That brings back memories and pain
Anne Matthes' superfail serve will never disappear from Youtube again now I guess...
Serbia NT 2020
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Just finished watching the match, some of my thoughts:
Serbia
- Ognjenovic still had a baby face back then
She improved her game so much, she became more stabe. This again shows how important experience is for the setter position.- For me Molnar was the silent weapon for the Serbian team. She hold the team together and was really important in all aspects of the game!
- Rasic attack back then was better than her blovk and now it's the other way around
- Krsmanovic is a good example of an all around middle blocker. She had a fast slide attack and good block.
- IMO Nikolic is a bit overrated player, not a great attacker nor a good receiver
- Brakocevic didn't play a good match. I never noticed she was so slow in defence
Curious why she won the MVP award in the end?- So sad Malagurski had so much injuries in her career. She had so much potential!
Germany
- Weiss is a good setter IMO. She was one of the first setter able to play a fast game when they were in system.
- Fürst had amazing blocking technique!
- Grün was a great all around player in every aspect!
- Kozuch had a big arsenal and variation in attack.
BTW great atmosphere and that serve at the end of the game was a big anticlimax
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I don't agree on Nikolic.. She has always been a very stable player for Sebia, and their leader, even when they were far from world's top teams. This was one of the last years she played on a high level, then her form went down.
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Display MoreJust finished watching the match, some of my thoughts:
Serbia
- Ognjenovic still had a baby face back then
She improved her game so much, she became more stabe. This again shows how important experience is for the setter position.- For me Molnar was the silent weapon for the Serbian team. She hold the team together and was really important in all aspects of the game!
- Rasic attack back then was better than her blovk and now it's the other way around
- Krsmanovic is a good example of an all around middle blocker. She had a fast slide attack and good block.
- IMO Nikolic is a bit overrated player, not a great attacker nor a good receiver
- Brakocevic didn't play a good match. I never noticed she was so slow in defence
Curious why she won the MVP award in the end?- So sad Malagurski had so much injuries in her career. She had so much potential!
Germany
- Weiss is a good setter IMO. She was one of the first setter able to play a fast game when they were in system.
- Fürst had amazing blocking technique!
- Grün was a great all around player in every aspect!
- Kozuch had a big arsenal and variation in attack.
BTW great atmosphere and that serve at the end of the game was a big anticlimax
I agree with everything you said. It's a shame Grün couldn't keep her usual level of reception in the final, and I still remember her face like WFT? when she got awarded best receiver
It's really interesting to watch so many old matches these days, also from Italian league. With hindsight, many players seem much better than I thought they were back in the days
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It's really interesting to watch so many old matches these days, also from Italian league. With hindsight, many players seem much better than I thought they were back in the days
I'm a new fan compared to most people on here and the impression I get from watching older matches is that the current generation generally has a bit more power than older players but seem to have lost some of the technical skill as well as some more subtle qualities like variety in attack and anticipation in defence.
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more subtle qualities like [...] anticipation in defence
Yes ^
I notice that a lot watching older matches. I also see that in the hierarchy of Japanese leagues I watch. What elevates the NT players from the high-schoolers and 9-ballers is their intuition and dedication to playing defense until it's time to play offense.
And man oh man, poor girl who served that match point in GER v SER. A 'superfail' indeed. But it's not like she lost the match. It just looked funny and came at an inopportune time.
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I'm a new fan compared to most people on here and the impression I get from watching older matches is that the current generation generally has a bit more power than older players but seem to have lost some of the technical skill as well as some more subtle qualities like variety in attack and anticipation in defence.
Nowdays you even struggle to find a player who can actually set the ball in place of the setter.
Technical skills completely disappeared: I remember when I was 13/14 I had to play opposite instead of wing spiker, despite I didn't like it, because I was the worst passer of the team, but now, many years later, I'm the best passer of my team, mostly made of teenagers who can jump on the sky, by very far... there are some games where I have about 50% of perfect passing and the closest of my teammates is about 10%.
And it's not just passing. They can't kill high balls or out of system, while they make holes on the taraflex with fast sets, so I'm the only one left to deal with the trash setting. 
#OnlyGoodVibes
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Nowdays you even struggle to find a player who can actually set the ball in place of the setter.
Technical skills completely disappeared: I remember when I was 13/14 I had to play opposite instead of wing spiker, despite I didn't like it, because I was the worst passer of the team, but now, many years later, I'm the best passer of my team, mostly made of teenagers who can jump on the sky, by very far... there are some games where I have about 50% of perfect passing and the closest of my teammates is about 10%.
And it's not just passing. They can't kill high balls or out of system, while they make holes on the taraflex with fast sets, so I'm the only one left to deal with the trash setting. #OnlyGoodVibes
But maybe they are on your level of couple years ago and you are at the level of the old ones ..
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But maybe they are on your level of couple years ago and you are at the level of the old ones ..
Who knows!
My point is that at my time I was considered a weak passer, but right now I'm an amazing one: this is something to think (and concern) about nowdays volleyball players and their technical skills.
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Serbia
- Ognjenovic still had a baby face back then
She totally did! And to think she was 27 and had been playing for NT for almost a decade by that point!
- Brakocevic didn't play a good match. I never noticed she was so slow in defence
Curious why she won the MVP award in the end?She had a flu for semi and final, and she played those matches subpar (particularly final) but was a world-beater up until then. She got it on the basis of that (and it would be unfair to give MVP award to Malagurski just for being the best player in the final match).
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Yeah, Maja looks almost unrecognizable. I don't think the others changed that much.
Molnar was the true MPV of the final. One of her career best performances and probably the last one on such a high level. Sadly, her body started giving up on her soon.
Nikolić was coming off a rather bad injury and would have certainly skipped this tournament if not for a once in a lifetime chance to play such a major event in her hometown. I remember her talking about how she used to spend a couple of more hours in the gym after each training every day so she chould be fit in time. I think she did well, all things considered.
It was such a nervy, tension filled match. Just thinking back to it makes my stomach react.
And it's so depressing to think that what was supposed to be Malagurski's arrival to the big scene and an announcement of her as a future great turned out to be her swan song, as she got that terrible injury literally the next time she played a match and was never the same again. -
Yeah Maja's whole face has changed, for the better I mean. Almost like her bone structure is different now. I don't know if it's fillers or simply good aging
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Bogdan do you know when Serbian NT camp will end? I've heard Jelena Blagojević will be back in Poland on Wednesday.
I think that training camp in Belgrade (A team) held between 1.6. and 15.6.
So camp is already finished. Some player from Ub (younger, future players) after two weeks left that camp and Busa, Lozo, Lazovic, Perovic, Mirkovic replace them for another two weeks of preparations, but other A players probably finished their trainings with 15. june. (including Blagojevic ofc)
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Stefana Veljković is pregnant
She's due to give birth in February, so she's obviously skipping the next season but hasn't given up on playing at the Olympics and hopes to be ready by then.
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Congrats to her and Lisinac!
Really hope she is ready to play at the Olympics, she was in great shape lately and one of the best middle blockers in the world!
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Stefana Veljković is pregnant
She's due to give birth in February, so she's obviously skipping the next season but hasn't given up on playing at the Olympics and hopes to be ready by then.
Congrats to the most beautiful couple in volleyball!
But IF she doesn’t get back in shape in time next year, who can fill the remaining 2 spots of MB after Rasic & Popovic? I don’t think Terzic will ever invite Stevanovic to the NT again.
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Congrats to the most beautiful couple in volleyball!
But IF she doesn’t get back in shape in time next year, who can fill the remaining 2 spots of MB after Rasic & Popovic? I don’t think Terzic will ever invite Stevanovic to the NT again.
May be Aleksic
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And imagine how tall that child are going to be, another brilliant MB in the making!
