Volleyball club Levski Sofia won the award for team of the month of October in the traditional poll of Press Club "Bulgaria". The "Blues" earned the distinction after their triumph in the Bulgarian Supercup tournament, which they won for the fourth consecutive year.
30 sports editorial offices participated in the voting, with 16 of them placing Levski in first place. The national shotokan karate-do team received 12 votes for its first place in the overall ranking of the world championship in Italy, and the women's national aesthetic gymnastics team remained third with two votes after winning a bronze medal at the European Championship.
This is the fifth such recognition for Levski's volleyball players since 2024. Three of the awards were won in 2024, one in 2025, and the current award is the first for 2026.
The reason for the award was the success on October 18, when Nikolay Zhelyazkov's proteges defeated Neftochimic 3:1 (25:16, 25:22, 13:25, 25:22) in the Supercup final.

The award was received by captain Todor Skrimov and Svetoslav Ivanov. Head coach Nikolay Zhelyazkov was unable to attend the ceremony.
"On behalf of the entire team, I want to thank you for this award. It is always an honor for us to receive it. I hope we will have many more reasons for joy and return here many more times. We do our best every day and in every match to give our best, and we are always happy when this is appreciated," Skrimov stated.
Svetoslav Ivanov also thanked for the recognition and emphasized the contribution of the entire squad and coaching staff to winning the Supercup.
During the meeting with journalists, the two also commented on Levski's elimination from the Champions League after the two matches against Croatian Mladost (Zagreb).
According to Skrimov, the main difference between the two teams was in experience, rather than in the individual class of the players.
"We have two or three boys of junior age who are practically constantly on the court. It is normal for fluctuations to occur at certain moments," the captain explained.
He also pointed out the specific reasons for the big drop in the second set of the return match, when the Bulgarian champion conceded a series of points after reception problems.
"We failed to receive a moderately strong float serve well enough. It wasn't a catastrophic reception, but it was inaccurate enough for the opponents to organize a good double block on the edges. They have tall middle blockers who move well, and several times in a row we failed to finish our attacks," Skrimov analyzed.
Despite the European disappointment, the captain remains optimistic about Levski's performance in the Bulgarian championship.
"If we are not the main favorite, then we are certainly one of the main contenders for the title. Lokomotiv, Deia, and CSKA can also be included in this group. I believe that Levski will fight until the end for all trophies this year," he stated.
Skrimov also commented on opinions that the current championship might be weaker than last year's. According to him, there might be some decline in class, as squads change significantly every year, but the fierce competition among the leading teams is positive for spectator interest.
Regarding participation in the CEV Cup tournament, the captain clarified that the management and coaching staff have not set a specific goal for reaching a certain stage. The main requirement is for the team to show its capabilities and not leave the court regretting that it did not give its maximum.
The two volleyball players also expressed reservations about the discussed possibility of moving world and European championships to winter. According to them, such a change would disrupt the rhythm of the club season and could increase the workload of national team players.
Skrimov emphasized that for volleyball players who also play for their national teams, such a break would not necessarily mean rest, but a change in training regimen and additional commitments.
The captain also announced that his recovery is going well and he hopes to be fully ready to play next week. Regarding possible changes in Levski's squad in winter, he stated that he had not heard of any transfers being prepared.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov