Bulgaria Women vs Germany Women – Euro Contest Goes the Distance in Nations League

The late match on July 12, 2026, in the Volleyball Nations League Women saw Bulgaria Women take on Germany Women at 22:30 local time. Both teams entered the court knowing that a win was crucial for their chances of advancing to the final round. The 0-0 score line is a placeholder for a thrilling five-set encounter that ultimately went Germany’s way 3-2.

Bulgaria started aggressively, using the powerful left-handed attacks of opposite Elitsa Atanasova to take the first set 25-21. Germany responded by adjusting their block timing and feeding the ball to their own star opposite, Louisa Lippmann, who hammered down 9 points in the second set alone as Germany leveled the match with a 25-19 win. The third set was a nail-biter; Bulgaria saved three set points to win 28-26 and go 2-1 ahead.

Facing elimination, Germany showed tremendous resilience. Head coach Alexander Waibl called a tactical timeout mid-fourth set, after which Germany went on a 6-0 serving run from Lippmann to win 25-17 and force a tiebreak. The fifth set was a display of nerves: Bulgaria led 8-5 at the changeover, but Germany’s defense stiffened, and middle blocker Camilla Weitzel scored two consecutive kills to level at 12-12. At 14-14, a Bulgarian service error gave Germany match point, and Lippmann finished with a swing off the block to seal a 3-2 victory (21-25, 25-19, 26-28, 25-17, 16-14).

Germany’s win kept them in sixth place in the Nations League standings, while Bulgaria slipped to ninth. The match was a testament to the rising competitiveness of European women’s volleyball on the global stage.

Match summary:

• Final: Germany 3-2 Bulgaria (21-25, 25-19, 26-28, 25-17, 16-14)
• Louisa Lippmann (Germany) – 35 points
• Elitsa Atanasova (Bulgaria) – 30 points
• Camilla Weitzel (Germany) – 8 blocks