Bulgaria fought but couldn't withstand France, losing 1:3 (22:25, 25:21, 17:25, and 22:25) in their second match of the third and final VNL tournament in Chiba, Japan. Thus, we failed to reverse the negative trend against "les Bleus," against whom we haven't won in 12 years.
Following this result, Bulgaria has3 wins and 9 losses, which places the team in13th place. This keeps their chances of staying in the elite group alive but limits their opportunities to reach the final eight.
First set
The match started evenly with a 4:4 score after an out-of-bounds block by Aleksandra Milanova. The Bulgarians even took a 5:4 lead after a block by Aleksandra Saykova. However, the French pressed with strong attacks from Hélène Cazaute and turned the score to 11:7. The national team tried to catch up with a technical attack by Iveta Stanchulova and powerful shots by Maria Krivoshiyska and Aleksandra Milanova, reaching 14:16. At the end of the set, Emiliya Racheva missed a serve, and Hélène Cazaute closed the set at 25:22 for France.
Second set
Bulgaria started much better and led 3:0 after an excellent reaction from Mikaela Stoyanova at the net. The game went point for point, and Stoyanova's aces tipped the scales in our favor at 13:12. Attacks by Aleksandra Milanova and Stoyanova's block led to 18:18, after which the national team built a lead. At 22:18, after a long rally and another block by Stoyanova, everything was under control. The set was closed after two powerful attacks by Stoyanova, making it 25:21.
Third set
France started the third set explosively and led 4:0, and Tsvetana Zhetova had to call an early timeout at 2:11. The national team was significantly behind after an ace by Iman Ndiaye for 13:4. Gradually, the Bulgarians narrowed the gap a bit with attacks by Racheva and a block by herself for 12:18. Errors from the French and a good combination by Marinova reduced the score to 16:18. Nevertheless, with a new ace by Ndiaye and stable play at the end, France won with a decisive 25:17.
Fourth set
The start of the fourth set was more promising for Bulgaria, who led 3:2 after a technical attack by Racheva. After blocks by Krivoshiyska and Milanova, the score hovered around 8:10, and an ace by Racheva made it 13:16. New strong performances by Milanova and a block by Krivoshiyska led to 17:18. However, the French pulled ahead to 23:19 after an accurate attack by Ndiaye. The Bulgarians clawed back two points through Stanchulova and an ace by Racheva for 22:24, but France took the set and the match.
🏐 1.Total team indicators:
| Statistics | Bulgaria | France |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 41 | 51 |
| Block | 13 | 14 |
| Serve (aces) | 5 | 8 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 27 | 23 |
| Total points won | 86 | 96 |
Analysis
Attackis the biggest difference: France has a full 10 successful attacks more, which shows higher effectiveness in attack. This may be due to greater variety or more successful passes.
Blockwas almost even (13 against 14), which shows good work from our middle and outside blockers.
Servewas slightly stronger for France with 8 aces against 5 for Bulgaria - here we allowed them to win three more direct points.
Opponent's errorsbrought more points to Bulgaria (27), which means we provoked the French to make more errors, or they were under pressure.
Although we received more points from their errors, the overall score is 96:86 for France, which reflects their stronger attack and serve.
🛠 2.Individual technical elements:
| Statistics | Bulgaria | France |
|---|---|---|
| Digs in defense | 85 | 81 |
| Reception | 77 | 75 |
| Distributed balls | 125 | 133 |
Analysis
Settingwas slightly better for Bulgaria (85 against 81), which speaks of solid back-row defense.
Receptionis also on par \u2014 77 for Bulgaria versus 75 for France. This means we received almost equally, without allowing serious superiority.
Distributionwas 8 more for France, which can also be linked to the fact that they attacked more and more diversely (which is also seen in attacks).
op 3.Best scorers:
| Team | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | Alexandra Milanova (19) | 16 |
| Bulgaria | Mikaela Stoyanova (23) | 15 |
| France | Cazaute (1) | 18 |
| France | Ndiaye (7) | 18 |
Analysis
Alexandra Milanovawas the top scorer for Bulgaria with 16 points, very close to France's leader Cazeau (18 points).
Mikaela Stoyanovaalso had an impressive match with 15 points. Thus, our two strongest scorers brought in a total of 31 points.
For France, Cazeau and Ndiaye were stable leaders with 18 points each, which significantly tilted the scales.
🔜 Upcoming matchTomorrow, July 12, 2025, the Bulgarian national team will face the Republic of Korea in a decisive Nations League match. This will be an opportunity for our girls to achieve a fourth victory, which will solidify Bulgaria's stay among the elite of world volleyball and avert the risk of relegation.
Given the current statistics (3 wins and 9 losses, win ratio 0.615, set ratio 0.876), a success against Korea will be crucial for retaining their place in the Nations League and for a more relaxed team building for the next cycle.
