Varna, Bulgaria, June 4, 2011 – Having injury problems and losing star player Matey Kaziyski is no excuse for Bulgaria not winning their second match against Japan on Sunday, coach Radostin Stoychev and captain Vladimir Nikolov believe. 
Bulgaria were taken by surprise tactically and mentally by the visitors in the first match. The seventh-ranked team in the world needs the win to keep its chances of a Final Round spot alive. 
"The side is growing with every day, but they need time,” Stoychev explained. “The guys are already experiencing some changes, but it will still take a while to see them on the court."
Japan, meanwhile, will be hoping to get something out of their weekend in Bulgaria. With their fantastic speed, almost perfect defence, explosive spikers and a fast setter, it may only be a question of reducing their errors and gaining experience before they start producing results.