1. 🇧🇬 Bulgaria's Last Match Against Poland in the VNL

In their final match of this year's Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the Bulgarian women's national volleyball team faced the strong Polish team in Chiba, Japan. Unfortunately, the match ended with a decisive 0:3 defeat for our girls.

The first set showed a quick dominance by the Polish team, who took an early 5:1 lead, then extended it to 10:2. Bulgarian coach Antonina Zetova took two timeouts in an attempt to stop the opponent's momentum, but the first set concluded with a heavy 13:25.

In the second set, Zetova made changes, bringing in Margarita Guncheva and Mikaela Stoyanova, and the national team even took a 2:1 lead. Gradually, however, Poland regained control, and at 13:19, Zetova called for another timeout to mobilize the team. Despite blocks by Aleksandra Saykova and an accurate attack by Iveta Stanchulova at the end, the set again went to Poland with 19:25.

In the third set, the opponents pulled ahead with 10:7 and 18:12, and Bulgaria's attempts to come back through blocks by Maria Krivoshiyska and skillful plays by Lora Slavcheva were not enough. The set ended 17:25, and thus the match – 0:3.

Statistically, Poland outperformed Bulgaria in almost all elements: attacks (42 versus 27), blocks (12 versus 3), and serves (5 versus 2 aces). However, the Bulgarians played an almost even game in defense and reception, which is a positive sign for future matches.

⭐ Top Scorers for Bulgaria

• Iveta Stanchulova– 6 points

• Aleksandra Saykova– 6 points
  Both stood out with attacks and blocks, trying to keep Bulgaria in the match.

⭐ Top Scorers for Poland

• Magdalena Stysiak – 17 points
  (main scorer, powerful in attack against the block)

• Oliwia Damaske – 11 points
  (supported Stysiak with stable attacks and additional pressure from serves)

📈 Overall Performance of Bulgaria in VNL 2025

This defeat finalized Bulgaria's balance in this year's Nations League with 4 wins and 8 losses. Thus, the national team finished in 13th place in the final standings, which, although in the lower half of the table, guarantees their stay in the VNL elite for the next season. This in itself is a success, as maintaining a place among the top 16 teams in the world brings valuable experience and prestige.

Statistically, the Bulgarian team scored 11 points, with a set win-loss ratio of about 0.61. This means that for every two sets lost, Bulgaria wins approximately one. The point ratio is about 0.876, meaning opponents scored on average 12-13% more points than us in each match. These numbers indicate clear areas for improvement — especially in offense and blocking, where matches are often decided.

🌍 Bulgaria's ranking in the world rankings

Following the conclusion of the VNL matches, the latest update to the official FIVB world rankings on July 13, 2025, places Bulgaria in 19th place globally with a total of 163.03 points. This secures a stable position in the top 20 and indicates that, although we are far from the leaders, we maintain a good level, which allows for regular participation in major tournaments like the Nations League.

✅ Conclusion and a look to the future

Although the VNL season ended with more losses, the Bulgarian team achieved the most important thing – retaining its place in the Nations League for next year. This guarantees new clashes with the world's strongest teams, which are invaluable for the development of the young squad. Now efforts will be directed towards the upcoming World Championship.

Opinion of Antonina Zetova (coach):

On the performance in the Nations League

Antonina Zetova stated that, overall, she is satisfied with Bulgaria's performance in the Nations League this season. The team fulfilled its assigned tasks, which was the main goal. She noted that in this cycle, players primarily from the Bulgarian championship participated, and the level of the championship in Bulgaria is not high enough to prepare sufficiently competitive volleyball players for such a tournament.

On the need for more players from abroad

Zetova expressed hope that in the future there will be a greater selection of players who play in foreign championships to raise the level of the national team. She emphasized her ambition for Bulgaria to be a better team next season.

On the upcoming World Championship

The coach indicated that at the World Championship, Bulgaria will also have other volleyball players available, which could give the team a chance to perform better. She specifically mentioned that girls currently participating in the U19 World Championship final might also get a chance to play at the World Championship.

Opinion of Maria Krivoshiyska (middle blocker):

On the match against Poland and the performance in the Nations League

Krivoshiyska said that every team has its bad days, and for Bulgaria, that was precisely the day of the match against Poland. She still noted that the team performed well in the Nations League and made progress in many aspects.

What needs to be worked on

Despite the improvements made, Krivoshiyska emphasized that there is still a lot of work to be done, especially concerning team spirit and cohesion. These are areas in which the national team players will need to develop further.

On the preparation for the World Championship

The middle blocker shared that the team has about a month and a half to prepare for the World Championship. Everyone will put 'heart and soul' into the preparation, not only for themselves but also for the fans who support the team.