Glory in the Philippines: Bulgaria Secures Second-Ever Volleyball World Championship Final Appearance

The Bulgarian men’s national volleyball team secured a historic place in the final of the World Championship in the Philippines after defeating the Czech Republic 3:1 (25:20, 23:25, 25:21, 25:22). This marks only the second time Bulgaria has reached the championship final, the first being in Sofia, where the team lost the decisive match against East Germany. Under the guidance of Gianlorenzo Blengini, Bulgaria will now face either reigning world champion Italy or current European champion Poland in the title clash.

Blengini relied on his familiar starting lineup: Simeon Nikolov, Alex Grozdanov, Alexander Nikolov, Asparuh Asparuhov, Iliya Petkov, Martin Atanasov, and libero Damyan Kolev, with Preslav Petkov entering later as a substitute. The Czechs earned the opening point after a service error by Iliya Petkov, but quickly returned the favor. The two sides traded points until the Czech team edged ahead 6:4. Bulgaria responded with a dropped ball from Simeon Nikolov and an ace from Alexander Nikolov, leveling at 7:7 and then gaining the lead. A block from captain Grozdanov pushed Bulgaria 11:9 ahead, while an out-of-bounds attack from Lukas Vasina gave Blengini’s side a three-point advantage at 13:10. However, a strong serving streak from Jan Galabov brought the Czechs back into contention at 15:14. After a time-out, Bulgaria regained rhythm with key aces from Asparuhov and Petkov, building momentum to reach 22:18. Grozdanov then finished the set 25:20 through the center.

The second set began brightly with an Asparuhov spike and an ace from Alex Nikolov for 3:1, but the Czechs quickly regrouped, leveling with a block on Nikolov. Galabov’s precise attack gave them a 10:8 edge, and Adam Zajíček extended it to 12:9. Bulgaria fought back with Grozdanov’s hybrid serve ace and a block by Simeon Nikolov to equalize at 20:20. Yet, despite the late push, Galabov broke through Bulgaria’s block for 24:22 before Vasina sealed the set 25:23 for the Czech Republic.

The third set opened with Patrik Indra striking for the Czechs, but Simeon Nikolov answered with an ace for 2:1. Indra responded with his own ace to restore the lead. The momentum shifted several times, with Atanasov’s block turning it to 7:6 for Bulgaria. A surge from the Czech side briefly put them ahead, but Alex Nikolov reclaimed control with a key attack at 12:11. Blocks from Grozdanov and Atanasov stretched the advantage to 17:14, forcing Novak to call a time-out. Bulgaria maintained control, with Alex Nikolov contributing decisive points to push the score to 22:19. A service error from Indra handed Bulgaria four set points, and Nikolov’s block ended it 25:21, putting the team one step from the final.

In the fourth and last set, Marek Sotola scored first for the Czech Republic, but Preslav Petkov’s block quickly equalized. Grozdanov added another block for a narrow Bulgarian lead before Galabov’s ace swung the momentum. Still, Bulgaria responded with aces from Alexander and Simeon Nikolov, the latter clocking over 120 km/h. A mistake by Vasina widened the gap to 18:16, and although the Czechs closed in after a block on Alex Nikolov, Bulgaria held composure. An attack from Alexander Nikolov extended the score to 23:20, followed by another successful strike to bring three match points. Despite the Czechs saving one, Bulgaria clinched the set 25:22 and with it, a place in the final.

The victory carries immense weight, not only as a second-ever final for Bulgaria but also as proof of the team’s growing resilience under Blengini. The next step will be the toughest yet: facing either Italy or Poland, both powerhouses in world volleyball.