Bulgarian star Aleksandar Nikolov has described himself as the world’s best player when attacking high balls, pointing to statistical data and years of focused training.
The 22-year-old Cucine Lube Civitanova outside hitter discussed the strength of his game during an appearance on the SportCast Volleyball podcast.
“I can say without false modesty that I’m the best in the world on high balls. The statistics show it, and I’m proud of it,” Nikolov said.
The Bulgarian international credited head coach Gianlorenzo Blengini with playing an important role in his development. Nikolov said Blengini had been demanding from the beginning and consistently pushed him to improve this particular aspect of his game.
Nikolov added that his main strength is his ability to read difficult situations and quickly determine the right attacking option.
The outside hitter also spoke positively about Bulgaria’s preparations for EuroVolley 2026 in Samokov, saying the team has been training at a higher level than during its build-up to the Volleyball Nations League.
While refusing to predict a medal, Nikolov stressed that greater consistency and a less predictable attack will be essential if Bulgaria is to compete successfully against Europe’s strongest teams.