With a convincing and mature performance, the Bulgarian women's national team U18 sent a clear signal of their ambitions on the very first day of the qualifying tournament for the 2026 European Championship in Sofia. Atanas Petrov's girls left no doubt about their superiority and decisively defeated Kosovo.
Bulgaria – Kosovo 3:0 (25:10, 25:16, 25:11)
The Bulgarian team started the match in Hristo Botev Hall with a starting lineup: Tsvetomira Velcheva, Edna Todorova, Ivana Petrova, Vyara Ivanova, Kalina Veneva, Darina Naneva, and libero Nikol Stefanova. The very first rallies showed the class difference – Edna Todorova's aggressive serve and our stable block completely disrupted Kosovo's reception and organization. Logically, the score quickly swelled to 8:1.
Bulgaria's dominant performance continued in the middle of the set, with the lead gradually increasing. Kalina Veneva scored three consecutive aces, and at 19:5, the outcome of the first set was already clear. The set concluded without unnecessary drama – 25:10.
In the second set, the Bulgarian women maintained the necessary concentration. Atanas Petrov made one change – Adrianna Alexieva replaced Darina Naneva. The serve was once again a primary weapon, and the block continued to operate at a high level, securing an early 6:1 lead. After a series of attack errors, Kosovo managed to close the gap to 13:10, but with Edna Todorova's serve, Bulgaria re-established control and pulled ahead to 16:10.
The end of the second set proceeded calmly, with the final point scored by Katerina Popova, who executed a powerful diagonal attack from zone 2 for 25:16.
In the third set, the coaching staff made a rotation among the setters, with Ivayla Rikova starting in place of Vyara Ivanova. Up to 8:8, both teams went point for point, but with Kalina Veneva serving, the Bulgarian team sharply increased its tempo and scored a series of 11 consecutive points – 19:8. The match concluded after an opponent's attack went out, and the final 25:11 cemented Bulgaria's decisive success and successful start on the road to Euro 2026.
In their second Group A match tomorrow at 5:30 PM, Bulgaria will face Montenegro, who earlier today defeated Greece 3:2 in sets.
photo: bfv.bg
