Brasilia, Brazil.– The Bulgarian women’s national team achieved its first victory in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) this Friday after defeating the Dominican Republic in straight sets 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, and 25-13), in a match corresponding to Group 2 of the tournament organized by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).
With the result, the Queens of the Caribbean place their record at 0-3 at the start of the competition and will look to recover this Sunday when they return to the court after their rest day on Saturday.
The Bulgarian team showed dominance throughout the match thanks to an aggressive offense, a solid defense, and effective blocking work that limited the Dominicans’ attack.
Bulgaria’s offense was led by Mikaela Stoyanova, who finished with 21 points, supported by Milanova and Paskova, both with nine units.
For the Dominican Republic, Kattielle Alonzo was the standout with 11 points, followed by Massiel Matos with eight points coming off the bench and Yonkaira Peña with six.
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The statistics reflected the broad European dominance, especially in attack, where Bulgaria outperformed the locals 49-26, in addition to prevailing 10-8 in blocks.
In the first set, Bulgaria quickly took control of the game with strong spikes through the middle and attacks from the corners, combined with an organized defense that threw the Dominicans off rhythm. Two consecutive rallies allowed the Europeans to extend their lead and secure the set.
The absence of libero Brenda Castillo on the court was felt in the defense of the Queens of the Caribbean, while Brayelin Martínez and Gaila González remained resting during a large part of the match.
In the second set, Bulgaria once again imposed conditions from the start with a quick 6-1 lead, supported by their serve and blocks. Although the Dominicans tried to react in the final part of the set, closing the gap to 22-18, they could not complete the comeback.
After the match, the Dominican manager acknowledged that the team showed a low offensive level, although he expressed confidence that the squad will improve in the upcoming matches of the tournament.
Caption: The Bulgarian national team defeated the Dominican Republic 3-0 this Friday in the Volleyball Nations League held in Brazil.
