CEV Junior European Volleyball Championship: Bulgaria books a spot in gold medal match after 24 years
Bulgaria made a big break-through at CEV Junior European Volleyball Championship 2010. The team defeated Netherlands and confirmed their participation in the final match. It was a landmark for Bulgaria, as they qualified for a gold-medal match after 24 years.
Bulgaria exhibited an outstanding performance in the second semi-final of the tournament and it was definitely the very best of Bulgaria since the start of this event. They played five matches in the preliminary round and finished the first phase with a loss of one game against Serbia. With 9 points in hand, they moved forward to clash with Netherlands in the semi-final match. Bulgaria and Netherlands were considered old rivals, as they faced each other in 1996 Olympic tournament.
First Set
Bulgaria’s team opened the first set with glowing hearts and passion for victory. They produced strong floaters and availed every opportunity to hit cruising spikes. They quickly earned points and picked up a lead of 16-13 at the end of first technical timeout (TTO). Bulgarian players stood like an iron wall before the Dutch team and built pressure on them. They killed many of opponents’ attack shots and actually returned them to competitor’s court. Netherlands’ captain Sjoerd Hoogendoorn struggled to gather team’s strength and urged the players to avoid ball-handling errors in order to save points.
On the other side of the court, Bulgaria was consistent in serving and hitting ball in right spots. Their score was slightly soaring up, which further boosted the players’ morale and they produced more effective shots. Bulgarians were on the way of improvement, while Dutch players lost momentum and committed more mistakes. The head coach of Netherlands, Zwerver Ron had to call for a break following an error in attack by Thijs Ter Horst. The coach tried different strategies and substitutions in order to chase the score. Consequently, the Dutch game saw improvement and the score moved to 19:20. Parkinson and Keemink of Netherlands developed good coordination and struggled with their team’s score.
By hook or by crook, Bulgaria missed a block and another reception error enabled Dutch players to take advantage of the situation. They surpassed Bulgarian score and led the first set with 22-21. Afterwards, the game entered in the most crucial phase. Both teams rushed to score quick points and finish the first set. Netherlands missed a flurry of balls, which resulted in a big blow for the team. Bulgarian jumped back in the game and Zhelyazkov, Jani, hit an upper hand shot to snatch victory in first set. The set finished with a close difference of two points (29-27).
Second Set
The first-set win put Bulgarian team on the right track and they moved forward with a great pace. They easily attained 8-6 lead and maintained good balance in the game. Netherlands tried to find their feet and re-aligned their team line. They kept their eyes on the ball and saved a few points. The defence specialist of Netherlands’ team entertained the Belarusian crowd with superb dives on the floor.
Somehow, Bulgaria was too fast to deal with. They continued their strike and extended their lead in the set. Netherlands built a good defending score but couldn’t avoid the chances of defeat in the second set. They lost the set with a margin of only two points. Bulgaria finished the set at 26-24.
Third Set
The third decisive set started with a glee on Bulgarian players’ faces. They got a competitive edge in the game by achieving success in the first two sets. They repeated the same good performance in third set, which helped them earn a 25-20 win over Netherlands.
Bulgaria’s incredible win in the semi-final enabled them to play in the final of CEV Junior European Volleyball Championship 2010.
Tags: