At the U21 Men's World Championship in Jiangmen (China), the Bulgarian national team recorded a difficult but valuable 3:2 set victory over Kazakhstan. Our team started strong, winning the first two sets by a margin, but then allowed the opponent to come back into the match, leading to a tie-break. In the decisive moments, the Bulgarians showed more character and class, closing the match 15:9. Due to the injury of the starting opposite hitterBachvarov, his place was forcibly taken by outside hitterOgnyan Hristov. The young volleyball player had problems adapting to the unfamiliar position and often struggled in attack. Nevertheless, with accumulated playing time, he managed to help in defense and alleviate the pressure on the main scorers.
Match development
Bulgaria entered the match confidently, dominating the first two parts (25:19, 25:19), with attack and stable serving creating problems for the Kazakh team. In the third set, there was a relaxation – Kazakhstan strengthened their serve, and the Bulgarians increased their errors. Our team played the role of the chasing side, and in key rallies, they conceded (21:25).
The fourth part offered even more emotions. At 23:23 after an ace by Delibosov, it seemed that Bulgaria could finish the match, but a block against outside hitterVelichkovled to 23:25 and a tie-break. In the decisive fifth set, the scenario repeated – a block against Velichkov at the very beginning, but he retaliated with 4 consecutive points after 7:7. Bulgaria pulled ahead to 11:7 and maintained the lead, and on the first match point, Kazakhstan's serve went into the net – 15:9 and 3:2 for our team.
Individual performances
Velichkov– 25 points, top scorer for Bulgaria. After a difficult start, he became the leading figure in the tie-break.
Delibosov– 14 points and key plays from serve.
Ognyan Hristov– 11 points - played in the unfamiliar opposite hitter position, showing fighting spirit and contribution in defense, albeit with fluctuations in attack.
Mastikhin (Kazakhstan)– 25 points, top scorer in the match for Kazakhstan
Match statistics
| Indicator | Kazakhstan | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 57 | 51 |
| Block | 6 | 15 |
| Serve | 9 | 10 |
| Opponent errors | 25 | 33 |
| Total points | 97 | 109 |
Bulgaria was inferior in attack (51 vs 57), but significantly superior in block (15:6) – a key factor for the victory. More points also came from opponent errors (33), which speaks to the pressure on Kazakhstan's reception.
Defense and distribution statistics
| Indicator | Kazakhstan | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Digs | 69 | 84 |
| Reception | 92 | 79 |
| Setting (passes) | 127 | 116 |
Bulgaria excelled with more digs (84), which compensated for weaker reception. This allowed the setter to vary the attack, even though Kazakhstan had more accurate first passes.
Top scorers
| Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Mastikhin (No. 6) | Kazakhstan | 25 |
| Velichkov (No. 3) | Bulgaria | 25 |
| Ryukhov (No. 52) | Kazakhstan | 15 |
| Delibosov (No. 8) | Bulgaria | 14 |
The leaders of both teams - Mastikhin and Velichkov - finished with 25 points each. The difference came from the support - Delibosov and Hristov gave the necessary assistance to Velichkov, while Kazakhstan relied almost entirely on their main scorer.
Despite the fluctuations and moments of tension, the young Bulgarian volleyball players showed character and achieved an important victory. The inclusion of Ognyan Hristov in the atypical diagonal position created difficulties, but the team found the strength to compensate and emerge victorious. The main weapons were blocking and stable defense, while work is needed on more consistent reception and fewer personal errors.
photos:volleyballworld.com
