Bulgaria off to a flying start at #EuroVolleyW
Recap
An incredible Volleyball Party is what Bulgaria and Greece delivered on the opening day of #EuroVolleyW 2021. In the first match of this year’s edition of the competition, the Lionesses and the Greek players got the ball rolling in the sports hall Kolodruma, Plovdiv, where fixtures from Pool B are taking place.
Bulgaria proved better in the match, winning at 3-0, and finishing better on all counts, but it was nine aces delivered by the players of Petkov that sealed the deal for the Bulgarian team. Overall, the Bulgarians were better on all counts, recording 47 winning spikes (compared to 31 by Greece) and as many as seven kill blocks (to six by Greece).
Elitsa Vasileva became top scorer, hammering as many as 19 points, while for the Greek team it was Anthi Vasilontonaki recorded 14.
Mr. Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria, together with other officials, also attended the match, showing support for the growth of European Volleyball.
Elitsa Vasileva“Before the match, we spoke about the importance of remaining concentrated, and I am happy that we could show our game. We are very much thankful to all the fans that come here to support us. Now, we have two days before the next game against Spain. We will try to rest and prepare good.”
Captain, team Bulgaria
Aikaterina Giota“The stress level is always high during openers. We didn’t do our best. We started good in the match, but then we lost our confidence. I hope to show more of our game in the next days. The atmosphere was so great, the light show in the beginning was really beautiful.”
Player, Greece
Bulgaria host an European championship for a fourth time in their history and only one other European team has had the honour of hosting the most prestigious national competition that many times, and it is Italy.
The Bulgarian Lionesses delivered their biggest success back in 1981, when they grabbed the gold medals. On Wednesday, the former Volleyball player Anka Uzunova, who fought on the courts in Sofia 40 years ago, watched the opening game and cheered for her compatriots.
Anka Uzunova"It feels really special to be back at such an important championship. It is just incredible. I wish I could be on the court now. Good luck to our team!"
European Champion with the team of Bulgaria in 1981
Exactly 20 years ago, back in 2001 when EuroVolleyW took place in the Bulgarian “sea capital” Varna, the Lionesses won their last medal from an European Championship so far, as this time around they finished third.
Former Bulgarian team leader and Volleyball star, Antonina Zetova was shining on the courts in Varna, helping her team to claim the bronze. Just days before the start of the 2021 competition, Zetova decided to make a special gift to the Bulgarian captain and star, Elitsa Vasileva.
“I wanted to give this medal to Elitsa as it has my energy, and I hope it will give her the right motivation for EuroVolleyW 2021”, Zetova said to Btv.
History says it all - every 20 years, Bulgaria are hosting an European Championship, and win a medal. The players of Petkov started off right in their first match, and the European Volleyball family is looking forward to see what they can do in 2021.