Netherlands W vs Bulgaria W

Netherlands dominated the first two sets with relentless serving pressure and stable defence. Sarah van Aalen, Els Dambrink, Jolien Knollema, Laura Jansen, Indy Baijens and Britt Stuut started for the hosts, with Hester Jasper as libero. The Dutch won the opening set 25-13 and doubled their lead with a commanding 25-15 in the second.

Bulgaria's Tsvetelina Ilieva registered an ace early in the first set, but the visitors struggled to contain the Dutch serve-and-defence rhythm across the opening two frames.

With a 2-0 lead secured, Koslowski rotated heavily — using virtually his entire squad — and Bulgaria capitalised. The visitors took a 21-19 lead in the third set, threatening to force a fourth frame. But Netherlands levelled at 22-22 after an ace from Marit Jasper and edged the set 27-25, sealing the match without needing a conventional fourth set.

Although the winner was already determined, both teams agreed to play an additional fourth set for extra preparation. Bulgaria started strongly, leading 12-7, but the hosts gradually erased the deficit, levelled at 16-16 and claimed the set 25-22 to make it a 4-0 clean sweep across all sets played.

• Marit Jasper (Netherlands W) — her crucial ace in the third set turned the tide at 22-22 and set up the 27-25 win.
• Jolien Knollema (Netherlands W) — part of the starting six that established the early two-set lead through strong attacking output.
• Tsvetelina Ilieva (Bulgaria W) — one of Bulgaria's brighter performers, registering an ace and contributing to the third-set fightback.
• Indy Baijens (Netherlands W) — effective in the middle, helping set the defensive platform in those dominant opening sets.

Player of the Match: Marit Jasper (Netherlands W) — her decisive serve in the third set proved the pivotal moment of the contest.

The 3-0 scoreline (25-13, 25-15, 27-25) tells only part of the story. Netherlands' dominance in the first two sets — conceding just 28 points across 50 points of volleyball — reflected superior serving pressure and defensive organisation. Bulgaria's improved performance in the third set (25-27) showed progress after the Dutch substitutions, but the visitors could not convert a 21-19 lead into a set win. The extra fourth set (25-22) underscored Bulgaria's sharper start but also Netherlands' depth, as Koslowski's rotated side recovered from a 12-7 deficit.

This was the first of two friendly meetings between the sides in Groningen on 16 August, with the second match scheduled for 15:00 Bulgarian time later the same day. For Bulgaria, the contest was the latest preparation step under Abbondanza ahead of EuroVolley 2026, with positives to take from the third-set fightback. Netherlands, who lead the historical head-to-head 8-4 from 12 meetings since 2010, extended their unbeaten run against Bulgaria to five matches.

A straightforward 3-0 win that reflected the gap in settled lineup quality, though the third-set fightback and extra fourth set gave Bulgaria useful data ahead of the European Championship. Netherlands' squad depth — shown by Koslowski rotating through his entire bench without dropping performance levels — will be a significant asset in competitive fixtures.