Two young setters with a Bulgarian connection are attracting serious attention in the Russian Super League this season – Slavi Kostadinov, whose father is Bulgarian, and national team player Simeon Nikolov. Although they play the same position, their path and statistical indicators throughout the season show interesting differences and similarities. This is written by the Fanat Volleyball Telegram channel.

Kostadinov once again came into focus after the match against Dinamo, which Surgut lost 0:3, where the setter scored 11 points. This increased his number of regular season matches with 10 or more points to six – the best achievement for a setter in the history of the Russian Super League.

For his part, Simeon Nikolov remains ahead in the overall scoring between the two this season.

The statistics show an interesting balance. Nikolov leads in total points, a volume rarely achieved by a setter, highlighting his significant participation in attack and especially in serving. At the same time, Kostadinov holds the record for matches with double-digit scores, which indicates stability in individual games and more frequent direct involvement in finishing points.

Another possible outcome at the end of the regular season is related to serving. If Kostadinov scores 3 aces on March 14 during his away game against Gorky, he will break Dmitry Musersky's record for most direct points from serve in a single regular season.

Thus, the two setters form an interesting rivalry on a statistical level. Nikolov demonstrates higher overall scoring and greater efficiency throughout the season, while Kostadinov stands out with frequent strong matches and record individual metrics for his position.

For Bulgarian volleyball, this picture is particularly intriguing – two young players connected to Bulgaria are establishing themselves as some of the highest-scoring setters in one of Europe's strongest championships.

photos:lokovolley.comandgazprom-ugra.ru