Varna, Bulgaria, June 16, 2018 – Bulgaria celebrated with their home fans as they beat Canada in a straight-set match at the FIVB Volleyball Nations League on Saturday.
Bulgaria coach Plamen Konstantinov: “I talked to the team after yesterday’s loss. It was really important to win against Canada today and we did it. It was necessary to believe that we can play well despite all the issues we have. Today on court I saw willingness, emotions as well as tactical discipline. All of these things were missing in the game against France. Boyan Yordanov was our key player today. He has a special relationship with the spectators, which influenced the team’s performance. We know that the match against Brazil is not going to be easy but we are a little bit calmer from a psychological point of view.”
Bulgaria player Boyan Yordanov: “I have been missing to play for the national team and I am happy that now I have an opportunity to give my best to this team again. I am satisfied because of the team spirit I saw today on the court. I hope that it will be the same at the following games. The match today will definitely help us to perform well tomorrow against the Olympic champions Brazil.”
Canada coach Stephane Antiga: “Unfortunately, we did not play well. We made a lot of mistakes, Bulgaria showed great technique, they played really good and they battled for the victory. We lost control in the first set and we felt pressure from the Bulgarians. We are fighting for the Final Six and this game was very important for us. From now on we have to fight for every game, for every victory to reach the finals.”
Canada player Gavin Schmitt: “The Bulgarian team played a really good game, they served aggressively and forced us into situations which were difficult for us. We also made a lot of mistakes that we should not have made on attack, on serve and in other crucial moments. They did a really good job as they blocked really well, served really hard, which gave us lot of pressure. But tomorrow is another day, we have to focus on France, they are very strong. Everyone’s aware that right now they have not lost a set here, so we have to focus on them and try to play better tomorrow.”