Croatia NT 2019

Croatia NT 2019

Roster

Coach: Daniele Santarelli

OPP: Samanta Fabris, Barbara Dapic, Sanja Gamma (She played a lot as OH last year)

S: Bernarda Brcic, Lara Stimac, Klara Peric (I'm hoping for this happend)

OH: Karla Klaric, Lucija Mlinar, Katarina Pavicic, Natalia Tomic

MB: Martina Samadan, Ema Strunjak, Beta Dumancic, Bozena Butigan

L: Rene Sain, Nikolina Bozicevic

I really don't know what to expect from our NT, I don't know in which level they are. Yeah they showed good performance at QT for ECH but their opponents weren't so strong.

We have two very good players Samanta Fabris and Martina Samadan. We have great coach and We need to see how much He can affect at them as players. We already saw that He changed their way of playing. In last two matches MB were top scorers in the match. Brcic was using more MB than OH. But for higher level you need to have great reception and great reception and I don't believe that we have that, not yet.

Klaric really surprised me with her reception. She was so stabile, She improved a lot. I don't like her attacking She is tall but not athletic at all. We don't have good OH next to her. So I would stick with Sanja Gamma(Popovic) next to her.

I'm happy with our MB, I was saying before that Martina Samadan is gone shine because She is very strong attacker. The biggest potential is for me Bozena Butigan and I would gave her more chance than Beta Dumancic. I would even gave Strunjak more chance over Beta. Something is not right for me when It is comes for Beta.

Brcic showed nice performance, at that is. She needs to be much faster as player to have good transition but She is to tall(192cm) for setter so I don't believe that She can change that all.

Lara Stimac is very young setter I can tell a lot about her, She had her moment in last match and it was okey. Even though a lot of you guys don't agree with me I still believe that right now Klara Peric is the best setter that we have. She is performing really well in Slovenian team and in CEV competition. She knows how to play with MB and that is very important for Santarelli. I hopes that He will call her than He can decide is She good enough or not.

When it comes to libero I'm choosing Bozicevic over Sain. Nikolina improved a lot at reception. I couldn't believe it that She is the same player before two years ago when her reception for libero was terrible but last year She played great in that part.

Players that we have and they are not with NT: Matea Ikic (OH), Katarina Barun (OPP), Hana Čutura, Bernarda Cutuk(MB), Mia Jerkov(OH) and a lot of young girls that are in USA colleges( from the age of 18 till 22)

I don't what happend with Ivana Milos (MB) Is she playing somewhere and Ana Starcevic(OH) too??

Quote from MfG

Saw in MEVZA match stats that Katarina Luketic is in action again for Mladost Zagreb as OPP. She was with the University of Texas (NCAA) squad for a little while, but then left (homesick??). Maybe she can be a (future) back-up for Fabris as well.

I don't watch our league because it is bad but Katarina is nice and tall player I can't tell anything more about her...but what happend with "USA life" I don't know. She is not first one.

No this is not official list. This is are players who I see who can or will be in NT. Their is no many options anyway...

Maybe I would add Laura Milos (OH) I think She has or will end Her USA college journey very soon.

CEV Golden League - long roster

Setter: Bernarda Brčić, Klara Perić, Lea Deak, Lara Štimac, Vedrana Jakšetić

OH: Sanja Gamma, Lucija Mlinar, Lea Cvetnić, Ana Starčević, Katarina Pavičić, Antonia Volmut, Klara Klarić, Nika Stanović

MB: Martina Šamadan, Božana Butigan, Ema Strunjak, Beta Dumančić, Ivana Prokopić(Milos), Lara Vukasović

OPP: Samanta Fabris, Katarina Luketić, Barbara Đapić

Libero: Nikolina Božičević, Rene Sain, Ana Matić, Matea Rajković

Finally comeback of Klara Peric, I know a lot of you guys don’t like her but I like her a lot and I really do believe Santarelli can make huge impact on her. I like how She plays with MB and that is something that Santarelli really likes.

Comeback of Nikolina Bozicevic after her injury and great season in Hungary.

Strange to see Ana Starcevic here after She refused her invation many time.

Croatia is overall is missing strong OH, that is our main problem and I don’t see any future OH in near future.

Quote from Phil

Hmm I didn't see her playing this season to be honest but for me she wasn't good setter. Still remember when Gibby had to play instead of her cause she was horrible. Maybe she made a progress but still voleyball is team sport and remembering the case with ex-coach and accusation of rape...

I still don’t know what really happend with that. I got few calls from people in our federation because I run facebook profile of our Womens NT page and I posted about this situation. They weren’t happy Lol hahaha

First call from public agent than I got called from our president. But I got invation to visited them in their office but I say no.

Quote from Phil

What? Really?

The info about this case was also for example in polish media (I think also in italian) so the federation didn't stop the speculations. If I remember correctly Klara's boyfriend reported it to the croatian the media.

Yeah I’m not I good relationship with them because They don’t like my criticism hahaha, but still president was really nice

Our ex coach Miroslav Aksentijevic died in car accident R.I.P.

I think Samadan needed time to recover because She had small injury, but for Brcic I don’t know.