In the bronze medal match of the U21 World Championship in Surabaya (Indonesia), the Bulgarian national team gave their all but lost to Brazil with a 1:3 set score (19:25, 20:25, 25:14, 21:25). Our girls showed character and proved they can compete with the world elite, but ultimately the class and deeper bench of the South Americans proved decisive. Thus, Bulgaria failed to win its first medal at a women's U21 World Championship, but repeated its best achievement to date in this category - 4th place from Mexico in 2009, when we also lost to Brazil in the bronze medal match.
Set Progression
First set (19:25):Bulgaria started with ambition but had reception issues and failed to stop the Brazilian attack. The South Americans took an early lead and maintained it until the end.
Second set (20:25):Our team led 12:7 and maintained a lead until 19:16. In crucial moments, however, errors occurred – two attacks by Dudova went out, followed by problems in defense and reception, and Brazil took full advantage. After this set, the score became 2:0 for 'seleção'.
Third set (25:14 for Bulgaria):Here, the Bulgarians demonstrated their true potential. With powerful serving, a stable block, and aggressive attacking, our team literally crushed their opponents. The Brazilians visibly relaxed after their 2:0 lead and allowed Bulgaria to dominate in all elements.
Fourth set (21:25):Up to 11:12, the game went point for point. Dudova was again the main engine in attack, and Koeva dared to go for difficult balls. An ace by Kitipova reduced the deficit to 20:23 and gave hope, Koeva saved the first match point, but then she herself sent the ball into the net and Brazil closed out the match.
Team statistics
| Statistics | Brazil | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 52 | 50 |
| Block | 11 | 5 |
| Serve | 5 | 9 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 21 | 21 |
| Total points | 89 | 85 |
The Bulgarians had an advantage in serving and equal performance in defense, but were clearly outplayed in blocking (11:5), which tipped the scales. The difference in final points is only 4, which shows how even the match was.
Play in elements
| Element | Brazil | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Balls saved in defense | 103 | 106 |
| Reception | 81 | 84 |
| Distribution | 138 | 144 |
In defense, reception, and distribution, Bulgaria even outperformed their opponent. This further emphasizes that the loss came from a lack of effectiveness in attack and a weak block.
Top scorers
| Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Rebeca (№9) | Brazil | 24 |
| Helena (№15) | Brazil | 23 |
| Dudova (№13) | Bulgaria | 20 |
| Koeva (№10) | Bulgaria | 16 |
Dudova was once again a leader for Bulgaria, but lacked support at the end of the match. Koeva got involved more boldly in the decisive moments, but her mistake in the last rally ended the dispute. For Brazil, Rebecca and Helena formed a killer tandem with a total of 47 points.
Bulgaria individual statistics
| No. | Name | Position | Total Points | Attack | Block | Serve | Efficiency % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Dudova | O | 20 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 11.11 |
| 10 | Koeva (capt.) | OH | 16 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 9.23 |
| 17 | Kitipova | OH | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 12.82 |
| 7 | Kolarova | MB | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 13.51 |
| 3 | Nikolova | MB | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2.94 |
| 6 | Guncheva | S | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5.88 |
| 12 | Dimitrova | O | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| 1 | Boyanova | S | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 4 | Radeva | MB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -100.00 |
| 5 | Borisova | OH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 19 | Nedyalkova | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 23 | Manolova | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Key takeaways
Dudova(20 points) andKoeva(16 pts.) were the two sharp edges that kept Bulgaria in the match. Their efficiency, however (11% and 9%), shows fatigue and lack of sharpness in decisive moments.
Kitipova(11 pts.) contributed very usefully and showed that she can be a stable third option in attack.
Kolarovaimpressed with a balanced game – 8 pts., including 3 blocks and 3 aces. This makes her the team's hidden weapon in this match.
NikolovaandGunchevahad limited contribution, while Radeva and Borisova remained without contribution in terms of points.
It is striking thatonly 6 playersactually scored points, while the rest were statistics – a fact that is linked to the lack of rotations and freshness.
Editorial comment
Bulgaria finishes in fourth place – an achievement few expected before the tournament. Our girls surprised everyone, as in the predictions their best ranking was around 5th-8th position. The team played with character and dedication, but at the end, fatigue was evident – from the long tournament and from the lack of sufficient rotations.
Here arises the logical question – wouldn't it have been more appropriate for more of the U19 world champions to find a place in the U21 squad? Names like Dimana Ivanova (setter), Kalina Veneva (receiver), Darina Nanev (middle blocker) and Victoria Ninova (libero) remained out of head coach Dragan Nesic's plans, although they could have brought freshness and much-needed depth to the squad. In the end, only Kitipova from that team received a call-up and proved that she is capable of being a factor at such a level. The doubt remains whether a bolder integration of the "golden girls" from U19 would not have given a different look to the Bulgarian team in the battle for medals.
The question also remains open whether these four players will even be used effectively at the Women's World Championship starting next week. Instead of gaining confidence and routine alongside their older counterparts in the U21 squad, the 16-18-year-old talents were thrown into the "deep end" – without a guarantee of playing time and with the risk of their potential remaining unused.
