EuroVolleyM: Defending champions Serbia debut against Belgium
Preview
The second day of the CEV EuroVolley 2021 Men is set to be an exciting one as it will bring the debut of three heavyweights of the continent, defending champions Serbia, reigning world champions Poland and Tokyo Olympic silver medalists Russia. Thursday’s schedule has as many as five matches spread between the host cities of Krakow and Tampere.
In Poland, the last of the three Pool A matches set to happen at the Tauron Arena will pit Serbians against Belgians. The teams also met on pool play in the 2019 edition of the tournament, with the Serbians winning in straight sets.
After missing the Tokyo Olympics, the defending champions will enter the EuroVolley determined to be the first team to win back-to-back editions of the tournament since Italy took gold in 2003 and 2005.
Serbia’s core is the same of the team that took gold in Paris two years ago, highlighted by 2019 EuroVolley Most Valuable Player Uros Kovacevic and scoring machine opposite Aleksandar Atanasijevic, the third-best scorer of that tournament.
Coming from a sixth-place finish at this year’s Volleyball Nations League, the group led by head coach Slobodan Kovac has tremendous depth with the likes of Nemanja Petric and Marko Ivovic as options at the outside hitter position and Marko Podrascanin, Srecko Lisinac, Petar Krsmanovic and Aleksandar Okolic competing for the two starting spots at middle blocker.
Belgium finished ninth at the 2019 EuroVolley but showed the potential to got a lot further just two years before, when the team finished fourth and came closer than ever from winning their first continental medal.
The team coached by Spaniard Fernando Benitez, which also finished fourth in this year’s CEV European Golden League, heavily relies on star outside hitter and team captain Sam Deroo to compete at the highest level of the sport.
However, strong European Golden League performances from fellow outside hitter Tomas Rosseaux, the fourth-best scorer of the tournament, and towering middle blocker Arno van de Velde, the third-best in blocks, give the Belgians a stronger core alongside Deroo and experienced setter Stjin D’Hulst.