Tatarov, Tatarov, Petkov. This was the sequence of points with which Bulgaria concluded the tiebreak against the USA in the quarterfinals of the World Championships currently underway in the Philippines. The lightning-fast first set, with which the new middle blocker from Grottazzolina closed the match, kicked off the jubilant celebrations for coach Blengini’s national team, who, trailing 0-2 against the United States of Christenson (setter and captain, playing in Verona next season) and Kiraly (coach and a true icon of world volleyball), dramatically turned the match around and secured a dream semifinal.
Nikolov played a major role in the Bulgarian victory, with the Lube center scoring an impressive 29 points, but also a memorable performance from “Grotta” Tatarov, who Blengini threw into the fray right at the two-point deficit. From there, the red-white-green team’s comeback began, finding in Tatarov an excellent attacking force to support his teammates, in a crescendo of teamwork that surprised the USA and gave Bulgaria a semi-final that felt like a feat.
