American setter Micah Christenson shared a moment with brothers Moni and Aleksandar Nikolov after Bulgaria ended Team USA’s hopes with a come-from-behind 21-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13 victory in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship quarterfinal on Thursday evening before 10,747 fans at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Despite the heartbreaking quarterfinal exit, Christenson lauded 18-year-old Moni, who stayed composed all game long to anchor Bulgaria’s comeback, and Aleksandar, who erupted for 29 points.
“It’s fun to see him on the world stage doing well. It’s really cool that the brothers are playing together, obviously growing up together, and now representing their country on the same team,” said Christenson. “It’s really cool, reflecting as a father. I’ve got two sons, so I’m sure their parents are really proud of them. It’s just special to see both of them playing together at a high level on the world stage. I’m sure it’s a dream for many parents, so their parents must be very proud.”
“I don’t think Aleksandar needs to blossom anymore, right? Because he’s already an amazing player. This tournament, he’s really 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,” he added.
Moni, meanwhile, had 48 sets and scored five points against Team USA and Christenson, who tallied 55 sets, as Bulgaria secured its first World Championship Final Four appearance since 2006, when their father Vladimir helped the team win bronze.
“You can learn so much from this guy. He’s, if not the best, definitely one of the best setters out there,” Moni said. “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. Even just beating him is something that I will never forget.”
Making his World Championship debut, Moni was relieved that Bulgaria didn’t give up despite falling into a two-set hole. They now brace for Czechia in Saturday’s semifinal, hoping to reach the finals for the first time since their silver medal finish in 1970.
“We had a little bit of luck, nobody’s going to deny that. But I think the main thing was not giving up,” the younger Nikolov 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.”
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