Bulgaria will host the Group 2 Finals of the FIVB Volleyball World League 2015 after eight weekends of Intercontinental Round matches.
The winners from Pool C, D and E will join hosts Bulgaria in the Final, with the eventual winners earning a berth to the Group 1 Finals, due to be held in Rio de Janeiro from July 14 to 19.
Host Country: Bulgaria
Bulgaria, is situated in south eastern Europe and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east and is Europe’s 16th-largest country. Bulgaria is no stranger to volleyball or the FIVB Volleyball World League, having hosted the Finals of the tournament in 2012 in the city of Sofia, just a few weeks before the London 2012 Olympic Games. Historically one of the most consistent teams in volleyball, Bulgaria has been present in every FIVB Volleyball World League since 2003, and also competed from 1994-1998 before that. The team are yet to medal in the tournament but have never finished outside the top 10, finishing a high of fourth in 1994, 2004, 2006, 2012 and 2013. Bulgaria’s city of Sofia also hosted the FIVB Volleyball World Championships for men and women in 1970.
Host City: Varna
Varna, dubbed the seaside capital of Bulgaria, has hosted matches of the World League Intercontinental Round in 2011, 2013 and 2014. In 2013 the home crowd at the completely sold-out Palace of Culture and Sports got a rare chance to support both the women’s and the men’s national teams of Bulgaria in action, when Varna hosted the Final Four tournament of the 2013 CEV Volleyball European League - Women as well as an FIVB World League double header between Bulgaria and Poland. The country’s third largest city also hosted the 2013 CEV U22 Beach Volleyball European Championship.
Venue: Palace of Culture and Sport
The Palace of Culture and Sports is a multifunctional complex located in the heart of Varna. It is one of the symbols of the city and over the years has hosted many cultural and sporting events. The building was completed in 1968 and has a capacity of 5,500.