The Bulgarian women's national U18 team starts its participation today in the second qualification for the European Championship. The tournament will be held from March 27-29 in Hristo Botev Hall in Sofia, and the opponents of the young "lionesses" will be the teams of Romania, Greece, and Sweden.
Head coach Atanas Petrov has named an expanded squad of 22 players, notably including a strong presence of volleyball players from leading academies in Bulgaria, as well as several players with international experience.
The team's preparation took place entirely in the capital, starting on March 9 in Hristo Botev Hall. During the training camp, the Bulgarians also played three control matches against France (March 19-21), which provided additional clarity on the team's playing style.
Bulgaria U18 extended squad:
Setters:
Vyara Ivanova (Maritsa 2022), Elitsa Kuneva (CSKA), Ivaila Rikova (Levski Sofia), Elena Dimitrova (Slavia)
Liberos:
Nikol Stefanova (Levski Sofia), Emiliya Koleva (Levski Sofia)
Middle Blockers:
Darina Naneva (Jedinstvo, Serbia), Tsvetomira Velcheva (Maritsa 2022), Adriana Aleksieva (Levski Sofia), Antonia Stanislavova (CSKA), Elitsa Georgieva (CPVC)
Outside Hitters:
Kalina Veneva (CPVC), Edna Todorova (Volda, Norway), Ivana Petrova (CSKA), Katerina Popova (Maritsa 2022), Siyana Genduzova (Maritsa 2022), Petya Rusinova (Maritsa 2022), Zornitsa Stefanova (Levski Sofia), Krasimira Garova (Levski Sofia), Darina Ivanova (Maritsa 2022), Vivian Fileva (Slavia)
Expectations are for Bulgaria to be among the favorites in the tournament, especially given the home advantage and solid preparation. However, the competition should not be underestimated, as Romania and Greece traditionally have well-developed youth programs, and Sweden often surprises with physically strong squads.
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