Simeon Nikolov delivered the decisive ace that secured Bulgaria's thrilling 3-2 victory over world ranking leaders Poland in Saturday's Volleyball Nations League clash in Gdańsk. The Bulgarian setter came off the bench to clinch the final point, completing his team's first win against Poland since 2017 after dropping ten consecutive matches to their rivals.
"I think that the only thing we can do when we come out to play is to give it our all," Nikolov explained after the match. "Sometimes you play well and the other team doesn't play so well, and then you take advantage of it. We did it today, and we could have won the fourth set, but missed it. It felt really nice getting that last ace."
The hard-fought win in front of a sold-out Ergo Arena keeps Bulgaria's hopes of qualifying for the VNL Finals alive. Currently sitting ninth in the standings with six wins and 17 points, the Bulgarian squad has positioned themselves to potentially overtake sixth-placed Cuba (19 points) and seventh-placed Ukraine (18 points) if they can defeat Iran in Sunday's final preliminary phase match.
Aleksandar Nikolov led Bulgaria's offensive charge with an impressive 24-point performance, including 19 kills, three blocks, and two aces. His brother Simeon's heroics in the decisive fifth set turned the tide after Bulgaria surrendered a 2-1 set advantage in a marathon fourth set that ended 29-27 in Poland's favor.
Outside hitter Martin Atanasov and opposite Venislav Antov also made significant contributions, each adding 13 points to Bulgaria's total in what became a five-set thriller. The Bulgarians showed remarkable resilience after dropping the opening set 17-25.
Interestingly, Poland, who remain in a comfortable third place with seven wins and 21 points, received notable performances from middle blocker Mateusz Poręba (15 points), outside hitter Bartosz Bednorz (12 points), and opposite Bartlomiej Bołądź (11 points).
The match proved to be a rollercoaster for both teams. Bulgaria bounced back after losing the first set, took the next two, then fell short in a tense fourth set before finally sealing the deal in the fifth. Can they complete their qualification mission against Iran on Sunday? The volleyball world will be watching closely.
In the day's other action in Ljubljana, Serbia secured their place in next year's VNL by defeating Canada 3-1, officially relegating the Netherlands from the 2026 competition.
