In a thrilling group-stage match at the European Championship, the Slovenian volleyball team emerged victorious against the hosts, Bulgaria, with a score of 3:0 (31-29, 25-22, 32-30) after a grueling two-hour battle. This was their fifth consecutive win, earning them a maximum of 15 points. With this victory, they will face Türkiye in the eight final match on Friday.
Slovenians completed the pool stage without a single loss. Their journey began with a 3-1 win over Ukraine, followed by sweeping victories against Finland, Spain, Croatia, and wrapping up the group stage by besting the Bulgarian hosts without dropping a set.
Securing the top position in their group, Slovenia will advance to the Round of 16 in Varna. Their opponents are the fourth-ranked team from Group D in Tel Aviv. In the decisive match for that spot, Türkiye defeated the hosts, Israel, 3-0, earning their place in the next stage. Thus, the stage is set for a Slovenia-Türkiye showdown in the Round of 16. All these matches, including potential quarter-finals, will take place in Varna. Tsvetan Sokolov was the top scorer with 23 points. For Slovenia, Rok Mozic scored 22 points, while Tine Urnaut contributed an additional 14.
Earlier in the day, Ukraine secured their spot in the Round of 16 with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-19) win against Spain. They’ll be up against the Olympic champions, Team France. Standout players for Ukraine were Oleh Plotnytskyi and Vasyl Tupchii, each amassing 15 points, while Spain’s top scorer was Andres Villena with 17 points.
The European Championship features 24 national teams, divided into four groups of six. The top four teams from each group will progress to the knockout stages, with preliminaries set to conclude on September 6th.
Pool B
Spain vs. Ukraine 0-3 (21-25, 21-25, 19-25)
Slovenia vs. Bulgaria 3-0 (31-29, 25-22, 32-30)
