Bulgaria defeat European volleyball champion Poland in five-set thriller

In Sofia, Bulgaria’s men’s national volleyball team defeated world powerhouse Poland 3:2 in a thrilling five-set encounter featuring dramatic twists and turns and volleyball of the highest calibre. The match was fiercely contested, with the two sides trading two sets apiece, 20:25, 31:29, 25:23, 19:25.

After the deciding fifth set reached 15:15, the teams engaged in a breathtaking battle. Bulgaria kept its composure and prevailed 20:18.

Aleksandar Nikolov delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 36 points, 34 of them from attacks. Denislav Bardarov made a major contribution to the victory with 24 points, while captain Aleks Grozdanov added 12.

For Poland, Kamil Semeniuk was the top scorer with 22 points, while Bartłomiej Boladz finished with 16, BTA reported.

Thus, following the final Group B match for both teams at the European Volleyball Championship held in Sofia, Bulgaria finished third in the group despite the victory and will face Germany in the round of 16. If they advance, the Bulgarians could meet Poland again in the quarter-finals. The match will once again be played in the Bulgarian capital.

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Edited by Ivo Ivanov
English: R. Petkova