Immediately after the match, some of the athletes spoke briefly to our microphone:


Preslav Petkov:

'I entered the second set and, unfortunately, it wasn't for good, because Ilia had to leave. I hope everything is alright with him – he is my teammate and close friend. At first, I was worried because I came in unexpectedly and saw Ilia limping off. But the guys inside motivated me and I managed to overcome the pressure. It wasn't easy – a World Championship debut is always tough. But that's volleyball. Now we look forward to the quarterfinals.'

Martin Atanasov:

'The first set started sluggishly, perhaps because of the long breaks in this championship – rhythm is lost. We looked more asleep and didn't handle the ball well. Then we stabilized, reduced errors, and took control. I hope Ilia is well, and Preslav came in very strong and helped a lot. For the quarterfinal, it doesn't matter who we play against – there are no weak opponents here. The most important match is this one, and we will give our all for it.'

Asparuh Asparuhov:

'At the beginning, our game didn't go well and we made quite a few errors, including my own from service. That's part of volleyball – you have to overcome such moments to win. Thank God, it seems Ilia doesn't have a serious injury, and Preslav did exactly what was asked of him. Everyone must be ready to come off the bench. For the quarterfinal, we will prepare as always – tactically and mentally. The championship is unusual with these breaks, but the important thing is to be healthy and focused.'

Simeon Nikolov:

'In the first set, we made a total of eight service errors – that's a lot, but it happens. Then we found our rhythm and managed to win. We shuddered when Ilia had to leave, but fortunately, there's no serious injury. Preslav replaced him admirably and helped tremendously. The quarterfinal is the most important match in any championship – you go out and play as if your life depends on it. We are ready for this battle.'

Alex Nikolov:

'Yes, eight errors in the first set are too many, but the important thing is that we won it. And when you make a service error, the opponent has the opportunity to make asideoutbut also loses – this, in a sense, also worked against them. Of course, we shouldn't make excuses – these errors are too many for a game's start. We all shuddered when Ilia fell, but I think he will be fine. He is tough, I'm sure he will be back. For the quarterfinal, it doesn't matter who the opponent is – both teams are evenly matched. The important thing is for Ilia to be with us, because he is a key player, but we will also be ready to give our all unconditionally.'