ManilaThe Bulgarian national team started its participation in the World Volleyball Championship in the Philippines in the best possible way - with a convincing 3:0 (40:38, 25:22, 25:20) victory over Germany. Gianlorenzo Blengini's squad showed strong character and solid mentality, especially in the dramatic first set, which lasted over half an hour. The success largely guarantees the Bulgarians a place among the top two teams in the group, with the favorite Slovenia as their next opponent.
First set - a battle of nerves, class, and a record score (40:38)
The first part turned into a real drama, in which both teams had chances to close the set. Bulgaria showed stronger nerves, and Alex Nikolov was unstoppable in attack - with a series of pipe attacks and diagonals over the block. Our team allowed their 6-point lead at 16:10 to be melted away and made a total of 17 unforced errors, but compensated with fantastic plays in defense and on the block. A decisive moment was Nikolov's attack for 40:38, which put the team ahead 1:0.
Second set - stability and control (25:22)
In the second part, the Bulgarians imposed their will from the very beginning. The excellent serve of Iliya Petkov and the powerful attacks of Asparuhov and Atanasov secured a comfortable lead. Germany tried to get back into the game, but Blengini's team demonstrated discipline and composure in the key rallies. At 24:21, Bulgaria reached set point, and an opponent's service error made it 2:0.
Third set - decisive match closure (25:20)
The Germans started stronger in the third part and took a 4:1 lead, but three consecutive Bulgarian blocks turned the tide. The national team established full control thanks to their stable play in attack and the impressive performances of Nikolov and Asparuhov. The triple block and setter Simeon Nikolov's accurate decisions made it difficult for the opponent, who started making mistakes. The match ended symbolically - with a service error by Grozer.
Match Statistics
| Indicator | Germany | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 43 | 53 |
| Block | 6 | 10 |
| Serve | 6 | 4 |
| Opponent's Errors | 25 | 23 |
| Total Points | 80 | 90 |
Comment:Bulgaria dominated the key elements - attack and block. Although they made more unforced errors, the team compensated with better offensive efficiency and 10 kill blocks, which broke Germany.
Individual performances
| Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Aleksandar Nikolov | Bulgaria | 28 |
| Martin Atanasov | Bulgaria | 11 |
| Georg Grozer | Germany | 13 |
| Anton Brehme | Germany | 11 |
Comment:Aleksandar Nikolov was the big hero – with 28 points and an exceptional role in the first set.
Atanasov also contributed with stability and decisive attacks, while for Germany, Grozer failed to lead his team, despite scoring the most points.
Individual statistics:
| No. | Last Name | Position | Total Points | Attack | Block | Serve | Errors | Efficiency % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Nikolov | Outside Hitter | 28 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 25.00 | |
| 4 | Atanasov | Outside Hitter | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 20.59 | |
| 1 | Nikolov | Setter | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | |
| 8 | Asparuhov | Outside Hitter | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| 3 | Petkov | Middle Blocker | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -7.41 | |
| 11 | Grozdanov (c) | Middle Blocker | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6.25 | |
| 5 | Nachev | Middle Blocker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 12 | Tatarov | Outside Hitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 15 | Zhelev | Outside Hitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 18 | Antov | Opposite | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 20 | Palev | Setter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -100.00 | |
| 21 | Dobrev | Libero | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | Kolev | Libero | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 29 | Petkov | Middle Blocker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Also noteworthy is the performance of Moni Nikolov, who, along with his brother, scored 37 points.
An excellent performance also by the libero Damyan Kolev, who, in his first match at a World Championship level, did more than well, managing to return a significant portion of attacks in defense and give a chance for rallies to continue. In reception, he was stable against errors (only 1).
Bulgaria's next match is against Slovenia on Monday at 12:30 PM Bulgarian time – a clash that will show where our team stands among the favorites of the championship.
photos: Nikolay Varadinov
