The Bulgarian national U18 girls' team will face Romania in the semi-finals of the Balkan qualification tournament for the European Championship. The match is scheduled for 5:30 PM in 'Hristo Botev' Hall in Sofia and will be broadcast live on the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation's YouTube channel.
The Bulgarian girls reached this stage after three victories and first place in their group during the qualifiers in Sofia, logically topping the standings and securing an advantage in the direct elimination round.
How Romania reached the semi-finals
The Romanian national U18 team demonstrated stability and mental resilience in Group B, which earned them second place and qualification for the semi-finals. A key moment for the Romanians was the dramatic victory over Serbia, as well as the favorable outcome of the Turkey H Serbia match.
Romania's results in the group
| Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| January 13 | Romania H Turkey | 0:3 (11:25,20:25,14:25) |
| January 14 | Serbia H Romania | 2:3 (17:25,25:23,25:17,21:25,15:17) |
| January 15 | Turkey H Serbia | 3:1 (25:27,25:22,25:19,25:15) |
Romania finished with one win and one loss, but the 3:2 success against Serbia proved crucial. The five-set match demonstrated resilience in key moments and good defensive organization, especially in the tie-break, where the Romanians kept their composure. The 0:3 loss to Turkey highlighted some issues with reception and serving, but the team reacted adequately in their second match.
Bulgaria H a favorite, but needing concentration
Bulgaria entered the semifinals as the winner of its group, after three consecutive victories in front of its home crowd in "Hristo Botev" Hall. The national team players showed a solid game on serve and block, but allowed occasional fluctuations, which is a signal for increased attention in the direct elimination round.
Romania is an opponent that should not be underestimated – a team that has already proven it can win in tense five-set battles and plays without unnecessary pressure, as they have already secured participation in the second qualifying tournament (March 26–29). In the event of a triumph in Sofia, the Romanians would qualify directly for the final tournament of the European Championship.
Program and broadcast
Semifinal: Bulgaria – Romania
Start time: 17:30
Hall: "Hristo Botev", Sofia
Broadcast: Bulgarian Volleyball Federation's YouTube channel
The final tournament of the European Championship for U18 girls will be held in early July in Latvia and Lithuania.
photos: cev.eu
