PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES.The Bulgarian national team achieved a convincing 3:0 (25:17, 25:12, 25:12) victory over Chile in a GroupEat the World Volleyball Championship held in the Philippines. The match in Pasay City was fully under the control of Gianlorenzo Blengini's pupils.
With this result, the Bulgarians finished the group stage in first place with a total of8 pointsand an impressive set ratio9:2. This is the seventh time in history that the national team has topped its group at a World Championship. The next obstacle for the "Lions" will be a 1/8-final match, which will take place on Monday against the second-placed team from GroupD.
There was also Bulgarian support in the stands - a compatriot from Plovdiv, married to a Filipina, working in Germany, who took special leave to come and support our team. On his way to the Philippines, he stopped in Bulgaria to pick up his mother for the cheer squad.
Key Match Statistics
The Strength of the Bulgarian Attack
| Category | Bulgaria | Chile |
|---|---|---|
| Attacks | 44 | 23 |
| Blocks | 9 | 1 |
| Aces | 7 | 1 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 15 | 16 |
| Total points | 75 | 41 |
Analysis:Bulgaria's dominance was evident in every aspect. Twice as many successful attacks and a nine times more effective block demonstrated the categorical difference in class. The serve also put serious pressure on the Chilean reception, and the final point difference (75:41) is the most accurate reflection of what happened on the court.
Defense and Reception
| Category | Bulgaria | Chile |
|---|---|---|
| Digs | 44 | 39 |
| Receptions | 36 | 65 |
| Sets | 64 | 67 |
Analysis:Chile was under constant pressure from the serve, which explains the large difference in the number of receptions – almost twice as many as our team. Bulgaria stood firm in defense, which allowed for effective organization and security in building attacks.
Top Scorers
| Player | Points | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Aleksandar Nikolov | 17 | Bulgaria |
| Martin Atanasov | 12 | Bulgaria |
| Vicente Parraguirre | 7 | Chile |
| Valenzuela | 7 | Chile |
Analysis:Alexandar Nikolov was once again the main scorer with 17 points, and Martin Atanasov supported with 12. Among the South Americans, there was no prominent leader – Parraguirre and Valenzuela scored a modest 7 points each.
Bulgaria played one of its strongest matches since the start of the championship – focused, disciplined, and aggressive in attack. The team showed collective stability and squad depth, which gives optimism for the upcoming knockout stages.
