Our national volleyball team managed to achieve a valuable and extremely difficult 3:2 victory over Iran in their third match on Japanese soil – Fukuoka. A match that offered many twists, eccentric coaching tactical decisions, and (un)expected heroes. After having to overcome the disappointment of the previous two matches in Fukuoka, Fortuna was also on our side this time, allowing us to earn a deserved 2 points after today's five-set encounter.
Bulgaria started this match with its already established lineup: Simeon Nikolov, Dimitar Dimitrov, Georgi Tatarov, Asparuh Asparuhov, Alex Grozdanov, Iliya Petkov, and libero Martin Bozhilov.
The match started evenly, but the Iranians were the first to take the lead in the set at 7:5. Our volleyball players tried to counteract the opponent's play, occasionally closing the gap, but Iran stabilized its game to open a 4-5 point lead after the middle of the set. Our team showed inconsistent play during these minutes, which had its effect. Gianlorenzo Blengini used both of his technical timeouts, but it was clear that we were not controlling the game on the court. The "Persians" calmly closed the set in their favor, thus taking a 1:0 lead with a score of 25:20.
The unsuccessful first set forced our head coach Gianlorenzo Blengini to make a change in his lineup – he replaced the left-handed opposite hitter Dimitar Dimitrov, with the versatile outside hitter Denis Karyagin taking his place. Iran again played more concentrated, thus taking a 7:4 lead. However, the Bulgarian "Lions" from that moment on began to play more cleanly, which was reflected in the middle of the set – we took a 12:11 lead. The good run was due to excellent serves from Asparuh Asparuhov. Bulgaria continued to dictate the rhythm of events on the court, maintaining a comfortable 3-4 point difference. Our boys reached 4 set points at 24:20, but Iran melted away 2 of them. This forced Blengini to call a timeout, and after the restart, Georgi Tatarov closed the second set at 25:22 – 1:1.
The end of the second set prompted our boys to continue their upward trend in the third, as we took an early lead at 6:3. After evenly contested minutes, Bulgaria was again in a better position after the middle of the set – 16:14. In the third set, we must acknowledge the play of middle blocker Iliya Petkov, who traditionally delivers good and effective serves in this League tournament. The attacker skillfully handled several balls at the center of the net, providing the necessary composure in our ranks. Iran increased its tempo, which unfortunately yielded results. The "Persians" took a 21:20 lead, forcing Gianlorenzo Blengini to call a timeout. This short break paid off, as our boys regrouped and turned the set around at the most crucial moment. After strong blocking – something completely normal for our team – Bulgaria deservedly took a 2:1 lead after another 25:22.
The fourth set started poorly for Bulgaria, as Iran quickly built a 5:1 lead thanks to Alireza Moslehabadi, who came in as a substitute for Iran. Our coach called a timeout, which yielded results. Our volleyball players managed to keep up with the pace, equalizing the score in the set at 10:10. Iran again took the lead at 12:10, forcing Blengini to use his second timeout of the set. After the Iranians opened a 4-point lead at 14:10, our Italian coach made a move unusual for the average fan but well-known to those who closely follow Bulgarian volleyball – our coach brought in the second setter Svetoslav Stankov, and our starting playmaker Simeon Nikolov played in the opposite hitter position. This position is not unfamiliar to Moni, who often received the responsibility of being the main attacker in critical moments of the Bulgarian championship even in his home club Levski, despite his primary position requiring the exact opposite – to provide comfort and ease for his attackers. This rotation again had a positive result, as our "Lions" equalized the score several times after good play in attack. However, Iran again took the lead at 20:17, which was maintained until the end of the set. Denis Karyagin replaced Svetoslav Stankov, but this did not change the situation, and ultimately the "Persians" closed the set and tied the score at 25:20 and 2:2. It was time for a tie-break.
In the decisive fifth set, Bulgaria started confidently, maintaining a 2-point lead in the opening minutes. Gianlorenzo Blengini was forced to call a timeout in the middle of the set at 7:8, which calmed our volleyball players. Bulgaria continued to lead by 2 points in this short set at 11:9 and 12:10. In the final part, the figures of Asparuh Asparuhov and Iliya Petkov again came to the forefront, playing with inspiration, intelligence, and courage. After two aces from Puhi, Bulgaria got four opportunities to close the set and the match – 14:10. Iran made a mistake in the very next rally, which put an end to the match in Fukuoka. Thus, Bulgaria deservedly triumphed in this tough and controversial match.
The most effective player for our team was middle blocker Iliya Petkov with a total of 20 points, followed by his position colleague and team captain Alex Grozdanov, who spiked 14. Georgi Tatarov and Asparuh Asparuhov added 13 and 12 points respectively. Simeon Nikolov, who played in two positions in this match, finished with 6, while the starting opposite hitter Dimitar Dimitrov played a bad match, finishing with only 3 points. Denis Karyagin recorded 9 points, replacing the left-handed Dimitrov at the end of the first set.
For Iran, Amin Esmaeilnezhad stood out with the most points – 16. Other opposing volleyball players who recorded double-digit points were Mohammad Valizadeh with 11, and two players finished with 10 each – Morteza Sharifi and Meisam Salehi.
The victory is important both for the self-confidence of our boys and for the standings in the Nations League, where we maintain our 14th place. In the world ranking, Bulgaria moved up one place to 19th, surpassing Egypt.
The victory came with difficulty, which was dictated by our inconsistent play and the unsuccessful performance of the players occupying the most important attacking position – the opposite hitter. On the other hand, the strong play of our middle blockers is a good testament that we can rely on attack through the center, as well as the solid block we apply against our opponents. Last but not least, of course: one of the most experienced players in our squad, even if only 23 – Asparuh Asparuhov, once again showed why he is rightly considered a leader of our young team. Today's match was another in which the outside hitter played more than solidly.
Our team still has a lot of work ahead to iron out the game errors that are visible in every match. But we must be patient because the young boys show enormous zeal and potential that deserves to be unleashed over time.
Bulgaria's last match in Fukuoka is on Sunday, June 9, against Slovenia at 13:30. The match will be broadcast live on Max Sport.
