WARSAW, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China lost to Bulgaria in straight sets 25-23, 25-16, 26-24 in the final week of the FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League preliminary phase in Gdansk, Poland, on Friday evening.
Outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov led the match with 21 points, while middle blocker Aleks Grozdanov added 11. Ji Daoshuai scored 12 points for China, while opposite spiker Jiang Chuan contributed nine points, including eight kills and one block.
A tightly contested opening frame saw both teams trade points throughout. Ji's seven kills kept China competitive, but Vital Heynen's squad struggled to contain Grozdanov and Nikolov.
China held a narrow 20-19 lead before a costly service error by Li Yongzhen and an errant attack from Wen Zihua opened the door for Bulgaria. Simeon Nikolov's ace gave Gianlorenzo Blengini's team a 22-20 advantage. Though Ji responded with a powerful spike and Peng Shikun added an ace, Bulgaria held firm to seal the set 25-23.
In the second set, Bulgaria asserted control after initial exchanges. Nikolov served consecutive aces while Asparuhov and Grozdanov combined for crucial blocks, building a 9-6 lead. They extended their advantage to 18-12 and then 21-13 before closing the set decisively at 25-16 following a technical error by Jiang.
China mounted a determined comeback effort in the third set. Trailing 24-22, Heynen's players displayed resilience: Jiang delivered a critical block and Li smashed a spike to level at 24-24. Bulgaria responded clinically through Grozdanov's precise attack and Nikolov's match-clinching block, securing the 26-24 victory.
Earlier in the day, France edged Cuba in a five-set thriller 20-25, 25-15, 23-25, 25-21, 15-9. Theo Faure scored a match-high 20 points, while Cuba's Jose Israel Masso contributed 17. ■
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