Serbian NT 2017

  • I like Živković's self-awareness. She acknowled that she's been setting to the wing spikers more than Maja Ognjenović used to do, but she added that Tijana and Brankica were in such good form that it was a reasonable thing to do in those circumstances, which I agree with. She also admitted that her sets to the MBs in the semifinal were not good, but hopes no one will remember it after everything was said and done. :D


    It's also very good to hear that the whole team is very supportive of Ana Antonijević and she is definitely counted on for the future competitions.

  • It's also very good to hear that the whole team is very supportive of Ana Antonijević and she is definitely counted on for the future competitions.

    That is very good, indeed. However, what if Maja decides for one last push for WCh the next year, do you still think Ana would accept the invitation to be a bench setter? I just worry that those rumours about why she was absent from the NT for more than 5 years (besides the injuries) are true. :gone:


    And yeah, some of those Bojana's sets to MB's in the semi and final were comical, bless her. :rolll: Remember that one where Stefana swinged with her right hand, but after missing managed just to push the ball over the net with her left? :lol:

  • I like Živković's self-awareness. She acknowled that she's been setting to the wing spikers more than Maja Ognjenović used to do, but she added that Tijana and Brankica were in such good form that it was a reasonable thing to do in those circumstances, which I agree with. She also admitted that her sets to the MBs in the semifinal were not good, but hopes no one will remember it after everything was said and done. :D


    It's also very good to hear that the whole team is very supportive of Ana Antonijević and she is definitely counted on for the future competitions.

    I also liked her self-awareness but it's not like she only set to wing spikers in this summer. She always sets to wing spikers way too much. I would understand it if she had bad MBs but she has very very good middles in her club and NT team.

  • That is very good, indeed. However, what if Maja decides for one last push for WCh the next year, do you still think Ana would accept the invitation to be a bench setter? I just worry that those rumours about why she was absent from the NT for more than 5 years (besides the injuries) are true. :gone:


    And yeah, some of those Bojana's sets to MB's in the semi and final were comical, bless her. :rolll: Remember that one where Stefana swinged with her right hand, but after missing managed just to push the ball over the net with her left? :lol:


    Maja is still in a good shape, if she wants, she could indeed play even in 2020 (36 is not an old age for a setter). On the other hand, SRB is already in great shape with even Zivkoviç, they don't need Maja :cheesy:

  • Maja is still in a good shape, if she wants, she could indeed play even in 2020 (36 is not an old age for a setter). On the other hand, SRB is already in great shape with even Zivkoviç, they don't need Maja :cheesy:

    Yes but with Zivkovic, i cannot say i see them in OG final. With that kind of play, it's hard to reach final agains China, Usa, Brazil etc.

  • I like Živković's self-awareness. She acknowled that she's been setting to the wing spikers more than Maja Ognjenović used to do, but she added that Tijana and Brankica were in such good form that it was a reasonable thing to do in those circumstances, which I agree with. She also admitted that her sets to the MBs in the semifinal were not good, but hopes no one will remember it after everything was said and done. :D


    It's also very good to hear that the whole team is very supportive of Ana Antonijević and she is definitely counted on for the future competitions.


    Does Zivkvic has any kids? I follow her on instagram and she always post photos with some kids, I`m just wondering if they are hers.


    It was kind of a waste for Volero to keep both, her and Antonjevic. But I get a feeling Zivkovic wanted to stay anyways, she seams really comfortable living in Zurich.

  • From what Maja has said I will be very surprised if she comes back to the NT, especially now that Serbia have proved they can have success without her.


    Zivkovic is boring, but she usually does a solid enough job and when Tijana is in the form she was in at the ECH then that is all that is needed at least against the European teams. It may be different against China and Brazil and their tactically skilled coaches

  • Later stages of play-offs are usually shown on national TV. Some regular season games too, but not too often, unfortunately. I believe some local TV stations show some matches too, but it's doubtful if it can be watched online. I'll put links here if I find any.


    Terzić is not happy about the new World League (or the Volleyball League of Nations or whatever) format. He thinks it's too long, physically demanding and not in the players' best interest, and he's not sure most teams will be fully committed to it. He's already stated that WCh will be Serbia's absolute top priority next season.
    He talked about the individual performances of Serbian players at ECh, praising the most of them, of course. He'll rarely openly criticize a player, however, now he said that Buša has stagnated lately and needs to work harder if she wants to keep a spot on the team. Amen to that.

  • What happened to Sara Klisura? She was supposed to be a good prospect when she was playing in junior NT and then she just disappeared :what:

  • What happened to Sara Klisura? She was supposed to be a good prospect when she was playing in junior NT and then she just disappeared :what:



    I always wanted to ask that as well, what about Sara Kilsura? At least until last season she was playing in Romenia, but I have never seen her playing before and I checked wiki and she played in Italy in her first pro season? So I wonder what happened from there.


    Serbia is such a small country with not a lot of options of players, they can`t let young prospects pass by like this.


    That`s why in the US every year "hundreds" of girls goes to the National Team boot/training camp, so instead of spending the summer doing "whatever" they spend the summer playing volleyball. But I would assume a lot of countries and that includes Serbia does not have the $$$ to afford this kind of thing every summer and they can only afford to invite a short amount of players and with that a lot of prospects players gets wasted.


    From example Lauren Carlini and Hancock has spent every summer with the National Team since they were around 18 even tough they never made to the Senior Roster. I don`t think Danica Rankovic and Mirkovic got any of that, I think they got to practice only when they were among the TOP 3 setters running for that X year. For example as far as I know, Mirkovic was not with the National Team this summer for mostly of the time, so when Antonjevic could not play, is when she was called in, and when she got the call she was probably at home. While Carlini did not play in the GP, but she was the whole time at the US gym and not at home....

  • Sara Klisura went the way of Nataša Čikiriz, Ivana Nešović, Marta Drpa and a lot of other prospects who showed big promise at an early age that failed to materialize. They also had some physical issues.
    I believe (and Terzić agrees with me :D) that it happens because they play way too much while they're still too young (all of them were starters in their clubs and played full seasons already at the age of 16-17, plus all the youth/junior competitions during the summer), which leads to physical and mental burnout.
    But it's difficult to do something about it because there's simply no money in Serbian league, so almost all players are: very young and looking to make a name for themselves and move abroad; part-time players with a foot already in other careers; or veterans returning from abroad to play a season or two more before they retire.

  • Klisura had some shoulder injury which prevented her from playing even in the junior categories.. am I right? She was a monster, I remember that


    You might be right, she didn't play in U21 WCh indeed, which costed Serbia to have one of the worse ranking in junior competitions


    Her teammates from that junior NT, Stevanoviç, Bjelica, Pusiç, Radenkoviç managed to keep improving and made their way to senior NT although Klisura was clearly the best player among these players at that time.


    Saviç was also a great prospect at that time but she also never made it to senior team. Having Rasiç, Veljkoviç and Stevanoviç in front of her made her life hard

  • Klisura had some shoulder injury which prevented her from playing even in the junior categories.. am I right? She was a monster, I remember that


    She was practising with ŁKS Łódź last season but she didn't play well and the club decided to not sign the contract.


    Speaking about Savic, she played for NT in 2015. When she started playing in Poland, she was just average player but she plays better and better every season. Last week she scored 19 pts in polish league.

  • Tijana Bošković is the European player of the year :thumbsup: She'll be officially awarded at the CEV ceremony tonight, although she won't be able to be present and accept the award herself.

    As I wrote on the Turkish league thread:


    Any other choice would have been injustice. She was MVP of European Championship, displaying one of the most dominant performances in any single tournament by any player in this century (without Maja and Milena, and with Brankica playing subpar for her standards throughout the competition, Serbia still cruised to the title with only 2 lost sets in 6 matches, and with Tijana scoring 22 points per match on average). She was also MVP of Pool B of 2018 FIVB World Championship qualification (CEV), best OOP of this years Grand Prix, and is thus far the best player of a team sharing 1st place in arguably the best European league.