Bulgaria Win Historic Girls’ U19 World Title

Bulgaria have been crowned the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Champions.

In a remarkable performance, the European champions overcame defending champions USA with a 3-1 victory at the Gradski Vrt Hall in Osijek on Sunday. This monumental win is the first World Championship title in history for Bulgaria in women`s volleyball at any age category.

Adding to the significance, this achievement marks the first time a Bulgarian women`s team has become world champion across *all* team sports.

Earlier the same day, in the third-place playoff, Poland secured the bronze medal by defeating Türkiye in straight sets, completing the tournament podium. Other classification matches also took place in both Croatia and Serbia, finalizing the rankings from first to 24th place.

Final Match Summary

Bulgaria`s coach, Atanas Petrov, had promised a tough challenge after reaching the final, and his team delivered. They fought back after losing the first set to defeat USA 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-17, 29-27). Supported by an enthusiastic crowd, Bulgaria showcased great resilience. USA`s high number of unforced errors (37 compared to Bulgaria`s 23), combined with powerful serving from the Bulgarian side, ultimately proved decisive in securing the gold medal for the European champions.

Alexandra Kitipova contributed 2 aces and 12 spike kills, standing out as a key player for Bulgaria alongside middle blocker Darina Naneva (9 attacks, 4 blocks, 1 ace). Outside hitters Edna Todorova and Kalina Veneva also reached double digits, with 10 and 11 points respectively (Veneva`s points all from attack). For the USA, outside hitter Suliane Davis was the top scorer with 17 points (13 attacks, 1 block, 3 aces), while Macaria Spears added 12 points (10 attacks, 2 blocks).

“Our greatest strength is our refusal to give up. We are a team that pushes through difficult moments. The girls executed our strategy well, but most importantly, we fought for every point together,” commented coach Petrov. “We are now Balkan, European, and World Champions – a first in Bulgarian volleyball history. This team represents the future, and indeed the present, of Bulgaria. They proved today they are ready for the highest level.”

3rd Place Match Summary

Poland recovered from their semifinal loss to USA by securing a straight-sets victory (25-19, 25-21, 25-20) over Türkiye to claim the bronze medal. This was the second time the two European teams met in the tournament, and Poland again demonstrated dominance, particularly in attack (41 kills to 38) and blocking (11 to 3), mirroring their preliminary round win.

Natasza Ornoch led the Polish team with a game-high 16 points (15 attacks, 1 block), supported by Liliana Wojcik with 15 points (12 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace). For Türkiye, Aylin Uysalcan marked her 16th birthday with a solid performance of 13 points (12 attacks, 1 block), making her the top scorer for her team. Her teammate, outside hitter Ceylin Kuyan, also reached double digits with 12 points (8 attacks, 1 block, 3 aces).

“We knew we had to play hard and powerfully in every action today. We kept pushing and finally got the win. I`m incredibly happy we secured the bronze medal; it`s a well-deserved reward for our hard work as a team. We dedicate this medal to our fans, many of whom are our parents who traveled from Poland to support us in every game since the start of the tournament,” said Poland captain Nadia Siuda.

Dream Team Recognition

Champions Bulgaria dominated the tournament`s Dream Team, with four players selected, including Dimana Ivanova, who received both the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best Setter awards.

MVP and Best Setter:

Dimana Ivanova (BUL)

Best Outside Hitters:

Kalina Veneva (BUL) and Suliane Davis (USA)

Best Middle Blockers:

Denitsa Angelova (BUL) and Maja Koput (POL)

Best Opposite:

Henley Anderson (USA)

Best Libero:

Viktoria Ninova (BUL)

5th Place Match Summary

Italy finished in 5th place in the final standings after a thrilling comeback win against China. They rallied from two sets down to win 3-2 (18-25, 21-25, 27-25, 25-17, 17-15) in their classification match. This was Italy`s second victory over China in the tournament. Stella Caruso led Italy`s comeback with 21 points (20 attacks, 1 ace), while China`s middle blocker Xiaohui Chen delivered an outstanding performance, scoring a game-high and tournament-highest 30 points (24 attacks, 3 blocks, 3 aces).

7th Place Match Summary

Japan concluded their tournament on a winning note, defeating Brazil 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 28-26) to claim 7th place. Opposite Rion Chuganji continued her strong attacking form, leading Japan with a game-high 25 points (22 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace). Brazil`s top scorer was Luize Da Silva Tavares with 19 points (16 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace).