Bulgaria inflicted Poland's first defeat of EuroVolley 2026 with a dramatic 3-2 (20-25, 31-29, 25-23, 19-25, 20-18) victory in the final Group B match at a sold-out Arena 8888 in Sofia on Wednesday night.
In front of 13,000 roaring home fans, Aleksandar Nikolov delivered a masterclass with a match-high 36 points — 34 of them from attacks — while Denislav Bardarov contributed 24 and captain Aleks Grozdanov added 12. The result ended Poland's perfect run through the group stage, where the defending European and VNL champions had won all four previous matches without dropping a single set.
Poland controlled the opening set 25-20 with clinical blocking and disciplined error management, exploiting Bulgaria's eight unforced errors against just four of their own. But the hosts responded in a riveting second set that went deep into extra points. After trailing for much of the set, Martin Atanasov's ace on set point gave Bulgaria a 31-29 equaliser, igniting the arena.
Bulgaria carried the momentum into the third set, with Bardarov's aerial attacks and Nikolov's decisive spikes earning a 25-23 lead. Poland, however, refused to fold. Kamil Semeniuk's powerful serving and a string of quick transitions helped the visitors level the match at two sets apiece with a 25-19 fourth-set win.
The deciding set was a battle of nerves. Bulgaria raced to an 8-4 advantage before Poland clawed back, levelling at 15-15. From there, the two sides traded points in a breathless exchange until Nikolov sealed it with consecutive kills for 20-18.
Statistically, Bulgaria outperformed Poland in attack (57% to 50%) but were outblocked 13-8. Both teams recorded seven aces and 46% positive reception. Bulgaria's 42 errors, however, nearly proved costly against a Polish side that committed just 24.
For Poland, Semeniuk top-scored with 22 points and Bartłomiej Bołądz added 16, but it was not enough to prevent a first loss.
Despite the victory, Bulgaria finished third in Group B and will face Germany in the round of 16 on Saturday. If they advance, a quarter-final rematch with Poland in Sofia remains on the cards.
Sources
- https://www.ivolleymagazine.it/2026/09/17/pallavolo-eurovolleym2026-orgogliosa-vittoria-della-bulgaria-contro-i-campioni-uscenti-polacchi/
- https://bnrnews.bg/en/post/529522/bulgaria-defeat-european-volleyball-champion-poland-in-five-set-thriller
