Bulgarian volleyball player Maria Koleva and her Dentil/Praia Clube suffered a defeat in the state derby against Gerdau Minas with a score of 0:3 (24:26, 18:25, 17:25) in front of 1500 spectators, in a match that lasted 97 minutes. This was Koleva's team's fourth loss in the championship.

Koleva finished the match with 8 points, including 3 aces, with a 36% success rate in attack, but with -8% efficiency, which indicates difficulties against the opponent's strong block. Nevertheless, the Bulgarian remains one of the most active and consistent players in the Praia Clube squad.

The top scorer for the winners was Maria with 12 points, and Yuliya Novitska was chosen as the MVP of the match. For the home team, the American opposite hitter Morgan Fingall scored the most; she played under the guidance of Ivan Petkov at the French club Volero Le Cannet last season.

With this victory, Gerdau Minas overtook Praia Clube and now occupies fourth place in the provisional standings with eight points. Koleva's team is fifth with six points.

The Bulgarian outside hitter ranks ninth among the top scorers in the league with a total of 51 points, and in the aces ranking, she is seventh with four successful aces. She is establishing herself as one of the most effective servers in the championship and a key figure in the Praia Clube squad.

In the next round, Dentil/Praia Clube will try to get back on the winning track when they host Sesi Bauru.

photo: Bruno Cunha