LIVE! Bulgaria-Italy: fundamental challenge for the VNL ranking and for the top seeding role at the 2024 Olympics

Mattia ends the match with yet another excellent attack. The spiker was the absolute MVP, with 15 points, Sanguinetti (9) and Mosca also did very well.

Still taking advantage of a few too many mistakes from Italy, the national team coached by Chicco Blengini tries to reopen the set and the match. Italvolley, however, seems to be in total control of this match.

Sbertoli calls Bottolo into action and the spiker never really disappoints, whether diagonally or with a parallel shot. Bulgaria who continues to argue a lot with the serve: today’s Bulgarian quality from nine meters was a cry.

Double from Bottolo on the dribble, due to sweaty hands, then the attack was sent out by Moscow and so Bulgaria was presented with completely unexpected gifts. Karyagin scores the ball for -4 and De Giorgi stops the game with a timeout.

Ace by Bottolo, then winning serve by Sanguinetti and new Bulgarian errors. Excellent match from the Italian centre-back, perfect in the first half (5/5) and also attentive in his block work. Blengini stops the game again with a timeout: it is his second of this period.

Sanguinetti now unstoppable in the first half, as well as already the author of 4 personal points in the set. Porro has meanwhile found rhythm in attack, varying well between powerful diagonal “balls”. Blengini stops the game: his national team isn’t helping themselves, with 19 service errors and 26 overall.

The Bulgarian opposite is keeping his national team in touch, reaching 7 points with a diagonal freed by Nikolov’s wonderful attacking feint. Bulgaria not very concrete in fast play with central defenders.

The central defender from Modena scores two excellent first halves and then also unleashes himself from nine metres, scoring the ace (the 3rd for Italvolley) which creates a first mini-break. Sbertoli always excellent in his distribution, although not properly supported by his opposites.

Bulgaria continues its incredible series of wrong serves (16 so far) and essentially gives Italvolley the double advantage. De Giorgi’s national team isn’t playing very well, but they are certainly more careful in their block-defense than in the initial set and make fewer all-round mistakes.

Bottolo always perfect, when called upon at an offensive level. But be careful of Antov, the second Bulgarian opposite, who is putting down every lift offered to him by Nikolov who is always sensational for the heights and points of impact of the ball.

Gabriele is defending practically every Bulgarian attack, also putting the ball in Sbertoli’s hands to facilitate his rises. Gironi also improved a lot and was certainly better than Bovolenta today.

Grozdanov takes advantage of the first half tried by Mosca very well and hits him with a big block in the face, for his national team’s first break point in this set. Bottolo meanwhile reached double figures for points scored, thanks to his second ace of the day.

Fabrizio unblocks himself in attack and returns to offer a credible solution to Sbertoli’s dribble distribution. Laurenzano did very well, with Trento’s libero having played an almost perfect match so far, with the exception of an ace conceded by Tatarov.

Dimitrov out and Antov in, while Nachev replaces Petkov. The latter was terrible, with 0/5 in attack (including two errors and a block conceded). Meanwhile, the Azzurri seem to have taken off and want to have both hands on this match. Bottolo top scorer with 8 points.

Blengini stops the game with a timeout, after two offensive errors by his players (first Asparuhov, then Dimitrov). The Bulgarian national team is forcing a lot on serve, but at the same time making a lot of mistakes. Italy, on the other hand, is much more concentrated and precise.

Mattia is having a great game: great offensive shots, absolute effectiveness at bat and defensive presence too. On the other side of the net, Grozdanov is always a point of reference in Nikolov’s dribble distribution.

The Bulgarian number 8 immediately takes a big block from Gironi, but then goes wild with pipe exits and keeps his national team ahead. Sbertoli is instead trying to put the Gironi into rhythm: Italy is playing practically without points from its opponents.

Mattia dominates with great parallel and intra-rotation shots, while Nikolov switches from setter to “false” opposite, but is unable to make an impact. 6 points for Bottolo, 4 for Mosca. However, the Azzurri made too many 10 errors (between attack, serve and block attacks).

Nikolov always pulls chestnuts out of the fire for his national team, but now Italy is finally playing some volleyball and even their opponents are starting to make mistakes. Bottolo and Porro were the absolute leaders, Laurenzano was super and Mosca was excellent in the first half.

Excellent turn at bat from Bottolo, Porro did well in attack and Sanguinetti was finally effective on the block. Italvolley seems to be starting to loosen up and play this match.

Good in reception, very solid in attack and very sharp from nine meters too. On the other side of the net, Bottolo’s entry was excellent and now there is Gironi in place of Bovolenta.

Nikolov always spectacular with second intention touches, but Bottolo and Porro respond in kind and thus try to bring Italvolley back into contact. Bovolenta, on the other hand, just can’t put the ball on the ground.

An enormity and now the Azzurri have to change gear from nine meters. Meanwhile, Luca Porro has unblocked himself on an offensive level: yesterday he was the best Italian on the pitch, together with Laurenzano.

The first times of the central represent the only effective weapon of this Italvolley. De Giorgi meanwhile recalls Recine to the bench, replacing him with Bottolo. Optimal Dimitrov from zone 2.

Great ace from Nikolov and De Giorgi stops the game: “We are playing, we must do the things we have prepared for this match immediately!“. The Azzurri started this match really badly.

Wrong jokes, errors in attack and invasions by Sbertoli in an attempt to make up for the abundant receptions of his teammates. Out of 7 Bulgarian points, 5 derive from Italian errors…

Azzurri who have already missed two serves (with Bovolenta and Recine), having to chase practically straight away. Bovolenta sends out a deep diagonal and so Bulgaria extends to the provisional +2.

Blengini sends Nikolov, Asparuhov, Tatarov, Grozdanov, Petkov, Dimitrov and Bozhilov (free) onto the gerflor.

Italvolley starts by fielding Sbertoli, Bovolenta, Recine, L. Porro, Sanguinetti, Mosca and Laurenzano (libero).

National team coached by Chicco BlenginiBulgaria currently occupies the 14th place in the 2024 VNL ranking, with three victories in nine races played, in addition to the 20° in the FIVB world rankings (updated June 20). Given theabsence of Aleksandar Nikolova hammer playing for Lube Civitanova who had to undergo surgery due to a physical problem, the Hungarian squad is however enriched by the talent of Alex’s younger brother, Simeon: at just 17 years old, the setter it’s already high 207 centimetres and could rewrite the history of the role. Here is the following full roster of Bulgaria:

• Setters: Simeon Nikolov (#1), Svetoslav Stankov (#16)
• Spikers: Asparuh Asparuhov (#8), Denislav Bardarov (#29), Denis Karyagin (#10), Georgi Tatarov (#12), Samuil Valchinov (#17)
• Central: Aleks Grozdanov (#11), Boris Nachev (#27), Iliya Petkov (#24)
• Opposites: Venislav Antov (#18), Dimitar Dimitrov (#13)
• Free: Martin Bozhilov (#14), Simeon Dobrev (#21)

Friends, fans of great volleyball, a warm greeting from Marco Arcari and welcome to the direct writing of Bulgaria-Italy10th match for the Azzurri in the Volleyball Nations League 2024. Fefè De Giorgi’s men’s Italvolley presented themselves here in Ljubljana (Slovenia) with a large turnoversummoning several athletes very young and players so far less used in this VNL.

Week 3 opened with a knockout against Poland, however at the end of a match in which the national team often has played as equals against the best team in the world. After having slipped to 3rd place in the provisional ranking, today’s match then becomes fundamental for the Azzurri: not only the placement in this phase of the VNL is up for grabs, but also a seeded at the 2024 Olympic Games.

• Setters: Marco Falaschi (#9), Paolo Porro (#2), Riccardo Sbertoli (#8)
• Spikers: Mattia Bottolo (#12), Davide Gardini (#21), Luca Porro (#31), Francesco Recine (#3), Tommaso Rinaldi (#20)
• Central: Edoardo Caneschi (#27), Lorenzo Cortesia (#13), Leandro Mosca (#30), Giovanni Sanguinetti (#11)
• Opposites: Alessandro Bovolenta (#23), Fabrizio Gironi (#18)
• Free: Marco Gaggini (#22), Gabriele Laurenzano (#28)

Week 1 Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Week 3 (Ljubljana, Slovenia)

• June 19: Italy – Poland 0-3 | REPORT
• June 20: Bulgaria – Italy 4.30pm
• June 22: Slovenia – Italy 8.30pm
• June 23: Türkiye – Italy 4.30pm