The 21-year-old Russian opposite hitter Vasily Molotkov will continue his career in France next season as well. According to information from the Russian "BO Sport", the player, who was the best scorer and server in the Bulgarian championship with "Montana" during the 2024/25 season, will remain in League A, where he has been defending the colors of "Paris" since 2025.
Molotkov is performing impressively in the current French championship. He ranks third among the best scorers with a total of 348 points in 17 matches with a 45% success rate in attack. On average per set, the Russian scores 5.27 points – an indicator that places him among the most effective opposite hitters in the league.
| Player | Team | Points | Points per set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Mujanovic | Tours | 373 | 5,83 |
| David Dulski | Nice | 361 | 5,31 |
| Vasily Molotkov | Paris | 348 | 5,27 |
The data clearly shows that Molotkov is very close to the leaders. The point difference compared to Mujanovic and Dulski is minimal, and his stability per set makes him a key figure for "Paris", despite the team's lower position in the standings.
Besides in attack, Molotkov also dominates from serve. He tops the ranking of the best servers with 32 direct points from serves and an average of 0.48 points per set – an indicator that complements his profile as a complete opposite hitter.
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Service points | 32 |
| Average per set | 0,48 |
His high serving efficiency makes Molotkov a constant threat to opponents' reception. This also explains his leading role not only in the championship but also in direct elimination tournaments.
The Russian is the best scorer and server in the French Cup as well, where "Paris" qualified for the semi-finals. There, the team will face "Chaumont" on February 24, and the second finalist will be determined by the clash between "Tours" and "Nice".
It's interesting that Molotkov is expected to replace precisely Nik Mujanovic at Tours, as the Slovenian is on the verge of a transfer to Italian Modena. An interesting detail is that earlier in his career, Vasiliy already replaced Mujanovic at Paris.
Currently, Tours is the leader in the French championship with 15 wins in 17 matches and 44 points, and is also a participant in the Champions League. Paris occupies 11th place with 18 points (5 wins and 12 losses), and the top 8 out of a total of 14 teams will qualify for the playoffs.
Molotkov's career also includes a debut in the Russian Super League with Lokomotiv Novosibirsk under the guidance of Plamen Konstantinov during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, where he recorded a total of 12 matches and 31 points. His real breakthrough, however, came in Bulgaria, where with the Montana team, he established himself as the best scorer and server in the championship "," a track record he is now successfully maintaining on the French scene.
