EuroVolleyW: Reigning champions Serbia debut against Bosnia & Herzegovina
Preview
The debut of back-to-back defending champions Serbia against first-timers Bosnia & Herzegovina in Belgrade, on Pool A, is the highlight of the second day of matches of the CEV EuroVolley Women 2021. Five other matches across the other three pools are also set to happen on Thursday, meaning only eight teams will be yet to hit the court at the end of the day.
Serbia comes to the EuroVolley 2021 fresh from winning the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, the second-straight for the country, which took silver in Rio five years ago. The reigning world champions prevailed in the last two editions of the continental tournament and will meet their home fans at the Štark Arena with a 16-match undefeated run in the EuroVolley.
Head coach Zoran Terzic doesn’t want to miss the opportunity of securing the three-peat at home, as Belgrade will also host every match from the quarterfinals on, and called up all of his best players to the tournament, including 2019 MVP and star opposite Tijana Boskovic, creative setter Maja Ognjenovic and veteran middle blocker Milena Rasic.
Bianka Busa“We expect some difficult matches on pool play and it will be good to have that before the quarterfinals. We’ve played quite a few matches this year already during our preparation and the Olympics and the EuroVolley will certainly be an interesting tournament. Every team plays at its best against Serbia, but we’re used to it and we cope well with the pressure.”
Serbia’s Outside Hitter
The Bosnians couldn’t have a stronger opponent in their first EuroVolley match, but also enter the tournament in good form after their recent victory at the CEV European Silver League 2021.
Edina Begic“We’re very aware that Serbia and Russia are the top teams in the pool. But we also have our qualities and won’t give at any time, against any opponent. We’ll be ready to take our chances against any national team and our hope is to represent our country in the best possible way.”
Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Outside Hitter