Bulgarian international Denis Bardarov has transferred to the Turkish powerhouse Halkbank, as learned byvolleyweek.bg. The outside hitter has already received a signed contract from the club, led by Radostin Stoychev, where Matey Kaziyski and Tsvetan Sokolov also play.
"Yes, today I received the contract, signed by them," Bardarov confirmed tovolleyweek.bgBardarov, who defended the colors of IBB Istanbul this season. Bardarov's acquisition is likely due to Aleksandar Slivka's departure next season. "I signed the contract two weeks ago, now they are returning it initialed from their side," Bardarov clarified. It is still unclear whether Kaziyski and Sokolov will remain in the squad for the new campaign. The contract is for next season, and currently, the international is in Bulgaria and maintaining his form with CSKA. There was an idea for him to go play in a tournament in Indonesia, but for now, that option has been dropped.
Strong season and a place among top scorers
Bardarov had a strong campaign in the Turkish league, establishing himself as one of the stable scorers in the championship.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Points | 430 |
| Attack | 382 |
| Block | 24 |
| Serve | 24 |
| Aces per set | 0.25 |
| Attack Errors | 54 |
| Blocked | 56 |
The data clearly shows Bardarov's profile – 89% of his points come from attack, which places him among the most effective outside hitters. The balance in serving (24 aces) is stable, though not elite, while the number of blocked attacks (56) suggests there is still room for improvement against well-organized blocks.
Among the elite scorers
The Bulgarian ranked among the best scorers in the Turkish Super League.
| Place | Player | Points | Per set |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jesus Herrera | 721 | 7.00 |
| 2 | Bardia Saadat | 548 | 5.32 |
| 3 | Petar Dirlic | 467 | 4.92 |
| 4 | Jan Böhme | 465 | 5.22 |
| 5 | Morteza Sharifi | 451 | 4.70 |
| 6 | Jean Patry | 443 | 4.87 |
| 7 | Denis Bardarov | 442 | 4.56 |
Seventh place among scorers is a serious indicator of Bardarov's level, especially since this ranking is traditionally the domain of opposite hitters.
Among the leading attackers
| Place | Player | Attack points | Per set |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jesus Herrera | 632 | 6.14 |
| 2 | Bardia Saadat | 481 | 4.67 |
| 3 | Jan Böhme | 417 | 4.69 |
| 4 | Petar Dirlic | 402 | 4.23 |
| 5 | Denis Bardarov | 394 | 4.06 |
His fifth place among attackers confirmed his role as a key offensive option at IBB. The difference with the opposites ahead of him is expected, but his per-game efficiency (4.06) is at a high level for his position.
Bulgarian derby on the horizon
Halkbank finished second in the regular season and in the semifinal playoffs will face Galatasaray of Georgi Tatarov. The first match of the series is on April 12 in Ankara.
Thus, a direct clash between Bulgarian volleyball players is emerging – on one side Kaziyski and Sokolov, and on the other Tatarov.
The other semifinal pits Ziraat Bank against Spor Toto – another high-level clash in the Turkish championship.
