Serbian Women's NT 2023

    Quote from Janko

    Another great post!

    I like your choices, particularly for OH. I would personally go for repeat of last year's VNL in letting Aleksic continue to rack up experience on the biggest stages (she showed very much that she is not among the very top of our roster in terms of dependability at WCH, so no need to rest her). Popovic is a known quantity, and you know exactly what you'll likely to get from her, in both good and bad ways. One of the main question marks is Lazovic. Two years ago she looked a clear-cut leader among all players younger than 1997. Last year, she was the player with the greatest regression (to the point that she looked to be absolute least useful member of WCH squad, even behind Jegdic).


    As for bolded, I think that's exactly the right strategy, and why Uzelac and Tica MUST play the whole VNL, regardless of how the rest of the squad will look like.

    Talking about Lazovic, i see her as vice Busa, her time will come with experience but she have a heart. Dont forget that she was on court on match points in final and semi final.


    About Aleksic, you are right that she need less rest, but for other reasons, she and Valefoglia will finish season much sooner than other core players.

    But i think you are wrong about other staff, she is our core player and with Boskovic and Lozo she will be main player in the next 5 years. I heard she was sick in last few games during WCH. But in general she played pretty good during whole summer.

    Quote from jelena

    I like to match up the strenghts and experience of players. For example, VNL’21 Lozo and Lazovic were starting every match, but toward the middle of the competition, Lozo was replaced with Mirosavljevic in the middle of every set - why? - because Lozo didn’t have good enough reception and defense to stay on the court with Lazovic who also has bad reception, even though she is better in attack than Mirosavljevic. Lazovic was the main scorer in that VNL'21 and Mirosavljevic was a better fit with her. So I would choose 1 young and 1 experienced player, or 2 attacking-minded players and 2 blocking/reception-minded players. This is just for fun, picking players that have more potential and playing them to improve and develop regardless of the results might be better in the long run.

    This bolded is IMO crucial.


    While i'm totaly fine with either youngster or full squad VNL i'm against mixing.


    Why? Our "core players" was so good as a team during both VNL and WCH, they reach astonishing level both in quality and atmosphere wise so mixing some of them with newcomers could cause a confidence problems. Yeah they are all high profile proffesional, but they are humans first of all.


    Also the reason why i'm more pro clear youngster VNL is pure work-life balance thing. One more is that the NT is main and usualy the only platform for our young players to make the bigger clubs in bigger leagues (which is definetly the important part of their future development). We don't have the privilege to look our U players in Vakifbank, Conegliano,.....,not even in Polish/German league.

    While that make our domestic league more interesting/quality and i love it, some of them have outgrown it. They are ready for next step.


    But totally agree, it's so fun to making the different lists and combinations, if i were in charge every week VNL would half team changed.

    Quote from volleySrb

    But i think you are wrong about other staff, she is our core player and with Boskovic and Lozo she will be main player in the next 5 years. I heard she was sick in last few games during WCH. But in general she played pretty good during whole summer.

    Source? Never heard anything like that. To me, it clearly looked to be the case of nerves. As Maja (Ognjenovic) mentioned in passing in that documentary recently, this was the first really big tournament (bigger than VNL) where Aleksic was a starter and one of the players from whom most was expected, and it showed. She was a nervous wreck, and I think nerves are her greatest obstacles, not the lack of talent or capability. That's in some ways good news, because nerves can be overcome with experience (hence the need to play as much as possible). Agree that she had a good summer prior to WCH.

    Aleksic is constatly under some sort of light injuries for years, she has a lot but not so serious health problems in last 5,6 years. Some was public some wasn't, but believe me, every resting period for her is investment for future, both her individual career and NT future.

    Quote from Janko

    ...One of the main question marks is Lazovic. Two years ago she looked a clear-cut leader among all players younger than 1997. Last year, she was the player with the greatest regression (to the point that she looked to be absolute least useful member of WCH squad, even behind Jegdic).


    As for bolded, I think that's exactly the right strategy, and why Uzelac and Tica MUST play the whole VNL, regardless of how the rest of the squad will look like.

    I don't think she was as bad as Jegdic, she at least played a great game against Japan. But I agree that she was not up to the level that was expected of her. In a scenario in which both Tica and Uzelac played really well maybe Lazovic can be left out for their development.

    I agree that the ambition and competitiveness wasn't the best at VNL'21 but the first 2 weeks weren't that bad. And the goal was to give them some international experience, which in the end was what they got.

    Tisma might be a player that is worth waiting another year, but Maja Ognjenovic started playing pretty early in senior competitions. I'm not saying she is at Maja's level but I believe she is the most promising at the setter position that we have, and getting her to transition early is at least a thing that should be considered.

    As I said, I haven't watched many Savic's games so I can't properly judge, but MIijevic was crushing it at our league, she could be at least a decent player if not at Bjelica's level at higher competition.


    The rest of the points I very much agree.

    Quote from Janko

    Source? Never heard anything like that. To me, it clearly looked to be the case of nerves. As Maja (Ognjenovic) mentioned in passing in that documentary recently, this was the first really big tournament (bigger than VNL) where Aleksic was a starter and one of the players from whom most was expected, and it showed. She was a nervous wreck, and I think nerves are her greatest obstacles, not the lack of talent or capability. That's in some ways good news, because nerves can be overcome with experience (hence the need to play as much as possible). Agree that she had a good summer prior to WCH.

    I think she said when she and Lozo was guests on K1, but i am not sure if is that interview.


    More about her, she is not afraid to put her hands at any ball, maybe she looked less impressive than Stevanovic, but one of the reason was because Drca much better play with slide attack and our reception was not always good.

    Quote from Bogdan

    Aleksic is constatly under some sort of light injuries for years, she has a lot but not so serious health problems in last 5,6 years. Some was public some wasn't, but believe me, every resting period for her is investment for future, both her individual career and NT future.

    And she is the only one who played the whole summer without break, Stevanovic had few weeks when she lost playoff with Busto but Maja played with Volero literally 24h before NT reunion.

    Quote from jelena

    I agree that the ambition and competitiveness wasn't the best at VNL'21 but the first 2 weeks weren't that bad. And the goal was to give them some international experience, which in the end was what they got.


    Yes we played good first 2 week, and when we had enough W so nobody can say we are disaster, he started to mix all. He started with "Vazno je ucestvovati" :lol:

    Aleksic had a great summer IMO. I think that playing every game too a toll on her and she wasn't on the level that she was at the start of the summer. I think she still needs a bit more experience but a year in Italian league might just be enough.


    I just wanted to point out that the second roster was just a fun list for me to create. And I agree that mixing might not be the best solution. Choosing that or all young squad is the key for next summer.

    Quote from volleySrb

    Yes we played good first 2 week, and when we had enough W so nobody can say we are disaster, he started to mix all. He started with "Vazno je ucestvovati" :lol:

    That game against USA, i was so mad.


    But also it is important to mention that we totaly fell apart after Lazovic injury (which wasn't that serious at all but she was keept away to be cut for OG list later :cursing:)

    That VNL was a big thing for me. It introduced me to some of our young players and got me interested in actually watching our league and to see their progression. So it will always be a special memory for me, but yeah, some of those games were tough to watch, we didn't even try to be competitive:wall:

    Why do I have a feeling lately that you are agreeing with everyone except me, Bogdan?;(


    Think of my feelings!










    :P

    I almost can't manage when this topic is this active. For example the current amount of posts are equal to 1/3 last year thread numbers (reached at half of July). There is so much fun ahead of us. I hope that we will contiue with such an interesting discussions. I've been lonely here for a while. :heart::rose:


    volleySrb  Janko  jelena JoanaBG

    Madden54  Olcay12

    Quote from Bogdan

    Also the reason why i'm more pro clear youngster VNL is pure work-life balance thing. One more is that the NT is main and usualy the only platform for our young players to make the bigger clubs in bigger leagues (which is definetly the important part of their future development). We don't have the privilege to look our U players in Vakifbank, Conegliano,.....,not even in Polish/German league.

    While that make our domestic league more interesting/quality and i love it, some of them have outgrown it. They are ready for next step.

    About that, after Olcay12 always want to still our babies while they are still young IMO i make some research.


    All Players from our starting 6 (boskovic excluded) played in our league to the age of 20-22. So Uzelac, Tica and Kurtagic are still young to send them in bigger leagues.


    But i agree that VNL will help them find better clubs in addition with gaining experience playing against different teams and world class players. And not just them, Markovic, Cirovic, Mirosavljevic... deserve big clubs.

    Wrong, LoL.


    About Aleksic is just a facts it's not on domain of our opinions. I don't know about her problems at WCH and there i'm actually with you, because she wasn't bad just at the end of the competition, she was solid to mediocre all along.

    Quote from Bogdan

    I almost can't manage when this topic is this active. For example the current amount of posts are equal to 1/3 last year thread numbers (reached at half of July). There is so much fun ahead of us. I hope that we will contiue with such an interesting discussions. I've been lonely here for a while. :heart::rose:


    volleySrb  Janko  jelena  JoanaBG

    Madden54  Olcay12

    It would be even more epic if we all be active during playoff of our super league. :lol:

    Man I wish I was able to contribute more to these discussions about future prospects but I’m not as familiar with the younger ones. I am however obviously very well versed on the main players and their backs ups. Here are some of my thoughts.


    Regarding Lazovic: she’s someone who I think is a very skilled player in most facets of the game and brings great energy. That being said I do think she’s too physically limited to be a full time starter for us with our goals in mind. I do like her and think she could give a different look off the bench.


    The Aleksic convo: I wish she got to run more slides. She has a great one and Bojana runs slides beautifully. It would be a way to get her more involved.


    I have a somewhat of a “hot take” on Lozo. After VNL I was really excited about her but I’m not so sure she’s the positive answer to pair with Buša. I’m hoping Uzelac can lock down tbis spot.


    Also I wanna take this opportunity to say that I am the biggest fan of Milenkovic and that she is so meaningful to this team even as just as DS

    Quote from volleySrb

    All Players from our starting 6 (boskovic excluded) played in our league to the age of 20-22. So Uzelac, Tica and Kurtagic are still young to send them in bigger leagues.

    This is a logical error, the use of something from which such a conclusion cannot be drawn. Look at our biggest stars. Uzelac and Osmajic are such a talents and more comparable to that kind of players like Veljkovic, Rasic,.....


    About Kurtagic, i completely agree she isn't ready for international stage, yet.

    Quote from Bogdan

    This is a logical error, the use of something from which such a conclusion cannot be drawn. Look at our biggest stars. Uzelac and Osmajic are such a talents and more comparable to that kind of players like Veljkovic, Rasic,.....


    About Kurtagic, i completely agree she isn't ready for international stage, yet.

    But Veljkovic go aboard at age of 22, Rasis 20 :roll: But yes, and mostly depend of choice of a club.


    Vanja Savic did huge mistake.

    I think that Sara Lozo said in an interview that playing in Russian league helped her grow so much. And that signing was after VNL21. So exposure to the international stage is huge for our players in regards to getting deals abroad. But I think that Gio is a coach that is good at developing young players and that it's worth going just for that.


    About players leaving our league... I just looked up when did Rasic and Veljkovic leave and it was at 20 and at 22 years old, but I think that the most important info was where did they go exactly. Rasic went to France, which at the time was a great league, and Veljkovic when to the Italian league. I don't think the when is as important as is where. Lozo is another example of that. Her biggest improvement happened in Russan league which is a big league compared to ours.