The Bulgarian national team achieved its second consecutive victory at the World Championship in the Philippines, after defeating Slovenia 3:2 (25:19, 25:14, 18:25, 23:25, 15:13) in the hallSM Mall of Asiain Pasay City. Our opponents were on the verge of making a complete comeback, but Alex Nikolov and company had no intention of giving up and gave their all in the final set, where Bulgaria triumphed. In this way, the national team secured early qualification for the elimination rounds.
First Set
The national team started confidently and established control from the very beginning. Our strong serve and stable block quickly gave them an advantage. Alex Nikolov and Martin Atanasov led the attack, while Slovenia often made mistakes. Bulgaria maintained a 4-5 point lead and closed the set without problems with 25:19.
Second Set
Gianlorenzo Blengini's boys played perhaps their strongest set of the tournament. The serve and block worked flawlessly again, and the attack was varied. Alex Nikolov and Asparuh Asparuhov stood out with several spectacular plays. Slovenia looked helpless and Bulgaria reached a convincing 25:14.
Third Set
After the break, the Slovenians played more aggressively and dictated the tempo. Our team suffered a drop in concentration, and the opponent won most of the long rallies. The powerful attacks of Tonček Štern and Nik Mujanović made defense difficult. Thus, Slovenia brought back the intrigue with 25:18.
Fourth Set
The match became completely even, with both teams exchanging point for point. Bulgaria had a chance to close the match in this set, but in crucial moments, the Slovenians showed more composure. Our team missed attack opportunities and allowed a comeback. Slovenia leveled the score after 25:23.
Tie-break
The decisive fifth set started better for the Slovenians, who took the lead. In the crucial rallies, however, leader Alex Nikolov led the Bulgarian attack. Supported by the stable serve and block of his teammates, he turned the score in our favor. At 15:13, Bulgaria celebrated a dramatic victory.
Team Stats
| Match Team Stats | Slovenia | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 52 | 56 |
| Block | 9 | 13 |
| Serve | 4 | 11 |
| Opponent errors | 31 | 26 |
| Total points | 96 | 106 |
Bulgaria prevailed with more effective serving and a stronger block. Although the Slovenians received more points from opponent errors, the national team compensated with greater stability in attack and defense.
Play in defense and distribution
| Match Skills | Slovenia | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive digs | 59 | 65 |
| Reception | 82 | 80 |
| Distribution | 108 | 116 |
Here, the balance was almost even, but the Bulgarians showed slightly better organization in defense and in the distribution of attacks. This helped for greater variety in attack and decisive points at the end.
Top scorers
| Top scorers | Slovenia | Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Tonček Štern | 20 | — |
| Nik Mujanović | 16 | — |
| Aleksandar Nikolov | — | 26 |
| Asparuh Asparuhov | — | 17 |
Aleksandar Nikolov was the big star of the match with 26 points, and it was he who tipped the scales in the tie-break. Asparuh Asparuhov also played a strong match with 17 points. For Slovenia, Štern and Mujanović kept the team in the game, but they couldn't stop the Bulgarian surge at the end.
Libero Damyan Kolev once again performed at a high level, being stable in reception, despite the frequent attempts by the Slovenians to make it difficult for him. In defense, he also demonstrated reliability and intervened decisively in key moments.
With their second consecutive victory – after the triumph over Germany – Bulgaria occupies first place in Group E with 5 points. The last match is against Chile on Wednesday morning, and the national team is on track to finish the phase as group leader.
Last but not least, Bulgaria secured the 12th position, thanks to the 12.64 points gained for the world ranking.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
