The regular season in the women's Demax League has concluded, and the final 18th round largely confirmed the expected course of events. The favorites secured their positions, and the standings ultimately shaped the playoff bracket.
Levski (Sofia) faced no problems against the underdog DKS Varna and won convincingly with 3:0(25:11,25:18,25:15). Champion Maritsa (Plovdiv) also finished the regular season flawlessly after a clear victory over Dragoman with 3:0(25:16,25:11,25:17).
In the other matches of the round, Slavia prevailed over Dea Sport with 3:1, CSKA defeated Minyor with 3:1, and CPVK won their away game against Maritsa 2022 also with 3:1. Thus, without serious changes at the top, the final standings were shaped.
Final standings after the regular season
| Rank | Team | Points | Matches | Wins | Losses | Sets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maritsa (Plovdiv) | 54 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 54:2 |
| 2 | Levski (Sofia) | 44 | 18 | 15 | 3 | 46:16 |
| 3 | CPVK | 41 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 45:20 |
| 4 | CSKA | 35 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 38:24 |
| 5 | Maritsa 2022 | 29 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 35:30 |
| 6 | Minyor | 22 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 29:38 |
| 7 | Dragoman | 20 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 26:39 |
| 8 | Slavia | 18 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 25:42 |
| 9 | Dea Sport | 7 | 18 | 2 | 16 | 12:48 |
| 10 | DKS Varna | 0 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 3:54 |
The table clearly shows the huge difference between Maritsa and the other teams. The team from Plovdiv finished the season undefeated and with a remarkable game ratio54:2, which is absolute domination. Levski and CPVK stand out as the next group in the championship, while CSKA remains a stable fourth. In the middle of the table, the differences are significantly smaller, but without changes in positions after the last round.
Quarterfinal pairs in the playoffs
| Pair | Series |
|---|---|
| Maritsa – Slavia | 1 vs 8 |
| Levski – Dragoman | 2 vs 7 |
| CPVK – Minyor | 3 vs 6 |
| CSKA – Maritsa 2022 | 4 vs 5 |
The first three pairs seem to have a clear favorite. Maritsa, Levski, and CPVK have significantly better season performances and logically enter the series as favorites. The most contested quarterfinal series will likely be between CSKA and Maritsa 2022, where the difference in season performance is the smallest.
Potential semifinal bracket
| Semifinal | Possible pair |
|---|---|
| Semifinal 1 | Maritsa – winner of CSKA / Maritsa 2022 |
| Semifinal 2 | Levski – CPVC |
If the favorites meet expectations, the semifinals will almost certainly offer two of the strongest clashes in the championship.Levski – CPVChas already established itself as one of the derbies of the season, and in the other semifinal, Maritsa will await an opponent from the capital's teams.
Prospects for the title
Everything currently continues to point towards another final between Maritsa and Levski. The team from Plovdiv remains the undisputed hegemon in Bulgarian women's volleyball, but the capital's team is gradually closing the distance and appears to be the only team that can genuinely put pressure on the champion in the battle for the title.
