Champions Levski Sofia are once again in the efbet Super Volley final, after eliminating CSKA in four matches of the semi-final series.
The "Blues" won as guests with a score of 3:2 (23:25, 25:15, 18:25, 25:19, 17:15) in the 'Hristo Botev' hall and closed the series with a 3-1 victory. In the title dispute, they will face the winner of the pair Lokomotiv Avia (Plovdiv) – Neftochimic 2010 (Burgas), where the result is 2-1 victories.
CSKA started more focused and snatched the first set with 25:23 after an even game and better decisions at the end.
Levski reacted convincingly in the second set – strong serving and blocking led to a decisive 25:15.
In the third set, the "Reds" once again took the initiative and won with 25:18 with pressure from their serve.
The "Blues" equalized after stable play in the fourth set – 25:19, controlling the tempo.
The tie-break turned into a real drama. The game went point for point, with tension rising early after cards were given and disputed situations. CSKA went ahead several times, but Levski responded immediately, mainly through stable blocking and decisive attacks from Skrimov and Lyutskanov. After changing sides, the "Blues" took a minimal lead, but failed to hold it. A series of ties followed – 10:10, 11:11, 12:12, 13:13, and 14:14. In the decisive moments, Levski showed stronger mentality – a key block and a successful counter-attack tipped the scales, and at 16:15, the "Blues" closed the match with another block against Beik for the final 17:15.
Todor Skrimov was named MVP of the semi-final series.
A remarkable match was played by CSKA's 41-year-old middle blocker Stoyko Nenchev, who finished with an impressive 22 points, +15 efficiency rating, 4 blocks, and 86% attack efficiency, becoming the main figure for the "Reds" in the most crucial moments. The other middle blocker, Teodor Todorov, added 13 points, also having a strong presence at the net, while Iranian Mohammad Reza Beik and Spas Bayrev scored 11 points each, but even that was not enough for victory.
For Levski, the most prolific scorer was Gordan Lyutskanov with 22 points, and the series MVP Todor Skrimov added 17 points, +7 efficiency rating, 3 aces, 84% positive reception, and 56% attack efficiency. In the middle, Lazar Buchkov contributed 14 points, and Yuliyan Vaysig scored 13 for the victory that sent the "Blues" to the final.
Team statistics:
| Metric | CSKA | Levski |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 13 | 14 |
| Attack (%) | 44% | 54% |
| Points from attack | 56 | 63 |
| Positive reception | 58% | 63% |
| Aces | 5 | 6 |
| Service errors | 14 | 19 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 25 | 25 |
| Total points | 99 | 108 |
Levski wins the match primarily thanks to higher efficiency in attack and better reception, which allowed them to play with greater variety in offense. Although CSKA was equal in blocking and stayed in the game until the end, the difference in points scored from attack and better first touch tipped the scales in favor of "the Blues".
