In winning duel of blue-chip setters, Nikolov leads Bulgaria to semis
Moni Nikolov had a duel to remember with American setter Micah Christenson, and late Thursday night went on to lead Bulgaria to a come-from-behind 21-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13 stunning of the United States to advance to the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship semifinals at Mall of Asia Arena.
The 18-year-old setter stood his ground against one of the best playmakers in the globe, finishing with 48 excellent sets while scoring five points, including the crucial blows in the fifth set, to send their country to the Final Four for the first time since 2006 when his father, Vladimir, was part of the squad’s bronze medal finish.
Moni and his brother Aleksandar shared a hug and conversation with the American skipper Christenson after the thriller.
“You can learn so much from this guy. He’s, if not the best, definitely one of the best setters out there,” said Moni, a rookie World Cupper. “I’ve had the opportunity to play against him twice in friendlies, and I was analyzing his game, it was super, super good, and I hope one day I can reach his level.”
Christenson had 55 sets for the world’s fourth-ranked nation.
“Even just beating him is something that I will never forget,” Moni said.
Despite a heartbreaking quarterfinal exit for the USA, Christenson praised Moni and his brother Aleksandar, marveling at how the Nikolov siblings support each other.
“It’s fun to see him on the world stage doing well. It’s really cool that the brothers are playing together and obviously grew up together and now their representing their country,” said Christenson.
“Reflecting as a father, I’ve got two sons, so I’m sure their parents are really proud of them and it’s just cool to see both of them playing together at a high level on the world stage,” the American went on. “I’m sure it’s a lot of dreams for a lot of parents so their parents must be very proud.”
The 32-year-old setter also tipped his hat to Aleksandar, who erupted for 29 points.
“I don’t think he needs to blossom anymore, right? Because he’s already an amazing player,” Christenson said. “This tournament, he’s really kinda taken over. I think he’s probably the leading point scorer, so I’m just giving credit where credit is due.
“He’s been carrying this team quite a bit and even in that fifth set he killed every single ball that was given to him,” Christenson went on.
Moni admitted they weren’t composed to start the game, falling to a two-set deficit. But with their never give up mentality, the Bulgarians made it to the top four.
“We had a little bit of luck, nobody’s going to deny that. But I think the main thing was not giving up,” he said. “Being down in such a big game, and since they were outplaying us in the first two sets, it was very hard to stay in the game. But I’m glad we put some pressure on them, and in the end, I think we managed to win it just by a little bit.”
The Nikolov brothers gun for Bulgaria’s first finals appearance since its silver medal finish in 1970 against Czechia, which Moni believes to be a “super good team,” on Saturday.
