Pasay City, Philippines.The Bulgarian national team created a true volleyball miracle and qualified for the semifinals of the 2025 World Championship in the Philippines, after making an epic comeback from 0:2 to 3:2 against the USA in the quarter-final, played in front of over 10 thousand in the hall Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. This is the "lions'" first participation among the top four teams on the planet since 2006, when Bulgaria won bronze medals.
In the semifinals on Saturday, Gianlorenzo Blengini's team will face the Czech Republic, which earlier in the day eliminated Iran with 3:1.
🏐 Match flow: from the abyss to the top
The first two sets looked like a foregone conclusion – the USA dominated with powerful serves and stable blocking, while Bulgaria struggled to find its rhythm. The Americans closed the opening parts with25:21 and 25:19and took a 2:0 lead.
The third set, however, turned the entire dynamic. The Bulgarians increased their aggression on serve and in attack, Iliya Petkov and Alex Nikolov took the initiative, and the block started working like clockwork. Our team won decisively with25:17.
The fourth set was a true drama – point for point, with magnificent defensive saves and exceptional effectiveness from Alex Nikolov and Asparuh Asparuhov. In the end, a block by Alex Grozdanov brought25:22and equalized the match.
In the tie-break, Bulgaria erupted – powerful serves by Nikolov, brilliant plays in the middle, and uncompromising blocking led to a decisive victory with15:13and a historic comeback from 0:2 to 3:2.
📊 Match statistics
| Statistics | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 57 | 61 |
| Block | 6 | 7 |
| Serve | 5 | 7 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 34 | 30 |
| Total points | 102 | 105 |
Bulgaria excels in key elements – more successful attacks (61 vs 57), better blocking, and a stronger serve. These three components turned the match around after a difficult start. Although the Americans received more points from opponent's errors, the Bulgarian team compensated with efficiency and determination in crucial moments.
📉 Individual statistics
| Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Nikolov | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 29 |
| Asparuh Asparuhov | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 12 |
| Jordan Ewert | 🇺🇸 USA | 17 |
| Ethan Champlin | 🇺🇸 USA | 25 |
Alex Nikolov was unstoppable –29 points, including aces, blocks and decisive attacks in the tie-break. Asparuhov also had an important role in the fourth and fifth sets. For the Americans, Champlin was the leading scorer, but failed to break the Bulgarian defense in crucial moments.
📊 Individual statistics – Bulgaria 🇧🇬 vs USA 🇺🇸 (1/4 final, Pasay City)
| Player | Position | Points | Attack | Block | Serve | % Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikolov | Outside Hitter | 29 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 16.09 |
| Asparuhov | Outside Hitter | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 9.30 |
| Petkov | Middle Blocker | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 8.11 |
| Grozdanov | Middle Blocker | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | -8.89 |
| Tatarov | Outside Hitter | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 11.11 |
| Nikolov | Setter | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | -13.33 |
| Atanasov | Outside Hitter | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -14.29 |
| Nachev | Middle Blocker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Zhelev | Outside Hitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Antov | Opposite | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Palev | Setter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Dobrev | Libero | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Kolev | Libero | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
⭐ Alex Nikolov was the undisputed leader – 29 points (26 attacks, 1 block, 2 aces) and the main driving force behind the comeback. He showed exceptional stability and in crucial moments, especially in the tie-break, was practically unstoppable.
🧱 Asparuh Asparuhov contributed decisively with 12 points, especially in the fourth set, where his attacks and saved balls in defense gave momentum to the team.
⚡ Iliya Petkov and Alex Grozdanov dominated in the center – a combined 18 points, including 4 blocks and 3 aces, with their actions in defense and at the net turning the match dynamic.
🔁 Georgi Tatarov brought a change from the bench and with 7 points provided the necessary impulse, especially with pipe attacks in the fourth set and the tie-break.
🧠 Setter Simeon Nikolovdistinguished himself not only with his points (5), but also with tactical decisions – including bold second-ball attacks and aggressive serving.
📉 Negative percentages for Atanasov and Nikolov show fluctuations at the start of the match, but these were compensated by collective play and increased efficiency after the second set.
This was not just a victory – this was a clear demonstration of character, tactics, and will. Bulgaria showed that it can stand against the strongest, even when it seems doomed. After 19 years of waiting, the 'Lions' are once again among the top four in the world, and the dream of a medal is entirely real.
🇧🇬 Next opponent: Czech Republic – Saturday, semifinal, SM Mall of Asia Arena
⏰ Start time: to be announced by FIVB additionally.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
