Germany came back from two sets down to knock hosts Bulgaria out of the CEV EuroVolley, earning a quarterfinal showdown with defending champions Poland in Sofia.
Poland had earlier become the first team through to the last eight with a commanding straight-sets victory over Latvia.
The reigning champions controlled the match at the net and in attack, recording 14 blocks and converting 63% of their attacking opportunities. Tomasz Fornal led all scorers with 19 points, while Kristers Landzans finished with 11 for Latvia.
Bulgaria looked poised to join Poland in the quarterfinals after winning the first two sets against Germany. But the Germans responded by taking the third 25-19 and edged the fourth 25-23 to force a deciding set.
Germany carried that momentum into the tiebreak and completed the comeback, with Bulgaria’s mounting errors proving costly in the closing stages.
Aleksandar Nikolov scored a match-high 23 points for Bulgaria, while Erik Röhrs led Germany with 20.
Germany will face Poland at Arena 8888 Sofia on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to the semifinals.
Results
Poland 3-0 Latvia (25-17, 25-16, 25-16)
Germany 3-2 Bulgaria (21-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-12)