Bulgaria Advance to U21 Women’s Volleyball World Championship Semifinals in Surabaya
Surabaya, The Gulf Observer: The Bulgarian women’s national volleyball team under 21 has secured a place in the semifinals of the World Championship after defeating Poland 3:1 (25:23, 22:25, 25:23, 25:18) in the quarterfinals.
Led by coach Dragan Nesic, Bulgaria will face the winner of the Turkey–Japan clash later today to determine their semifinal opponent. The achievement comes shortly after Bulgaria’s under-19 women’s team claimed the world title by overcoming the USA in the final.
The match was marked by intense rallies and momentum shifts. Bulgaria took the opening set 25:23, Poland leveled the contest with a 25:22 win, but the Bulgarians rallied to claim the next two sets 25:23 and 25:18.
The standout performer was Iva Dudova of Maritsa (Plovdiv), who scored a remarkable 33 points (28 from attacks, 3 blocks, 2 aces). Team captain Viktoria Koeva sealed the victory with a decisive counterattack in the fourth set.
Statistically, Bulgaria outperformed Poland in attack (56:53), block (14:11), and serve (7:3), though they committed slightly more errors (22:20). With strong momentum and confidence, the team is optimistic about their semifinal clash in Surabaya.
