Bulgaria's extended squad for the 2026 Nations League, announced by Marcello Abbondanza, clearly outlines a new direction in the team's development with a view to long-term squad building. Compared to 2025, a significant renewal is observed, both in terms of the number of players and the selection profile.

Retained Core: Who Stays in 2026

Despite the significant changes, the team's foundation is retained. These are the players around whom the VNL performance will be built:

Setters:
Lora Slavcheva
Margarita Guncheva

Outside Hitters:
Alexandra Milanova
Miroslava Paskova

Middle blockers:
Borislava Saykova

Opposite hitters:
Merelin Nikolova
Mikaela Stoyanova
Radostina Marinova
Iva Dudova

Libero:
Zhana Todorova
Mila Pashkuleva

➡️ Total:11 players, who form the stable core of the squad.

Absences: who drops out compared to VNL 2025

The 2026 selection leaves out a number of familiar names from the squad:

Outside Hitters:
Elitsa Atanasijevic
Dariya Ivanova
Iveta Stanchulova
Alexandra Georgieva

Middle blockers:
Hristina Vuchkova
Nasya Dimitrova
Alexandra Saykova
Mariya Krivoshiyska

Setters:
Kristina Guncheva
Lora Kitipova

Libero:
Galina Karabasheva

➡️ Total:12 competitors drop outfrom the initial model, as corrections in the list change the original picture.

Debuts and new names for VNL 2026

The strongest message in the selection is the wide opening to new competitors:

Setters:
Dimana Ivanova
Kiara Andonov
Stefani Dyankova
Boyana Boyanova
Liyana Vasileva

Outside Hitters:
Elena Becheva
Mariya Yordanova-Koleva(editor's note - after an absence and tension around the national team last year, she receives a call-up again)
Viktoriya Koeva
Alexandra Kitipova
Kalina Veneva
Bariela Zhekova
Vyara Parapunova
Mariya Zlatanova
Nicole Okoro
Diyana Borisova
Tsvetelina Ilieva
Victoria Dimitrova

Middle blockers:
Venesa Radeva
Boryana Angelova
Denitsa Angelova
Elena Kolarova
Kaya Nikolova
Ivanina Malinova
Darina Naneva

Opposite hitters:
Elisaveta Sarieva
Monika Krasteva

Libero:
Maria-Magdalena Nedyalkova
Victoria Ninova

➡️ Over 20 new names, which completely changes the depth of the squad.

Quantitative Comparison

Less than half of the 2025 core has been retained, and the rest of the squad has been significantly expanded with new names, which creates conditions for greater rotation and internal competition.

"2025 World Championship" Context

An additional nuance to the selection is Bulgaria's participation in the 2025 World Championship, where some of the young athletes have already had a chance. Among them are Dimana Ivanova, Darina Naneva, and Viktoria Ninova, who are also now included in the expanded VNL squad. Naneva is known to be tried as an opposite hitter as well.
All three are part of an extremely successful generation with world and European youth titles, which clearly shows that the staff continues to integrate this potential into the senior national team.

The 2026 selection clearly shows that Bulgaria is entering a phase of transition and squad expansion:

• A core of experienced athletes is retained

• A large number of young and promising names are introduced

• Greater competition and depth are sought in all positions

This is a strategic move that aims not only for performance in the VNL but also for building a more sustainable and competitive team in the long run.

photo:volleyballworld.com