Headlined by the Nikolov brothers, Bulgaria has risen to the occasion in the FIVB World Championship, defeating two top-10 teams on the way to the Round of 16.
Bulgaria’s young core leaned on composure under pressure to fend off Slovenia, 25-19, 25-14, 18-25, 23-25, 15-13, and clinch a Round of 16 berth at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship on Monday, September 15, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Star outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov, who poured in 26 points, admitted the challenge of closing out the match after losing a two-set advantage.
“There was a lot of pressure to be honest. Super proud and happy of the team for the response in the fifth set.”
Growing up
The 21-year-old highlighted Bulgaria’s growing maturity in these world championships.
“It says that we’re a resilient team and we hold when the pressure hits us,” he said.
“This shows that as a team even though we’re young we’re starting to gain experience, and we’re starting to use it.”
Setter Simeon Nikolov, who chipped in 10 points despite running the offense, echoed the sentiment of his older brother regarding the team’s growth.
“I’m honestly glad that the team is going through this hardship and you know, we grow a lot as a team,” the 18-year-old said.
“This Bulgaria team is gonna pretty much look the same the next 10 years, so I’m happy as a group we’re staying together and winning when it matters.”
Bulgaria beat two top-10 teams in pool play to advance to the Round of 16. Photo: Volleyball World
Asparuh Asparuhov added 17 points and Iliya Petkov tallied 11 as Bulgaria moved to 2-0, notching wins against top-10 ranked Germany and Slovenia.
Toncek Štern led Slovenia with 20 in the loss, which forces them into a do-or-die game versus Germany.
(With reports from Jamie Velasco)
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[Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]