Bulgaria pulls off reserve sweep past USA, gains Worlds semis after almost 2 decades

Bulgaria rose from the ashes to stun crowd darling and world No. 4 USA in a scintillating reverse sweep, 21-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13, to secure a spot in the Final Four of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Thursday before a packed Mall of Asia Arena.

Ranked No. 11 in the world, the Bulgarians started slowly but gradually found their rhythm, particularly in the decisive set, where they raced to a 6-3 lead to set the tone for a thrilling finale. Middle blocker Iliya Petkov punctuated the comeback before a roaring crowd of 10,474.

Petkov’s unexpected hit doused a blazing rally by the Americans, who had saved three match points from what seemed an insurmountable 10-14 deficit.

Bulgaria will now face world No. 17 Czechia in the semifinals. Czechia advanced after a 25-22, 25-27, 25-20, 25-21 win over Iran in the other quarterfinal pairing.

Bulgaria and Czechia will battle for a spot in the final on Saturday, with world No. 1 Poland and reigning champion Italy competing for the other ticket in an all-European finale.

This marks Bulgaria’s first Final Four finish in nearly two decades, their last being a bronze-medal run at the 2006 World Championship in Japan, where Vladimir Nikolov – father of brothers Aleksandar and Simeon Nikolov – played.

The squad had struggled in recent editions, finishing 20th in 2022 and 11th in 2018, which they co-hosted with Italy.

But this time, rising star Aleksandar “Alex” Nikolov led Bulgaria’s march to the upper echelon of international volleyball, toppling an unbeaten USA squad in a thrilling clash.

The 21-year-old opposite spiker fired 29 points on 26 hits, two aces, and a block, including seven points in the deciding set alone.

Asparuh Asparuhov and Petkov contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively, while 18-year-old Simeon “Moni” Nikolov orchestrated Bulgaria’s comeback with 48 sets, adding five points himself.

“First of all, we had a little bit of luck; nobody’s going to deny that. But I think the main thing was not giving up,” said Moni. “I’m lost for words. This was looking like it was going to be the absolute worst game of my career. And then, thanks to my incredible, incredible, incredible teammates—a huge shout-out to those who pulled me out of the mud, basically.”

While Petkov sealed the victory, it was Asparuhov who forced the decider with a thunderous hit, capping a 3-0 rally from a 22-all deadlock in the fourth set.

Team captains Aleks Grozdanov and Georgi Tatarov also played pivotal roles, contributing eight and seven points, respectively, including back-to-back crucial hits that pushed Bulgaria to a 14-10 lead in the finale.

That balanced supporting cast allowed Nikolov to carry Bulgaria home, adding seven points in the decisive set as the Americans struggled to close the gap.

Clinging to a 14-12 lead amid a USA surge, Bulgaria celebrated early with a Nikolov block, but the Americans successfully challenged a net violation, making the finish tense and keeping everyone in the arena on their feet.

Bulgaria, however, had one final ace up its sleeve: using Nikolov as a decoy, they set the stage for Petkov to deliver the finishing blow.

For USA, Ethan Champlin, Jordan Ewert, and Merrick McHenry had 17, 15, and 12 points, respectively, but the team fell short, finishing in the quarterfinals for the second straight edition.

Even team captain Micah Christenson’s 55 sets were not enough as Pool D leader USA, bronze medalists at the 2024 Paris Olympics, missed the Final Four for the second consecutive championship after finishing sixth in 2022.‍

Alex Nikolov and Bulgaria ended their nation’s two-decade wait for a semifinal berth (FIVB MWCH 2025 LOC)