Maritza PLOVDIV did it again! Bulgaria’s regular participant in the women’s CEV Champions League Volley claimed their eighth consecutive and 10th overall Bulgaria Cup trophy after Sunday’s showdown, in which they beat Final Four hosts Levski SOFIA in four sets. Opposite Iva Dudova led the way with 23 points, including one kill block, towards a 3-1 (25-18, 15-25, 25-22, 25-20) victory and earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Outside hitters Vanessa Agbortabi of Germany and Viktoria Koeva added 17 and 13 points, respectively, while middle blocker Borislava Saykova also reached the double digits with 12. Maritza’s setter Lora Slavcheva impressed with two aces and three kill blocks to finish with a total of seven points, while Levski’s opposite Mikaela Stoyanova produced a match-high 27 points.

The second set of the final was the first Maritza lost since the start of the competition. Its road to the Kupa Bulgariya final went through two straight-set victories on the road. In December’s quarterfinals, the squad from Europe’s oldest living city shut out DRAGOMAN, and in Saturday’s semi-finals at the Levski hall, Maritza swept its game against CPVK SOFIA.

“Of course, I am happier about winning the Cup than about the individual award, which was also the result of our teamwork. The Bulgaria Cup trophy is much sweeter to me,” MVP Dudova commented. “It was a good final. The game was competitive, but our team persevered and showed a better effort. Yes, experience was on our side and that helped.”

Iva Dudova receives the MVP award (photo: startphoto.bg)

“I am happy, because we showed character after losing the second set. It was a high-level game on both sides,” said Maritza’s Turkish head coach Ahmetcan Ersimsek, for whom it was the first trophy at the helm of the team. “Levski really plays very well and fights, so I expect that at the end of the season we will fight with them again for the championship title.”

“The thrill of every final I have played has been the same. This match was hard, but the most important thing was that we left the court satisfied, knowing that we have given our all. I congratulate Levski’s young girls, who gave us a hard time in many situations.”
Zhana Todorova
Maritza libero and team captain