Greece stun Bulgaria to continue their impressive EuroVolley run

The thrilling action continued in Pool B of CEV Trendyol EuroVolley 2026 Women in Brno, where Greece are quickly emerging as one of the surprises of the tournament. After edging Ukraine in a dramatic five-set battle on Saturday, the Greek side stunned Bulgaria 3-1 on Sunday to claim another impressive victory - and their first-ever win over Bulgaria at EuroVolley. Later today, hosts Czechia will face Serbia in a highly anticipated clash in front of a packed home crowd.

Greece vs Bulgaria 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-18, 25-23)

Bulgaria, who boast a perfect EuroVolley record against Greece and had opened their campaign with a straight-set win over Ukraine, were determined to keep that streak alive. Greece, meanwhile, entered their third match in as many days still carrying the momentum of their hard-fought victory over Ukraine.

Powered by Martha Anthouli (6 points in the set) and Elpida Tikmanidou (3), Greece made the better start, moving 5-2 ahead and maintaining a three-point cushion at 9-6. Bulgaria gradually worked their way back, with Tsvetelina Ilieva levelling the score at 11-11 with a spike. Greece responded immediately with three consecutive rallies to restore their lead at 14-11 and never surrendered it again, despite Bulgaria’s constant chase. Ilieva led Bulgaria with 5 points, while coach Marcello Abbondanza rotated his squad in search of a spark, but Greece remained in control. An ace from Markella Papageorgiou, who scored 4 points in the set and went 3/3 in attack, closed it 25-20.

Bulgaria were determined to quickly shake off the disappointment of the opener, racing to a 6-2 lead in the second set. Greece, however, showed their resilience and strong teamwork, levelling the score at 7-7 after an ace from Tikmanidou. Iva Dudova, who came onto the court at the start of the set, and Aleksandra Milanova then helped Bulgaria restore a three-point lead at 12-9 and extend it to 17-13. Greece responded with another impressive comeback, with Papageorgiou on serve as they fought their way back to 17-17, levelled by a spike from Effosyni Bakodimou, who scored 6 points in the set. Bulgaria, though, stepped up when it mattered most and closed the set 25-21. Dudova made an immediate impact, scoring 11 points, including 10 kills at 67% success.

The momentum continued to swing as Greece opened the third set with a 4-0 lead, showing no signs of being discouraged by the previous setback. Bulgaria fought back through Dudova and Ilieva to level at 7-7, but Greece quickly restored their advantage. Led by Tikmanidou, who scored 7 points in the set, and with Papageorgiou adding 3 blocks, Greece took firm control and extended their lead to 21-12. Bulgaria struggled in reception and, although they tried to fight their way back, it was too late as Greece closed the set 25-18.

The fourth set began with another competitive battle, but Greece soon gained momentum with Tikmanidou on the service line, including two aces in the run that helped her team race to an 11-5 lead. Bulgaria, however, refused to let the match slip away, fighting hard to force a tie-break. With Dudova on serve, they not only levelled the score but moved ahead 13-12 after her ace. From there, the set turned into a tense point-by-point battle, with neither side able to pull clear. Greece kept their composure in the decisive moments to close the set 25-23 and seal the match. Papageorgiou made a huge impact at the net late in the set, finishing with four crucial blocks.

Dudova topped the scoring charts for Bulgaria with 23 points. For Greece, Anthouli contributed 19 points, including 15 kills, two blocks and two aces. Tikmanidou added 18 points — 13 kills at 54% efficiency, two blocks and three aces — while Papageorgiou finished with 13, including an impressive seven blocks.