Heart, character, and class! The Bulgarian national volleyball team delivered one of the biggest surprises in the 2025 Nations League, defeating world No. 1 Poland with3:2 (17:25, 25:22, 25:23, 27:29, 15:11)in the mythical "Ergo Arena" in Gdansk. The same hall where exactly12 years agothe "Lions" of another Italian - Camillo Placì - triumphed 3:2 against the hosts in the playoffs (first elimination round) of the European Men's Volleyball Championship. This time the heroes were different, but the spirit was the same! 🇧🇬💥

🟧First set: a cold shower - 17:25

Bulgaria started with enthusiasm, but the Poles quickly set their pace. Despite effective attacks by Alex Nikolov and Georgi Tatarov, reception errors and a stable Polish block tipped the scales. At 16:22, Wilfredo Leon also appeared on the court, and with an ace from the star from Cuba, the game quickly ended. Poland demonstrated why they are leaders in the rankings.

🟧Second set: the heart returned - 25:22

This set was marked by Bulgarian character! An ace from Martin Atanasov and a block from Stoil Palev with Alex Grozdanov put the nationals ahead. Venislav Antov shone with powerful attacks and composure, and his ace at the end gave set point. Bartosz Bednorz sent the ball out, and Bulgaria restored balance to the match - 1:1! 💪🇧🇬

🟧Third set: a new Bulgarian eruption - 25:23

Poland took the lead, but the Bulgarians did not give in. Tatarov, Atanasov, and Nikolov attacked relentlessly, and Simeon Nikolov directed the game with composure. At 21:21, Grozdanov followed with an ace, and after several magnificent combinations, Georgiev brought set point. The Poles broke down -2:1 for Bulgaria!🧨

🟧Fourth set: a breathtaking thriller - 27:29

Rotations, comebacks, and incredible rallies! Attacks by Atanasov and Antov did not stop, Nikolov's blocks were like a wall, but the Poles responded with no less passion. At 24:23, we had a match point, but Poland survived. An ace by Kochanowski brought the end of the set -equalizer 2:2, but the Bulgarians already knew - this evening is special.

🟧Fifth part: retribution - 15:11

The tie-break was a spectacle that no one in "Ergo Arena" will forget. Simeon Nikolov was distributing magic, Alex Grozdanov was doing wonders in the middle, and Antov and Atanasov were breaking the blockade. At 14:11 the moment came -ace by Simeon Nikolovand...Bulgaria defeated Poland in Gdansk!🇧🇬🔥🙌

📊 Most points for Bulgaria:

• Aleksandar Nikolov- 24 pts (2 aces, 3 blocks)

• Martin Atanasov- 13 pts (1 ace)

• Venislav Antov- 13 pts (1 ace, 1 block)
  
  🇵🇱Most points for Poland:
  

  Player	Points	Ace	Block
  Mateusz Poręba (No. 72)	15	0	1
  Bartosz Bednorz (No. 10)	12	0	2

📊Team statistics summary:

🧠Technical indicators:

🧠Analysis:

Poland and Bulgaria finished withan equal number of attack points – 59 each, which clearly shows that the match was decided inother components of the game. And here Bulgaria prevailed: more aces (8 against 3) and fewer unforced errors (32 against 38). Preciselythe better serve and disciplinein the game proved to be key.

In defensethe Bulgarians were more active, with 52 digs against 44 for the hosts, which testifies to the great work of the libero and the outside hitters in reception and playmaking. The setters also performed excellently –Simeon Nikolov and Stoil Palev combined for 116 assists, against 108 for the Poles.

Poland relied mainly onMateusz Poręba, who was a constant threat from the middle, andBartosz Bednorz, whose role in the fourth set was crucial. But even their contribution was not enough againstan inspired and tactically flexible Bulgarian team.

🔜On Sunday at 6:00 PM, Bulgaria faces Iran in their last match of the tournament in Gdansk!

🟥 12 years later. The same hall. The same result. The same heroism. Only one thing is different -a new generation, the same Bulgarian spirit!🇧🇬❤️💪

photos: Nikolay Varadinov