The 18th round of Super Volley started with two matches and two emphatic home victories. In Sofia, CSKA prevailed over Cherno More, while in Burgas, Neftochimic 2010 left no chances for Montana and solidified its excellent streak since the beginning of the year.
CSKA achieved a routine 3:0 (25:17, 25:21, 25:18) victory over Cherno More in a championship match that lasted 64 minutes. The "Army men" controlled the course of the game for most of the match, and the weaker opponent allowed head coach Aleksandar Popov to give a chance to younger players.
One of them – Zahari Sgurov – took full advantage of the opportunity and finished as the second-highest scorer for the hosts.
Match Development
In the first set, CSKA set the pace from the start and reached 25:17 without hesitation.
The only more serious intrigue came in the second set. The guests from Varna took the lead in the initial rallies, but the hosts quickly stabilized their reception and organized their net play better. Without allowing a comeback, the "Reds" closed the set with 25:21.
The third set was under the full control of the Sofia team, who, with greater aggression in attack and stability in blocking, concluded the match at 25:18.
Hazelden was named the most valuable player (MVP), playing a key role in attack.
Top Scorers
| Team | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| CSKA | Hazelden | 15 |
| CSKA | Zahari Sgurov | 13 |
| Cherno More | Gyiondong | 17 |
| Cherno More | Dimitrov K. | 11 |
It's noteworthy that although Cherno More had the highest-scoring player in the match – Giondong with 17 points – CSKA's team efficiency was higher. The "Reds" distributed points more evenly in attack, which allowed them to maintain constant pressure on the opponent's block and defense. Hazeldon's and Sgurov's double-digit performances were entirely sufficient for the decisive victory.
CSKA finished the match with full control and without losing a set – a clear sign of the class difference in this particular encounter.
Neftochimic 2010 – Montana 3:0 (25:22, 25:19, 25:19)
In "Boycho Branzov" Hall, the suspense lasted only for the first set, after which the Burgas team took full control of the events and achieved a clear 3:0 victory (25:22, 25:19, 25:19).
This was Ivan Stanev's team's eighth consecutive victory since the start of the calendar year. Neftochimic holds fourth place in the provisional standings with 35 points (12 wins, 4 losses), while Montana is eighth with 19 points (6 wins, 11 losses).
Match progression
In the first set, the guests from Montana maintained a 2-3 point lead for most of the time. At 19:19, however, Neftochimic equalized, and after an out-of-bounds attack by the opponent, they took a 23:21 lead. The hosts remained focused in the final rallies and closed the set at 25:22.
In the second set, Ivan Stanev's team asserted their will from the start. A series of serves secured a 5:1 lead, and at 16:10, the difference was already substantial. Without hesitation in reception and with aggressive serving, Neftochimic doubled their lead after a 25:19 score.
The third set unfolded in a similar scenario. The hosts took an 8:2 lead, controlled the tempo (16:10), and without allowing any hesitation, closed the match with another 25:19 for a final 3:0.
Individual statistics
Dmytro Dolgopolov earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the match.
Ricardo Junior scored 13 points for Neftochimic (1 ace, 1 block). Kaloyan Balabanov contributed 12 points (1 ace, 2 blocks), and Adi Osmanovic also finished with 12 points (1 block).
For Montana, Kristian Walczak was the highest scorer with 16 points (1 ace).
