In a match that likely shortened fans' lives by at least a year, and coach Antonina Zetova's by a full five, Bulgaria achieved its fourth victory in the Nations League. Our team outplayed South Korea 3:2 (25:22, 25:20, 21:25, 23:25, 15:13) in Chiba, Japan, securing their place in the elite for next season. Before our team's last match against Poland, which is tomorrow, Bulgaria is in 13th place in the VNL standings. South Korea and Thailand are in the last two places. After the match, our team took a group photo, holding up the jersey of the injured libero Galina Karabasheva, who tore her Achilles, dedicating the victory to her, expressing their sympathy, and sending wishes for a speedy recovery.

First set: Bulgaria controlled the rhythm

The Bulgarian team started confidently, relying on Aleksandra Saykova's stable attack in the center and Radostina Marinova's powerful spikes. Krivoshiyska's block also worked in key moments to maintain a 17:14 lead. A technical attack by Milanova and a powerful finish by Marinova sealed 25:22 for our team.

Second set: Another strong showing for the national team

Here too, the Bulgarians dictated the game. A block and an ace by Stanchulova, as well as smart attacks by Milanova, ensured the score comfortably favored us. At 19:13, it was clear the set was going Bulgaria's way, and a point by Stanchulova from zone 4 secured 25:20.

Third set: The Koreans fought back into the match

After two lost sets, South Korea showed some teeth. A series of two consecutive aces rattled our team and gave the Asian side a 19:15 lead. Bulgaria tried to come back with attacks by Milanova and a block by Krivoshiyska, but the Koreans withstood the pressure and took the set 25:21.

Fourth set: A shaking battle to the end

The beginning was even, but with the inclusion of Mikaela Stoyanova and Guncheva, the Bulgarians tried to regain the initiative. An ace by Saykova gave them a 17:16 lead, but the Koreans did not give up. After a series of tough rallies, the Koreans reached set point and won 25:23, sending the match to a tie-break.

Tie-break: A typhoon of emotions, but Bulgaria survived

The tie-break started with a slight lead for South Korea after our error in attack. Milanova, however, equalized at 4:4, and after more dramatic rallies, Bulgaria took an 11:9 lead after two key points by Krivoshiyska and solid defense. Stanchulova "threaded" the ball past the double block for 12:10, and after a Korean error, we led 13:10. The Asians closed to 13:12 after a block out, but Stanchulova gave the first match point. The Koreans saved the first opportunity, forcing Zetova to call a timeout. Milanova, however, was merciless and with an attack ended the drama \u2013 15:13.

🏐 Team Statistics:

What this shows:

• Although Korea had a slight advantage in successful attacks (74 to 72), Bulgaria compensated with a much better block (11 to 7), which led to important points at key moments.

• Serve was a weapon for Korea, who made 6 aces against only 3 for our team.

• More errors by Korea (23 points gifted to Bulgaria) also helped, although the Bulgarian women also had their hesitations in reception.

• The total score is almost even, which only emphasizes how balanced and mentally exhausting this match was.
  
  🛡 Match Skills (individual skills):
  

📝 Analysis of individual skills

Defensive actions (Dig / saved balls in defense)

• The Koreans were more active and slightly more successful in defense, registering a total of 121 saves against 115 for Bulgaria. This shows that South Korea managed to prolong more rallies and return difficult balls, which kept pressure on our attackers for much of the match.

• However, the difference is not huge, which indicates a relatively balanced game in defense.

Reception

• And here Korea has an advantage with 103 receptions against 96 for Bulgaria, which suggests that they were subjected to more serves, but also received with slightly greater efficiency.

• It was Korea's reception that contributed to stabilizing their game after the first two sets and bringing the match back to a tie-break.

Set

• The Koreans made an impressive 190 sets against 168 for Bulgaria. This could mean two things: either their setting was more dynamic and frequently changing the direction of the attack, or they were forced to build attacks more often after long defenses.

• Bulgaria, although with fewer sets, showed high attack efficiency and variability, which is evident from the balanced point score of Stanchulova and Milanova.

Individual performances:

Individual stats for Bulgaria:

Bulgaria survived a thrilling match against South Korea and secured their spot in the VNL next year, while Antonina Zetova will have to quickly recover her lost nerves as preparations for the World Championship begin.

Photos:volleyballworld.com