Ukraine and Bulgaria keep rolling with back-to-back EuroVolley wins

Ukraine and host nation Bulgaria continued their flawless starts to CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026, both securing their second consecutive victories in Pool B action at Arena 8888 Sofia. Ukraine dispatched North Macedonia in a dominant 3-0 sweep highlighted by an unreturnable service performance, while Bulgaria thrilled a packed crowd of over 10,000 home supporters with a composed 3-0 win over Portugal to remain tied at the top of the group standings.

Ukraine 3-0 North Macedonia (25-22, 25-22, 25-10)

Ukraine secured their second consecutive victory at the CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men in Sofia, recording a straight-sets sweep (25-22, 25-22, 25-10) over North Macedonia. After battling through two competitive opening frames, the Ukrainian squad unleashed a devastating performance in the third set to complete a dominant display.

The opening frame began evenly at 3-3 before Ukraine gradually built command, pushing ahead to leads of 8-5, 14-8, and 16-10. Surprisingly, North Macedonia produced a higher attack efficiency in the set, executing at 56% compared to Ukraine's 43%. However, Ukraine's superior discipline and backline stability proved decisive. Outpassing their opponents with 50% positive reception to 40% and committing just 3 unforced errors against North Macedonia's 7, Ukraine maintained control to take the set 25-22.

The second set featured a similar narrative of Ukrainian composure under pressure. Ukraine held a 17-14 advantage before North Macedonia mounted a furious late rally to trim the deficit to 23-22. Ukraine refused to break, leaning on a sharper offensive output that rose to 55% execution while suffocating North Macedonia's efficiency down to 29% to claim another 25-22 win.

The third set turned into an absolute runaway as Ukraine stormed out of the gates with unstoppable rhythm. Firing on all cylinders, Ukraine attacked at a stunning 71% efficiency while holding North Macedonia to 35%. The defining element of the match was Ukraine's overwhelming service game, racking up 15 total aces to North Macedonia's 2. Oleh Plotnytskyi was lethal from the service line, accounting for 7 aces on his own as Ukraine closed out the match with an emphatic 25-10 third-set finish.

Overall, Ukraine held a slight edge in net defense with 8 kill blocks to North Macedonia's 7. Plotnytskyi led all scorers on the night with 16 points, closely supported by Yevhenii Kisiliuk's 14 points. For North Macedonia, captain Nikola Gjorgiev and middle blocker Filip Savovski paced their side with 8 points each.

Portugal vs. Bulgaria 0-3 (18-25, 18-25, 20-25) 

The electricity in Arena 8888 Sofia reached a fever pitch as 10,678 passionate fans filled the stands to witness the home side's second outing at the CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men. The high-profile matchup also drew distinguished guests, headlined by the President of the CEV, Mr. Roko Sikirić, who attended the clash between Portugal and Bulgaria as part of his continental tournament tour.

Sikirić’s presence in Sofia marks the beginning of an extensive tour across all four co-hosting nations for EuroVolley 2026 - Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, and Finland. Continuing his official itinerary in the Bulgarian capital tomorrow, the CEV President is scheduled to hold a formal bilateral meeting with Bulgaria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Encho Keryazov, to discuss the ongoing development and legacy of European Volleyball in the region.

Bulgaria took the opening set 25-18 after overcoming early service errors on both sides. Portugal held an early 4-3 lead, but Bulgaria found their rhythm behind sharp attacking and strong net defence to pull ahead 7-5. Portugal briefly leveled at 7-7 through the middle, but Bulgaria's composure proved decisive as they built a 21-16 cushion and closed out the set.

The hosts held a narrow advantage in attack execution at 55% to 50%, alongside slight edges in aces (2 to 1) and blocks (2 to 1). The biggest factor was unforced errors, with Portugal committing 9 to Bulgaria's 5. Aleks Nikolov led Bulgaria with 6 points in the set, while André Pereira matched him with 6 for Portugal.

Portugal took an early 3-2 edge in the beginning of the second set, but unforced errors quickly flipped the momentum, prompting head coach João José to call a timeout at 7-4 down.

Bulgaria gradually assumed full control across all departments, consistently winning the set's longer rallies behind the clinical attacks of Aleks Nikolov. With Alex Grozdanov and Denislav Bardarov delivering flawless blocking at the net, Bulgaria extended their lead from 12-8 to 21-16 before comfortably sealing the frame.

Statistically, Bulgaria maintained a razor-sharp 55% attack execution while suffocating Portugal's offence down to 31%. Bulgaria also dominated the passing game, posting 67% positive reception compared to Portugal's 32%, and added 2 aces while allowing none in return. 

The final set began in a tight, back-and-forth battle as Portugal fought valiantly to stay alive, trading blows through 7-7, 8-7, and 10-9. A brief spell of unforced errors by Bulgaria allowed Portugal to remain competitive, but the host team demonstrated superior resilience down the stretch to reassert their dominance and seal the match win.

Across the entire match, Bulgaria outclassed Portugal in every major statistical category. The hosts finished with a blistering 60% attack execution compared to Portugal's 43%, supported by a clear advantage at the net with 9 kill blocks to Portugal's 3. Bulgaria also controlled the service game, recording 6 aces to Portugal's 4. Star outside hitter Aleks Nikolov finished as the match's top scorer with 17 points, while André Pereira led Portugal in a losing effort with 13 points.