Bulgaria's Moni Nikolov called Micah Christenson "if not the best setter" he's faced, while the USA captain praised the young Nikolov brothers as the future of volleyball.
Bulgaria’s historic run at the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship has brought its young stars into the spotlight—and at the center of it is star playmaker Moni Nikolov.
The 18-year-old setter admitted the team needed both grit and a bit of luck to pull off their five-set victory, 21-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13, in the quarterfinals at the Mall of Asia Arena on Thursday night, September 25.
“First of all, we had a little bit of luck, nobody’s going to deny that. But I think the main thing was not giving up,” Nikolov said after the match. “Being down in such a big game, and since they were outplaying us in the first two sets, it was very hard to stay in the game.”
“I’m glad we put some pressure on them, and in the end, I think we managed to win it just by a little bit.”
[ALSO READ: Aleksandar Nikolov wanted win against USA 'incredibly bad' as Bulgaria reaches FIVB Worlds semis]
Learning from the best
But more than steering Bulgaria to a historic semifinals berth, Nikolov reflected on facing Team USA’s team captain Micah Christenson, a setter he has long admired.
Nikolov finished the match with 49 excellent sets, while Christenson put up 56 in the loss.
“First of all, you can learn so much from this guy. He is, if not the best setter,” Nikolov said of Christenson. “I’ve had the opportunity to play against him twice in friendlies, and I was analyzing his game, it was super, super good, and I hope one day I can reach his level. But even just beating him is something that I will never forget.”
Mutual respect
For Christenson, the admiration is mutual.
The veteran setter, a two-time Olympian and proud father of three, shared his appreciation for watching the Nikolov brothers rise on the world stage.
“I mean, it’s really cool,” Christenson said. “I was thinking about this earlier in the tournament, how cool it is that the Nikolov brothers are playing together on the national team. They’re so young and they’re going to grow together. They’re obviously already grown up together playing.”
Micah Christenson had nothing but praise for the Nikolov brothers. | Photo: RM Chua/One Sports
Christenson added: “Being a father of two sons, it’s really cool to see them excelling on the world stage. Very, very good in their own rights, both individually and as a pair. Being the old guy, being the father that I am, having two sons, it’s really cool to see the relationship that they have. I’m sure their parents must be really proud of them.
Looking ahead
With Bulgaria set to face Czechia in the semifinals on Saturday, September 27, Nikolov’s maturity and steady hands will again be tested.
But for now, it’s rest and recovery for Bulgaria’s superstar and Manila favorite.
It's going to be such a hard game, they're a super good team, and they deserve to be in the semifinals, so this night, I want to rest, and I want to have a good night's sleep, and then tomorrow I'll start thinking about the game.”
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.