Team Slovenia together again ahead of #EuroVolleyM
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The members of the Slovenian men’s national team have gathered again after a short break. On Wednesday, in Ljubljana, they started preparing for the EuroVolley, which begins at the end of the month.
This year’s European Championship (August 28 - September 16) will be held in four countries for the third time. This time Italy, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Israel will host it. Slovenia will begin their matches in Varna, Bulgaria where they will face Ukraine at first on Wednesday, August 30, at 5:30 pm. In Pool B, they will also have matches with Finland, Spain, Croatia, and hosts Bulgaria. The Slovenian national team will remain in Varna if they qualify for the playoffs until the last four matches, which will take place in Rome.
Jani Kovačič“Our goals will always be the highest - the first place we have not yet achieved. The road to get there is still very long, the EuroVolley will feature some top European national teams, and even the others that did not play in the Volleyball Nations League can spring a surprise. The matches in Bulgaria and we hope also in Rome will be a good starting point also for the Olympic qualifiers."
Libero of Team Slovenia
The Slovenians have returned to work after a 12-day break. They will continue the season with a roster of 15. After returning from Poland, which hosted the final stage of the VNL, Matej Kök left the team due to club commitments in South Korea. Therefore, Dejan Vinčić, previously absent due to his recovery from elbow surgery, has joined the camp. Alongside him there are two other setters, Gregor Ropret and Uroš Planinšič, middle blockers Alen Pajenk, Jan Kozamernik, Sašo Štalekar, and Danijel Koncilja, opposite hitter Nik Mujanović, liberos Jani Kovačič and Urban Toman and outside hitters Tine Urnaut, Rok Bračko, Žiga Štern, Klemen Čebulj and Rok Možič.
“So far, things are working fine; the real indicator will be this and next week when I will be under maximum load in passing and defence. We must still test how the elbow will react and withstand the effort when I go to block. Still, I am positive, and I think everything will be fine,” said Vinčić at the start of his 19th national team summer.
In preparation for the next major competition, in which they will defend the silver medal from two years ago, the Slovenians will also play five preparatory matches. Already next week, the first two are waiting for them in Maribor’s Tabor sports hall. On Thursday, at 20:15, they will face Egypt. A day later, at 18:35 they will play against Cameroon.
Gheorghe Cretu“We will finish the first ten days with two preparatory matches in Maribor. We will try to include all players in the game so that they stay connected in different positions on the court. Great emphasis will also be placed on physical preparation. Our goal is to be best prepared by the start of the EuroVolley, which begins at the end of the month!”
Head coach of Team Slovenia
Between August 18 and 20, the Slovenian team will visit Poland, performing at the prestigious Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial in Krakow. The rivals will be hosts Poland, Italy, and France. The Slovenians have completed the first third of their performances this summer. As already mentioned, they participated in the elite VNL. They impressed with their immense combativeness and heart-filled play in thirteen matches across the globe. They intend to perform the same in the Slovenian jersey even for the rest of the season, which will end in mid-October. After the end of the European Championship, they will have to compete in the qualification tournament for the Olympic Games, where they will play eight matches in ten days (September 30 - October 8) in Tokyo, Japan.
Photos courtesy of the Slovenian Volleyball Federation