Bulgarian international Venislav Antov received the official "Betclic Player of the Match" award for the second time in the 2026/2027 season in the French Alterna VOLSTAR league. The Tourcoing opposite earned the recognition after an away victory over Paris Volley with a score of 3:2 (22:25, 25:18, 25:21, 23:25, 15:12) in the sixth round of the championship.
Antov was the top scorer in the match with 27 points, including 21 in attack, 4 aces, and 2 blocks. The Bulgarian finished with 57% efficiency in attack and was instrumental in Tourcoing's fifth success since the start of the season.
Antov won his first "Betclic Player of the Match" award in the third round, on October 25, when Tourcoing defeated Nice with a score of 3:2 (21:25, 20:25, 25:18, 25:21, 15:12). At that time, the Bulgarian opposite scored 29 points and was largely responsible for his team's impressive comeback from 0:2 sets.
The "Joueur du match Betclic" award is an official individual honor from the French National Volleyball League (LNV). Since the 2026/2027 season, it has been named after the betting company Betclic and is awarded to the best player in each individual match of the championship. The prize is not equivalent to an award for the best player of the round or the season, but it represents official recognition for individual contribution to victory.
Thus, in just six rounds, the 26-year-old Bulgarian already has two Player of the Match awards, both won after five-set victories in which he was the leading scorer.
After the success in Paris, Tourcoing occupies fourth place in the provisional standings with five wins and 14 points. The team's next match is on November 28 against Poitiers at the "Leo Lagrange" hall.