Pasay City, Philippines.The Bulgarian national team qualified for the quarterfinals of the World Championship in the Philippines, after defeating Portugal with a decisive 3:0 set score. This happens 15 years after our last qualification for this phase of the World Cup. At that time, Alex and Moni's father was in the ranks; now they repeat the best ranking of the national team captain Vladimir Nikolov at world finals.
The victory seems easy on paper, but the match was far from devoid of difficulties.
| Sets | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 25:19 |
| 2 | 25:23 |
| 3 | 25:13 |
The first set started hesitantly – our team made 8 service errors, which allowed the Portuguese to stay close in the score. Gradually, however, discipline returned, and the Bulgarians imposed their will. The second set was marked by an unpleasant situation involving the middle blocker Iliya Petkov, who limped off the court. His substitute, Preslav Petkov, came in excellently and handled the play in the middle. Only in the third set did we see Bulgaria in its full glory – with powerful serves and strong blocks, where Martin Atanasov literally "locked" the net for Portugal's attackers.
Team statistics
| Statistics | Bulgaria | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 37 | 23 |
| Block | 11 | 2 |
| Serve | 4 | 6 |
| Opponent errors | 23 | 24 |
| Total points | 75 | 55 |
Bulgaria dominated in attack (37:23) and especially in block (11:2), where our middles and receivers were a wall at the net. Serve was the only area where Portugal had a minimal advantage (6 against 4 aces), but it failed to compensate for their other weaknesses.
Individual statistics
| Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Aleksandar Nikolov (#23) | Bulgaria | 19 |
| Martin Atanasov (#4) | Bulgaria | 9 |
| Lorenzo (#12) | Portugal | 10 |
| Nuno Marques (#9) | Portugal | 6 |
Aleksandar Nikolov was once again the leader of the team
– with 19 points he led the attack and showed why he is considered the great gem of Bulgarian volleyball. Martin Atanasov contributed with 9 points and stability in reception. For Portugal, only Lorenzo managed to pass the double-digit mark, but remained a lone weapon.
Play in defense and organization
| Element | Bulgaria | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive digs | 51 | 52 |
| Reception | 43 | 59 |
| Setting (sets) | 72 | 87 |
Looking forward
The good news after the match is that Iliya Petkov's injury does not appear serious, although a medical examination is pending. He himself admitted to us after the end of the match that he was more scared than the situation seemed serious. A break between matches in the schedule will give the center a chance to recover for the most important clash – the quarter-final.
The opponent will be determined from the clash between USA – Slovenia. Bulgaria already has fresh memories with both teams – we played officially twice against the Slovenians – in the Volleyball Nations League and in the preliminary group of the World Championship, and against the USA – in the VNL and friendlies in Japan, shortly before the flight to Manila.
Atmosphere and symbolism
Currently, the climatic conditions in the Philippines are severe due to a typhoon passing through the region. Fortunately, Manila is not seriously affected. This will allow the preparation to proceed normally. Otherwise, there was a small group of Bulgarian fans in the hall who continuously supported our team.
The mood in the national team's camp is high not only because of the qualification but also because the victory came exactly on Bulgaria's Independence Day – a symbolic gift for the entire nation.
