The twelfth round in the Italian Serie A2 Credem Banca offered a rich set of emotions, surprises, and a significant Bulgarian presence. A victory over the leader, a heavy loss in a direct clash, and a stable performance in the battle for the top – Bulgarian volleyball players left their mark, albeit with different results for their teams.
La Campi Reali Cantù – Tinet Prata di Pordenone 3:2
(21:25, 25:23, 27:25, 17:25, 17:15)
Cantù closed out 2025 with a prestigious victory against the league leader Tinet Prata di Pordenone, albeit only for two points. The success came after a five-set battle in which the hosts showed character and stability in the decisive moments.
Bulgarian participation:
Nikolay Ivanov (Cantù) – 1 point
Ivanov made sporadic appearances but was part of the squad that withstood the pressure in the tie-break and inflicted only the leader's second loss of the season.
Top scorers:
For Cantù: Luca Tadic
For Prata di Pordenone: Jernej Terpin, Cristian Gamba
Rinascita Lagonegro – Banca Macerata Fisiomed 3:1
(25:21, 25:20, 23:25, 25:20)
A heavy loss for Macerata in Lagonegro, where a series of elementary errors and problems in attack and block proved decisive. The hosts controlled the match in three of the four sets and deservedly achieved a full victory.
Bulgarian highlight:
Rusi Zhelev (Macerata) – 12 points
Denis Karyagin (Macerata) – 15 points
Zhelev started strong, including an ace in the first set, but also made several key errors. Karyagin became most active in the third set, when Macerata managed to bring back the intrigue, but it was not enough for a comeback.
Best scorer in the match:
Cantagalli (Lagonegro) – 24 points
Romeo Sorrento – ABBA Pineto 1:3
(20:25, 15:25, 25:23, 21:25)
ABBA Pineto continued its rise and recorded its ninth win in 12 matches, solidifying its place in the top three. After two convincingly won sets, the Adriatic team allowed themselves to relax, but in the fourth set, they demonstrated class and depth in their squad.
Bulgarian highlight:
Preslav Petkov (Romeo Sorrento) – 9 points (5 in the third set, including an ace and a block)
Petkov was among the main drivers of Sorrento's resistance in the third set and showed stability both in serving and blocking.
Top scorers:
Matheus Krauchuk (Pineto) – 21 points
Carli Alik (Pineto) – 16 points
Summary – Bulgarians in Round 12
| Player | Team | Match | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikolay Ivanov | La Campi Reali Cantù | vs Prata di Pordenone | 3:2 | 1 |
| Rusi Zhelev | Banca Macerata | @ Lagonegro | 1:3 | 12 |
| Denis Karyagin | Banca Macerata | @ Lagonegro | 1:3 | 15 |
| Preslav Petkov | Romeo Sorrento | vs ABBA Pineto | 1:3 | 9 |
The Bulgarian volleyball players had a noticeable presence, especially in Macerata and Sorrento. Karyagin and Zhelev were among their team's main scorers, but collective problems – 23 service errors and half as many blocks – proved fatal. Preslav Petkov continues to establish himself as a stable middle blocker, while Nikolay Ivanov's participation remains more rotational, but in the context of a prestigious victory.
The round once again showed that Serie A2 is a championship without easy matches – a fact the Bulgarians feel every week on the court.
