From domination to disappointment – the Bulgarian girls missed a golden chance to close the match against Chile, squandering a 2:1 game lead and control of the game.

The Bulgarian national team for girls under 21 years old recorded a second dramatic loss at the World Championship in Surabaya (Indonesia). In their third match in Group D, the girls led by coach Dragan Nesic lost to Chile 2:3 (24:26, 25:19, 25:22, 14:25, 10:15) after a partial comeback and a series of missed opportunities.

The Bulgarians started as favorites and in the very first game took a 6:3 lead, but allowed their opponent to equalize at 9:9. Even a series of four consecutive points and an 18:14 lead were not enough – in the end, Chile turned it around to 20:18 and snatched the game 26:24. The second and third games passed under our dictation – stable play, quick leads (11:6, 16:10 in the second; 17:12 in the third) and convincing victories. At that moment, we were just one set away from victory.

But instead of closing the match, the national team suffered a complete collapse. Chile played an almost perfect fourth set, leading from start to finish, and won with a heavy 25:14. The tie-break started with a slight Bulgarian dominance, but at 6:9 the decisive moment arrived – our team narrowed the gap to 10:11, but that turned out to be their last glimmer. The South Americans closed the match and triumphed.

After the defeat, the Bulgarians remain third in the group with 1 win, 2 losses, and 4 points, maintaining chances for qualification to the next phase. Tomorrow is a rest day, and on Monday, our team will face Japan. The girls from the 'Land of the Rising Sun' are group leaders without a single loss. The match starts at 3:00 PM Bulgarian time.

Individual Performances

Iva Dudova was the top scorer for Bulgaria for the second time, finishing with an impressive 25 points, including 6 blocks and 4 aces.
Victoria Dimitrova contributed 13 points (2 blocks, 1 ace), and Victoria Koeva added 11 points (2 aces).
For Chile, Dominga Aylwin played exceptionally well with 27 points (3 blocks, 4 aces), and Petra Schwartzman finished with 24 points and 1 ace.

Match Statistics

Chile had a significant advantage in attack (57 versus 46), which compensated for their weaker block. Bulgaria excelled at the net (17 blocks) but made more inaccuracies in the decisive moments. Chile's strong serve (13 aces) also proved to be a key factor.

Statistics by game elements

Both teams showed similar indicators in defense and reception, which highlights how even the match was. Chile, however, had a slight advantage in the total number of rallies, which allowed them to hold the initiative in key moments.