Filip Savovski: North Macedonia lost 0-3 to Bulgaria at EuroVolley 2026

North Macedonia's men's volleyball team opened EuroVolley 2026 with a 3-0 defeat to host Bulgaria in Sofia on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The scoreline did not reflect the moments when the visitors challenged the reigning world vice-champions.

Result and reaction

Filip Savovski, the team's middle blocker, spoke after the match and highlighted the difficulty of playing in a packed Bulgarian arena but stressed the positives his side produced.

"Considering we played against the world vice-champion and that in Sofia, in front of their crowd, before a full arena, I think we gave a solid resistance. We had our moments, we had both good and bad moments. There were times when we could not calm their serve and I think that was the decisive factor that we couldn't win a set. Still, what is done is done. I must say we were quite good in block and also in attack, given that the Bulgarians have a very high block. When everything is added up I think it was a good match, a good start. Now we turn to the next opponent and we hope for a better result against Ukraine," Savovski said.

Coaches and staff noted that the team showed progress in net defense and attacking variety, but consistency on serve reception and handling Bulgaria's jump serve will be areas for immediate work ahead of the next fixture.

North Macedonia now shifts focus to its next pool match against Ukraine, aiming to convert the encouraging passages from Sofia into a positive result.

Photo: press material from the event