Maritsa Plovdiv advances to Champions League third qualifying round

Bulgarian women's volleyball champions Maritsa Plovdiv secured their place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League after a dramatic 3-2 victory against Montenegro's Herceg Novi. Despite losing the first set 28-30 and facing match points in the fourth set, the Plovdiv-based team rallied to win the tie.

Maritsa's victory was bolstered by strong performances from Aleksandra Kitipova, who scored 24 points, alongside Ana Pejicic and Elena Becheva, who contributed 22 points each. Head coach Kristiyan Iliev noted the team's resilience and the importance of maintaining concentration, highlighting the role of captain Zhana in leading the young squad through the high-pressure tie.

Maritsa Plovdiv will now await the winner of the matchup between Azerbaijan's Turan Tovuz and Croatia's Mladost Zagreb in the next round.