Bulgaria's world vice-champion volleyball team kicked off 2026 with a 3:1 (25:21, 27:29, 25:23, 25:22) victory over Ukraine in a match at the strong international tournament "Silesia Cup" in Poland. The match took place in Sosnowiec, and the Bulgarian team appeared in an innovative outfit with sleeveless flannel shirts, similar to those worn by Italy and Brazil.

Match Details and Team Lineup

For the first match of the tournament, head coach Gianlorenzo Blengini selected the following starting lineup: Stoyil Pavel, Iliya Petkov, Asparuh Asparuhov, Preslav Petkov, Jasmin Velichkov, Dimitar Dimitrov, and libero Damian Kolev.

Team Absences and Match Highlights

The national team left for the tournament without three of its key players: captain Alex Gratsanov, Alexander Nikolov, and Simeon Nikolov. The Bulgarian team took the lead after the first set with a score of 25:21, where they maintained a slight advantage until the end. In the second set, Ukraine started stronger, securing a few break points, which led to an early lead of 7:3. However, the Bulgarian team managed to close the gap, and the set was decided in extra points with Ukraine winning 29:27.

In the following two sets, the strong team play and excellent offensive displays by newcomer Denislav Bardarov tilted the balance in favor of Bulgaria. Bardarov, making his debut in the first team, played a crucial role. Diagonal Venislav Antonov also had a key role in the end of the fourth set, scoring two direct points from service, and the match concluded with an attack by Bardarov.

The next match for the "Lions" is on May 22 at 6 PM against Serbia in the "Spodek Arena" in Katowice. In the opening match of the tournament, the "Lions" defeated the hosts from Poland with a 3:2 score. Bulgaria now leads the tournament with 3 points, followed by Serbia with 2, Poland with 1, and Ukraine with no points.