Serbian NT 2015

  • Brakocevic will be out of World cup? Such a important tournament for Serbia...

  • Jelena Nikolic gave an interview through a serbian media.


    At a recent roll call of female senior national team of Serbia, which will start the season on the European Games in Baku, there were a lot of new, young girls, but also a few more experienced, which in previous years, with great success wearing shirt Serbia. Among them, it is certainly the first name of a 33-year-old Jelena Nikolic, one of our best volleyball players of all time, which will, after 15 years with great enthusiasm to wear jersey of the national team.


    - It was never a question of my playing for the national team. Each year in the national team for me years of happiness, regardless of the final results - says Jelena Popovic with Sylvia only mother in this Serbian team. - As long as the selector thinks that I need, I'm here. I really love volleyball and I plan to play it for at least another two years. I showed up on the first day of preparation, since it is known that I need some time to reach the right form.


    This team is very young?


    - Yes, some girls are missing, some will join a little later, and there's a lot of players from the domestic league. It can be seen in them a great desire from the first practice, which is a great thing. Have a working, quality and all of this is a prelude to what awaits us this season, and it seems to me that never before have we had more major competitions.


    European Games in Baku, and the Grand Prix and World Cup in Japan and at the end of the European Championship in the Netherlands?


    - Incredible, indeed! And it is proof of how big the Serbian national team. All these competitions are important in their own way, but I still underlined the World Cup and the European Championship, then, the second part of the season, because it is the Olympic qualifiers. And Rio is the desire of all of us!

  • I think Terzic will try Nikolic as starter and if it works in Baku Games, he'll give her another chance in World Cup. I know she's so far from her best, but... Molnar didn't play more than 5 matches this past season in China and her attack is getting weaker match after match.


    I'm sorry for Bursac.. she should have a chance. :down:

  • Interview with Jovana Stevanovic, I really hope to see her as starter in NT this year.


    Jovana Stevanović for WoV: We are in shock, nobody expected scudetto!

    Pomi Casalmaggiore has made a remarkable achievement in the club's history. They won the scudetto after 10 matches in the semifinals and finals. Serbian star Jovana Stevanović was one of the main player for this success.
    Officially Jovana is the best blocker of the Serie A with 132 blocks in 34 matches (see her stats).


    "Everything began with the semi-final. We played relaxed and for ourselves because we had nothing to lose. When we passed Conegliano we saw that we have chance to do something more and we started to play like a real team. We supported each other and it's brought result." explained Jole and add:


    "People were talking that Novara is the champion but we were quiet and just played our game. After every match we have celebrated as if it were the last one and it brought us Scudetto."


    After two seasons in Italy, you won scudetto?


    "I'm still in shock, we are all in shock. This happens once in a lifetime and I will remember the first Scudetto until the end of my life. I really enjoyed this two years in Pomi in each game, training etc."


    What is the next?

    "I signed contract with Pomi 2+1. We are still negotiating."


    When are you coming back to Serbia?

    "I still don't know. Every day we are celebrating but we still do not appreciate success. People are in a trance, nobody expected this. I hope that I will get free days to rest and then to join the national team in Belgrade" said Stevanović.

  • I am really wondering to see who will be the staring OHs for Serbia.. I would go with Brankica and Crncevic/Rankovic.. It's time someone replaces Molnar (don't even know what is she doing on the list) But of course mister Terzic might think otherwise and put Molnar and Nikolic on court..



  • Serbian roster for European Games Baku 2015

    S : Bojana Zivkovic(4), Sladana Mirkovic(20)
    OPP : Ana Bjelica(13), Marta Drpa(2)
    MB : Milena Rasic(16), Jovana Stevanovic(15), Maja Savic(1), Mina Popovic(5)
    OH : Jelena Nikolic(12), Brizitka Molnar(7), Tijana Malesevic(6), Brankica Mihajlovic(9), Bianka Busa(21)
    L : Silvija Popovic(17)

  • Some things never change. Like many of you, I have hopes that Crncevic or Rankovic will be given a chance, but knowing Terzic's fascination with Molnar and Nikolic, I am sure he will call upon them as usual. They have been very good players in the past (especially Nikolic), but their time in the NT should be over. I'm not even going to comment on Terzic ignoring Blagojevic again, I feel I do that every year, I have no idea what his problem is with her!

  • Malešević's performance at the European Games has been quite encouraging. She finally wasn't there just to make up the numbers, she had a role to perform and did it alright. Hopefully she keeps it up in the future. Generally all Serbian OHs played on a decent level, which wasn't always the case before. Mihajlović has been quite unstable, though, that needs to be addressed. Nikolić showed that she still has something to offer, fingers crossed that her injury isn't serious.


    On the other hand, it's clear we desperately need Bošković back.

  • Terzic announced the official 18 players for World Cup. The whole team will be in full composition of Monday, 27 July. The first group of players started training again on Wednesday, July 22, and the second group on Friday, July 24.



    S : Maja Ognjenović, Bojana Živković, Slađana Mirković
    OPP : Ana Bjelica, Marta Drpa, Tijana Bošković
    MB : Milena Rašić, Stefana Veljković, Jovana Stevanović, Maja Savić, Mina Popović
    OH : Jelena Nikolić, Brižitka Molnar, Brankica Mihajlović, Tijana Malešević, Bjanka Buša
    L : Silvija Popović, Suzana Ćebić

  • So, is this the best Serbia has ever played? I think so. This team is definitely better than the one that won bronze at WCh '06 and silver at ECh '07, and probably slightly better than the European champions from 2011.
    I really wish we had another good libero coming up, though.

  • So, is this the best Serbia has ever played? I think so. This team is definitely better than the one that won bronze at WCh '06 and silver at ECh '07, and probably slightly better than the European champions from 2011.
    I really wish we had another good libero coming up, though.


    I think this team is little weaker than 2011.. Thing is Mihajlovic is stronger attacker than Nikolic was then, but Nikolic passed better. Molnar was passing and defending solid but also was attacking and serving on a high level which caused problems for opponents. Rasic and Maja are the same, but Krsmanovic was more effective than Stevanovic, better blocker.


    Can't Serbia try and convert Rankovic to libero? She is a good passer and defender

  • I think this team is little weaker than 2011.. Thing is Mihajlovic is stronger attacker than Nikolic was then, but Nikolic passed better. Molnar was passing and defending solid but also was attacking and serving on a high level which caused problems for opponents. Rasic and Maja are the same, but Krsmanovic was more effective than Stevanovic, better blocker.


    Can't Serbia try and convert Rankovic to libero? She is a good passer and defender

    Yeah, I probably agree that 2011 was better, but it is close. I actually think Rasic is better now than she was then, but I'd also say Cebic was better then and although Boskovic is very good, I don't think she's better than 2011 Brakocevic.

  • I think Bošković is already more stable than Brakočević ever was. I don't see Jovana playing this many games on such a high level as Tijana has done here. But the 2011 had a secret weapon in Malagurski and it's something we don't really have now. And of course, both Maja and Ana were on the team in 2011.
    It's really close. But I think this team just has that little extra something that I didn't see in the that team back then.