Bulgaria Strikes Silver in Thrilling Youth Eurovolley Showdown
Bulgarian National Team Wins Silver at European Under-20 Men’s Volleyball Championship
The Bulgarian national team secured the silver medals at the European Under-20 Men’s Volleyball Championship, held in Greece and Serbia.
In the final match, the national team faced off against France, ultimately losing 1:3 (25:22, 18:25, 16:25, 26:28) in the Serbian resort of Vrnjačka Banya. Despite leading the game 1:0, the Bulgarians allowed a reversal, and the French team emerged victorious, claiming the gold medals with an undefeated record in the championship.
Coach Miroslav Zhivkov’s starting lineup consisted of Simeon Nikolov, Kristian Titriyski, Alexander Kandev, Jasmin Velichkov, Kostadin Kozelov, Stelian Delibosov, and libero Konstantin Chipev.
The match began with intense competition, with the French team breaking away at 14:10 and 16:12. The Bulgarians narrowed the lead to 16:18 and equalized at 20:20. A strong run of six unanswered points gave the Nationals a 23-20 lead, ultimately securing the first set 25-22.
France dominated the second set, taking a 10:5 lead and extending it to 16:8. The “Roosters” pulled away with a 20:10 lead, closing out the set 25:18.
The French team started the third set confidently, leading 8:3 and 10:5. The Bulgarians closed the gap to 12:13 and trailed by just two points at 15:17. However, a 7-0 run by the opposition broke away to 24:15, securing the set 25:16.
The fourth set was a hard-fought battle, with the Nationals leading 12:8 and 16:13. France tied the game at 16:16, and the match continued point for point. At 24:23, the Bulgarian volleyball players had a match ball, but the “Roosters” equalized at 26:26. The French team took advantage of a match point at 27:26, ending the match 28:26 and securing a 3:1 victory.
Kristian Titriyski led the Bulgarian team with 13 points, followed by Alexander Kandev with 11 points, and Stiliyan Delibosov with 8 points.
This achievement comes on the heels of the Bulgarian national team’s victory in the Balkan Championship for men under 20, held in Varniachka Banya in August.