In Antalya, the reigning Olympic champions France had a strong start to their VNL 2024 campaign, defeating Bulgaria 3-0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-14) in their opening match. This victory earned France their first three points in the tournament.
Jean Patry led the French team with 12 points (nine kills, three blocks), followed by Barthélémy Chinenyeze with 11 points (nine kills, one block, one ace). Patry emphasized the importance of the VNL for their Olympic preparation, aiming for a semifinal spot to build confidence for Paris.
Bulgaria’s top scorers were Dimitar Dimitrov, Iliya Petkov, and 17-year-old setter Simeon Nikolov, each contributed seven points.
With this win, France also gained 3.06 World Ranking points, moving them to seventh place with 309.86 points. Bulgaria remains in 20th place.
