Volleyball was the big winner at the 14th ceremony ofViasport.bgfor the best young Bulgarian athletes under 19 for 2025. The event took place in the theatre hall of the private school "Saint George" in Sofia.
Although the number one in the traditional poll of sports journalists became the tennis playerIvan Ivanov, it was volleyball that clearly dominated among the individual awards.
Four volleyball names in the Golden Ten
A total offour representatives of volleyballfound a place inthe Golden Ten for 2025, determined by the vote of sports journalists " a clear indicator of the exceptionally strong year for this sport.
In alphabetical order, the Golden Ten included:
Alexander Vasilev (tennis)
Valentina Georgieva (artistic gymnastics)
Viktoria Ninova (volleyball)
Dimana Ivanova (volleyball)
Ivan Ivanov (tennis)
Kalina Veneva (volleyball)
Malena Zamfirova (snowboarding)
Nikola Tsolov (motorsport)
Simeon Nikolov (volleyball)
Hristiyan Kasabov (athletics)
Volleyball presence – quality and impact
Simeon Nikolov, a silver medalist from the Men's Volleyball World Championship in the Philippines, ranked number 2 in the ranking – the highest individual ranking for a volleyball player in 2025. His award is recognition not only for the result but also for his role as a setter and leader of the national team.
Among the girls under 19, the three awarded volleyball players from the world champion team reaffirmed their dominance at an individual level as well:
Dimana Ivanova, MVP of the Women's U19 World Championship, took sixth place. She was the mastermind of the championship squad – a setter with excellent tactical awareness and composure in the most intense moments.
Viktoriya Ninova, named the best libero in the world, ranked ninth. Her stability, positioning, and consistency in defense were key factors for the world title.
Kalina Veneva, #1 among the championship's receivers, tooktenth position. She stood out with aggressive attacking, stable reception, and a powerful serve – weapons that often tipped the scales in favor of Bulgaria.
Four individual awards in the Golden Ten, Team of the Year, and Coach of the Year –volleyball not just participated, but dictated the agendaat the ceremony ofViasport.bgfor 2025. This is a clear sign that among juniors, Bulgaria has a generation that is already winning world titles and laying the foundations for future successes in both men's and women's categories.
photos: Nikolay Varadinov
