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Latest news from the world of volleyball
Alex Grozdanov in the ideal team of the 24th round in PlusLiga
National team captain Alex Grozdanov was named to the ideal team of the 24th round of the Polish PlusLiga. The middle blocker for BOGDANKA LUK Lublin earned his spot after his strong performance in the team's victory over Cuprum Stilon Gorzów. In the match, the team from Lublin dramatically won 3:2 (30:28, 23:25, 28:30, 25:23, 15:11) and continues its fight for a better ranking before the playoffs. Grozdanov played a solid match as a middle blocker and finished with 14 points, being very effective in attack. The numbers show very good efficiency for the Bulgarian middle blocker.
Volleyball World joked with Aleksandar Nikolov in LinkedIn style
The official Volleyball World profile posted a fun graphic on the social network X, dedicated to the Bulgarian national player Aleksandar Nikolov. In it, a situation from the volleyball court is presented as if Nikolov is writing a post on the professional network LinkedIn. The text states that he is #1 in attack on the Italian "market", "consistently scoring a large number of points through disciplined execution and good shot placement". Volleyball World also added a playful comment to the graphic: The post is a humorous way to highlight the strong performances of the Bulgarian outside hitter in the Italian SuperLega, where Nikolov finished as the top scorer in the regular season.
Lokomotiv without problems in Montana, dramatic successes for CSKA and Dey in the 20th round of efbet Super Volley
The 20th round of efbet Super Volley offered various scenarios – a categorical success for leader Lokomotiv Avia and two extremely difficult victories for CSKA and Deya Sport, which came after five-set battles. After these matches, the team from Plovdiv solidified their first place, while the battle for the spots behind them remains completely open. Leader Lokomotiv Avia (Plovdiv) encountered no difficulties during their away match against Montana, winning convincingly 3:0 (25:19, 25:20, 25:20). The only intrigue in the match appeared in the third set when the hosts took a four-point lead thanks to a strong serve, but the Plovdiv team quickly leveled the game and did not allow a comeback. Captain Todor Valchev stood out for the winners with 19 points (5 aces, 64% attack efficiency).
Alex Nikolov in Pesaro for Vallefoglia – Milano… and because of Hena Kurtagic
Bulgarian international Alex Nikolov was among the spectators at the quarter-final playoff of the Italian Serie A1 between Megabox Ond. Savio Vallefoglia and Numia Vero Volley Milano, played inVitrifrigo Arenain Pesaro. The match ended with a convincing victory for the guests from Milan "," 3:0 (25:20, 25:19, 25:22). The outside hitter for Cucine Lube Civitanova watched the match from the stands along with his teammates from the club. The distance between Civitanova Marche and Pesaro is about 140 kilometers, which makes his presence in the hall completely logical.
Montenegro will host matches from EuroVolley 2028
Montenegro will be one of the hosts for the group stage of the 2028 Men's European Volleyball Championship. The Board of Administration of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) approved the bid of the Volleyball Federation of Montenegro (OSCG). The matches will be played in the "Morača" hall in the capital Podgorica, making it the largest sports event organized in the country to date. The decision is described as historic for Montenegrin volleyball. CEV President Rocco Sikiric stated that hosting a European Championship of such a high rank will help develop and popularize volleyball in the country and inspire young athletes.
CEV to volleyweek.bg: No changes for Euro U22 and U18 despite reports of Russia's return
In recent hours, a number of media outlets, mainly Russian, have disseminated information that the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) plans to allow Russia's youth national teams to participate in European tournaments. The news first appeared on the official website of the Russian Volleyball Federation. The publication claims that Russian youth national teams will be able to participate in European competitions "with full status, under the country's flag and anthem." According to the text, these tournaments also serve as qualifications for world championships. The information was quickly reprinted by numerous websites worldwide. For this reason, volleyweek.bg sought CEV's position.
Panionios and Elitsa Vasileva one win away from winning the Greek Cup
Panionios is just one win away from their first Greek Cup in their history, after defeating Olympiacos 3:1 (19:25, 25:23, 25:22, 25:22) in the semi-final. Key to the comeback was the strong attacking play of Elitsa Vasileva-Atanasijevic, who scored 18 points (14/37 in attack - 38%, 4 blocks, 50% reception ". 33% excellent reception) and was among the leading figures for Yunus Ochal's team. The Bulgarian outside hitter provided stability in key moments of the match, especially after losing the first set, when Panionios raised their level and gradually took control of the game. Together with Rahimova (20 pts) and Ristisevic (16 pts), she formed the team's main offensive trio.
Dobromir Dimitrov and Las Palmas one win away from the Champions League quarterfinals
Spanish Guaguas Las Palmas, who eliminated Levski in the third qualifying round for the Champions League group stage, is just one victory away from qualifying for the quarterfinals of Europe's strongest club tournament. The Spanish team achieved an extremely valuable home victory against French Montpellier HSC VB with a 3:1 score (25:15, 23:25, 25:17, 25:22).The second referee for the match was Vanya Parvanova, who partnered with top referee Stefano Cesare. The match lasted 111 minutes, and the hosts dominated for long periods of the encounter, especially with strong serving and a solid block. Nikolay Kartev was not registered for the French team, which is why the Bulgarian did not take part in the match. From the Spanish side, Dobromir Dimitrov appeared in the game for Las Palmas, entering for a brief rotation in the second and fourth sets.
Tatarov and Galatasaray missed out on a win against Maaseik in the first CEV Cup quarter-final
The Turkish grand Galatasaray HDI Istanbul dramatically lost the first match of the CEV Cup quarterfinals, after conceding at home to the Belgian Greenyard Maaseik with 2:3 (23:25, 26:24, 23:25, 25:23, 11:15). The match in Istanbul lasted 148 minutes and offered numerous twists. Bulgarian international Georgi Tatarov appeared on the court briefly in the fourth set, but recorded only episodic participation and failed to score a point. The hosts can regret the missed opportunity to take a lead in the match. In the decisive tie-break, the Turkish team led 10:8, but the Belgians went on a run and equalized at 11:11, after which they took control and secured the final success.
Iliya Petkov qualified for the final of the tournament in Dubai
Bulgarian national player Iliya Petkov qualified for the final of the volleyball tournament within the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament 2026 in Dubai, after his team Al Tadaui won the first semi-final against Al Samaui with a score of 3:1 (25:21, 23:25, 25:22, 27:25). The match lasted 115 minutes and offered an extremely hard-fought battle, especially in the fourth set, in which Al Tadaui managed to close out the match after a dramatic 27:25 and secure their place in the tournament final. The winners of this semi-final practically represent a combined team from the Italian clubs Cuneo and Grottazzolina, with Bulgarian national player Iliya Petkov being part of this formation. The Bulgarian middle blocker played the entire match and finished with 5 points, all of which were scored from attack. Petkov was targeted 6 times in offense, converting 5 of them for an excellent 83% efficiency.