An epic 40-38 first set tilts the outcome of the match
Bulgaria’s Simeon Nikolov on the serve against Germany at the Men’s Volleyball World Championship
Bulgaria started their 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship campaign in the Philippines with a victory. In a Pool E game against Germany in Pasay City on Saturday, they squeezed out the win in the epic first set and swept the match in straight sets.
Bulgaria made far too many unforced errors in the first set, especially from the serving line, and that allowed Germany to recover from a six-point deficit and push the set deep into overtime. After numerous denied set points on both sides of the net, it was Bulgaria, who stepped in front with a 40-38 close. Riding the momentum and greatly reducing the mistakes, the southern Europeans celebrated a 3-0 (40-38, 25-22, 25-20) victory.
Inspired by the excellent performances of the Nikolov brothers – Aleksandar and Simeon – Bulgaria showed great teamwork on the court on the way to a well-deserved success. Their 53-43 advantage in spike kills and 10-6 advantage in kill blocks made the difference in the match. 21-year-old outside hitter Aleks Nikolov was by far the best scorer of the match with 27 points, including two blocks and an ace. In addition to showing his magic touch in play-making, his younger brother, 18-year-old setter Moni, fired two aces and registered an impressive 88% success rate in attack to contribute nine points the victory. Outside Martin Atanasov reached the double digits with 11 points, including two blocks.
“I don’t think it could have been any better. A 3-0 win against a contender for advancing beyond pool, is great. We are super happy, but we’ve accomplished nothing yet. Now we need to focus on resting and coming out against the very good team of Slovenia the day after tomorrow,” Alex Nikolov said. “Our unity is incredibly important and it is something that we’ve been working on during the season. For four months we have been secluded in a mountain place. When we go out, we go out together. When we laugh, we laugh together, so everything is part of the process. And obviously we are all the same age, so it’s even better.”
Overall, Germany managed to produce two aces more than the opponents (6-4) and made two mistakes fewer (23-25). They were led by their charismatic 40-year-old opposite and captain Gyorgy Grozer with 13 points, including three aces and three blocks. The central Europeans had a solid showing in first-tempo attacks, with both middle blockers registering high success rates and reaching the double digits. Anton Brehme finished with 11 points, while Tobias Krick signed off with 10.
The second Pool E game in Pasay City, between Slovenia and Chile, is set to serve off at 21:00 local time (13:00 UTC).
Перефразированная статья на русском языке
(Rephrased article in Russian)
Впечатляющий первый сет со счетом 40-38 определил исход матча.
Мужская сборная Болгарии по волейболу успешно стартовала на Чемпионате мира FIVB 2025 года на Филиппинах, одержав убедительную победу над Германией. В субботнем матче группы E, который состоялся в городе Пасай, болгарская команда продемонстрировала выдающуюся игру, выиграв первый, невероятно напряженный сет со счетом 40-38, и в итоге разгромила соперника всухую со счетом 3:0.
В начале матча Болгария допустила слишком много невынужденных ошибок, особенно на подаче, что позволило Германии отыграться после отставания в шесть очков и довести первый сет до овертайма. После многочисленных нереализованных сетболов с обеих сторон, Болгария смогла вырвать победу со счетом 40-38. Набрав обороты и значительно сократив количество ошибок, южноевропейцы отпраздновали победу со счетом 3:0 (40-38, 25-22, 25-20).
Ключевую роль в заслуженном успехе Болгарии сыграли братья Николовы – Александр и Симеон, чьи выдающиеся выступления вдохновили команду на великолепную командную игру. Болгария превзошла Германию по количеству атак (53-43) и блокирующих очков (10-6), что стало решающим фактором в матче. 21-летний доигровщик Алекс Николов стал лучшим бомбардиром матча, набрав 27 очков, включая два блока и один эйс. Его младший брат, 18-летний связующий Мони, не только продемонстрировал свое мастерство в организации атак, но и заработал девять очков, сделав два эйса и показав впечатляющий 88-процентный успех в атаке. Доигровщик Мартин Атанасов также показал отличный результат, набрав 11 очков, в том числе два блока.
«Я не думаю, что могло быть лучше. Победа 3:0 над претендентом на выход из группы – это здорово. Мы очень счастливы, но пока ничего не достигли. Теперь нам нужно сосредоточиться на отдыхе и подготовке к матчу с очень сильной командой Словении послезавтра», – сказал Алекс Николов. «Наше единство невероятно важно, и это то, над чем мы работали в течение сезона. Четыре месяца мы провели в уединении в горах. Когда мы выходим, мы выходим вместе. Когда смеемся, смеемся вместе, так что все это часть процесса. И, очевидно, мы все одного возраста, так что это еще лучше».
Несмотря на поражение, сборная Германии показала достойную игру, сделав на два эйса больше, чем соперники (6-4), и допустив на две ошибки меньше (23-25). Команду возглавил харизматичный 40-летний диагональный и капитан Георгий Грозер, набравший 13 очков, включая три эйса и три блока. Центральноевропейская команда продемонстрировала сильную игру в атаках первым темпом, где оба центральных блокирующих показали высокую эффективность, набрав по десять и более очков. Антон Бремен завершил матч с 11 очками, а Тобиас Крик – с 10.
Следующая игра в группе E в Пасай-Сити между Словенией и Чили начнется в 21:00 по местному времени (13:00 UTC).
Rephrased Article in English
(Перефразированная статья на английском языке)
An impressive 40-38 first set determined the outcome of the match.
The Bulgarian Men`s Volleyball team commenced their 2025 FIVB World Championship campaign in the Philippines with a decisive victory. In a Pool E match held on Saturday in Pasay City, Bulgaria faced Germany, securing a challenging first set with an epic 40-38 scoreline before ultimately sweeping the match in straight sets.
Initially, Bulgaria struggled with numerous unforced errors, particularly from the service line, which allowed Germany to erase a six-point deficit and push the opening set into extended overtime. After a tense exchange of denied set points from both sides, Bulgaria eventually clinched the set with a narrow 40-38 win. Capitalizing on this momentum and significantly reducing their errors, the Southern European squad celebrated a comprehensive 3-0 (40-38, 25-22, 25-20) triumph.
The stellar performances of the Nikolov brothers, Aleksandar and Simeon, were instrumental in Bulgaria`s well-deserved success, inspiring exceptional teamwork. Bulgaria showcased a significant advantage in spike kills (53-43) and kill blocks (10-6), which proved to be a decisive factor in the match. Aleks Nikolov, the 21-year-old outside hitter, was the standout scorer, contributing 27 points, including two blocks and an ace. His younger brother, 18-year-old setter Moni, not only demonstrated his play-making prowess but also added nine points to the victory with two aces and an impressive 88% attack success rate. Outside hitter Martin Atanasov also reached double-digit scoring with 11 points, including two blocks.
“I don’t think it could have been any better. A 3-0 win against a contender for advancing beyond the pool is great. We are super happy, but we’ve accomplished nothing yet. Now we need to focus on resting and preparing to face the very strong team of Slovenia the day after tomorrow,” Aleks Nikolov stated. “Our unity is incredibly important, and it’s something we’ve been working on throughout the season. For four months, we`ve been secluded in a mountain retreat. When we go out, we go out together. When we laugh, we laugh together, so everything is part of the process. And obviously, we are all the same age, so it’s even better.”
Despite the loss, Germany exhibited a commendable effort, delivering two more aces than their opponents (6-4) and committing two fewer errors (23-25). Their team was spearheaded by the charismatic 40-year-old opposite and captain, Gyorgy Grozer, who tallied 13 points, including three aces and three blocks. The Central European team also showed strength in first-tempo attacks, with both middle blockers achieving high success rates and reaching double-digit scores. Anton Brehme concluded with 11 points, while Tobias Krick registered 10.
The subsequent Pool E game in Pasay City, featuring Slovenia against Chile, is scheduled to commence at 21:00 local time (13:00 UTC).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick