The Bulgarian women's national U18 team qualified for the European Championship after recording a third consecutive victory in the second qualifying tournament. Atanas Petrov's team defeated Greece 3:0 (27:25, 25:20, 25:18) in Hristo Botev Hall and deservedly secured a place in the finals in Latvia and Lithuania. Greece also advanced as one of the best second-placed teams. Spain and Germany also qualified for the finals as second-placed teams.
After successes against Romania with 3:1 (25:16, 20:25, 25:20, 25:11) and Sweden, the Bulgarian women faced an undefeated Greek team in a direct clash for first place. As expected, the match offered a serious battle, especially at the beginning.
The first set started difficult for our team, who were playing catch-up. The Greek players dictated the pace and even had opportunities to close the set. However, Bulgaria showed character – strong serving and more effective attacking brought the score level, and in the dramatic extensions, our team held on mentally and snatched the set 27:25.
This comeback gave our team momentum, and in the second set, the play was much more confident. After an even start, Bulgaria put pressure with their serve, with Naneva's series proving crucial for a 15:12 lead. Greece equalized at 15:15, but in the decisive moments, our team was more precise. A series of attack errors by the opponent and a solid block tilted the scales, and an ace at the end made it 25:20, giving us a 2:0 lead.
In the third set, Bulgaria already controlled the events on the court. An early service break and solid attacking play secured a comfortable lead. Veneva, Todorova, and Naneva were key to the points, while blocking and serving further troubled the opponent. At 21:17, our team finally broke Greece's resistance, and Todorova ended the match with an attack from zone 4 for 25:18.
| Team | Points | Sets | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 63 | 0 | 75 min. |
| Bulgaria | 77 | 3 |
The difference in the total number of points (77:63) clearly highlights Bulgaria's superiority, especially after the first set, when our team took control of the match.
Team statistics
| Indicator | Bulgaria | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| Block | 7 | 3 |
| Attack (%) | 40% | 35% |
| Attack points | 43 | 38 |
| Positive serve receive | 34% | 42% |
| Aces | 10 | 5 |
| Service errors | 5 | 6 |
| Points from opponent errors | 17 | 17 |
The statistics clearly show where Bulgaria won the match – superiority in block (7:3) and especially from serve (10 aces against 5). Better attack efficiency (40% against 35%) was also key, despite Greece having a better positive serve receive. The equality in points from opponent errors shows that Bulgaria's aggression in direct elements was decisive.
Individually, Darina Naneva stood above all with 18 points (+15), achieving 3 aces and 2 blocks with excellent attack efficiency of 46%. Ena Todorova added 15 points, and Kalina Veneva contributed 13, forming a stable attacking trio.
With this success, Bulgaria finished the tournament with three wins from three matches and decisively sealed their tickets for the European Championship. Atanas Petrov's team demonstrated growth during the qualifiers, with serving and stability in crucial moments proving to be key factors.
The qualification is fully deserved and provides strong reasons for optimism before the championship in Latvia and Lithuania.
photos: Nikolay Varadinov
