "Mikra" hall lasted only 70 minutes. Panionios recorded a third consecutive victory and remains undefeated, while Aris remains with three defeats and not a single set won.
In the next round, the Thessaloniki team will face PAOK in the city derby, which will be another serious test for Krasimir Angelov and his teammates.