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Romania part of great spectacle in Verona on #EuroVolleyW opening

by Press 16/08/2023

written by Press

Italy started with the right step their EuroVolley 2023 campaign on the home soil, by winning 3:0 first game of Pool B over Romania, in the amazing atmosphere at monumental Arena di Verona.

Good start in Eurovolley 2023 for defending champs Italy, who easily defeated 3:0 Romania in the emotional atmosphere of Arena di Verona, home of the opening game of European Championships, with top Volleyball back in this great venue after 35 years.

Davide Mazzanti started the game with superstar Paola Egonu from the bench, with captain Myriam Sylla who drove the Azzurre to a good start in first set, together with middle blocker Anna Danesi and outside hitter Ekaterina Antropova. It was the captain to seal last point of first set, for the Italian win 25-19.

In second set Romania resisted until 5-5, then Italian team stepped up again, showed their talent forcing Romanian head coach to call a timeout on 13-7, with an ace of Antropova. The Azzurre kept the distances during all second set, with some up and downs for Italy and with a couple of good plays by Romania, but with Alice Degradi who stepped up coming from the bench, concluding second setwith a powerful crosscourt the second set’s winning point at 25-19 again.

In third set Romania started 2-0 and the game remained balanced until 10-10, but after a couple of good plays for italian spikers, Italy made the decisive break leading 19-13, to finish third set 25-15 with a final spike of Ekaterina Antropova, which gave the win to Italy.

During all the game Italy always seemed in control, containing the attacks and the serves of the Romanian, stepping up in the right moments of the sets, takiong home a well deserved win.

Good impact on the game for Alice Degradi, coming from the bench in first and second set, both times making the difference with winning points and aces, remaining on the court in third set scoring some more points.

In the end, the 27 year old spiker scored 12 points, with a strong 67% in attack.

The best scorer of the game was Ekaterina Antropova with 13 points. For Romania, the best scorer was Adelina Budai-Ungureanu with 12 points.

It was a great night at the Arena di Verona, with almost 9000 enthusiastic fans, a great Volleyball showdown starting EuroVolley 2023, in the best location in the world for an opening game.

“It’s crazy here, we were so emotioned for this match, we saw all the people here to see us play, we were so excited for this. We have to play how we know, expressing our potential at the best, we did it and I’m so happy”
Alice Degradi
Italy outside hitter

16/08/2023 0 comments

Feelings and hopes shared during second stop of EuroVolley Trophy Tour in Skopje

by Press 16/08/2023

written by Press

There are still 15 days left until the start of the sports event that the Macedonian Volleyball family has been looking forward to since the moment CEV announced that Skopje would be one of the cities where EuroVolley 2023 Men was to take place. The excitement could be felt in the air at Tuesday’s press conference at the Agency for Youth and Sports, where the trophy of the continental championship and the new jerseys of Team MKD were displayed and promoted.

“There is no better feeling for an athlete when he looks at the trophy of such a high-ranking event. As a handball player, I did not have the opportunity to play at the European Championship at home and that is why I want to tell the Macedonian players that this is a great privilege for them,” said the director of the Agency Naumche Mojsoski, a former famous member of the handball national team of the country in the heart of the Balkans.

“It is a great honour for us to have the opportunity to draw motivation from watching the trophy for the best European team. We have been working for 30 days, we want to present ourselves in the best possible light, to make our fans happy and thus give additional value to Macedonian Volleyball,” said head coach Joshko Milenkoski, who led Türkiye at CEV EuroVolley 2017, but sees the present opportunity as the most satisfying of all his endeavours.

“If we cannot win the trophy, at least let’s be the most beautiful at CEV EuroVolley 2023,” said the charismatic captain of the Macedonian national team, Nikola Gjorgiev, as a joke, presenting the new design of the red-yellow jerseys. And then he added: “It will be a huge success for us if we play in the Top 16 in Bari. That will mean that we have won this trophy that is in front of you.”

Inviting the spectators to come to CEV EuroVolley 2023 and be the seventh player of the Macedonian national team, Gjorgiev used the opportunity to say that he is enjoying these days because from Friday to Sunday the 47th traditional memorial tournament Chajka will take place in Boris Trajkovski hall with visitors from three continents. Egypt, Japan, and Greece should be a good warm-up for the most significant act in the repertoire of Macedonian Volleyball. The red-and-yellow hope that it will be the brightest one as well.

16/08/2023 0 comments

Main Montenegro

The young gem of Montenegrin Volleyball, Nikola Djurović, dreams of competing at EuroVolley

by Press 16/08/2023

written by Press

The players of Team Montenegro look forward to their third straight participation in CEV EuroVolley Men. The preparations in Kolašin have been running in full swing for almost a month, with intense training sessions and two test matches against Israel.
The Balkan players performed well by registering a victory and a defeat in a total of 10 sets played against one of the organisers of EuroVolley 2023.

17-year-old Nikola portrayed during one of the friendly matches with Israel

The contribution of the younger players is especially a source of joy, with the youngest – the middle blocker of Jedinstvo, Nikola Djurović (17), drawing a lot of attention. In the first match, he was part of the lineup that completed a comeback from 0-2, scoring six points in the process. In the second match against Israel, he also played a prominent role at the net, ending the game with six points to his name.

“I received a lot of trust from the coach in the matches against Israel, and I hope I lived up to his expectations. The feeling was great, being on the court with more experienced and skilled players is truly an honour for me. I am relatively satisfied with my performance, and with a few corrections pointed out by the coach, I shall become even more competitive,” said the modest young player from Bijelo Polje.

Nikola is a gem of Montenegrin Volleyball, who, along with a few other juniors and younger seniors, is gaining valuable experience from their more seasoned teammates. He emphasises that every moment spent with the national team means a lot to him.

“Being the youngest member, it is my duty to respect the older players. Through my dedication and work ethic, I try to help both the coach and my teammates. The time I spend with the national team means a lot to me, not only for the experience I gain but also for the individual progress that will greatly benefit my career,” said Nikola.

Djurović represents a significant promise for the future and is an important piece of the puzzle for head coach Ivan Joksimović, who has embarked on a process of rejuvenating the team and creating a selection that has been rewarded with a spot in the European Championship as a testament to their talent and hard work.
There is a clear and significant progress in Nikola’s game, who was not even in contention for making the junior team not long ago, and now he is on the verge of competing at the senior European Championship.

The youngster represented Montenegro at last year’s #EuroVolleyU22M

“The improvement in my game is definitely the result of hard work, effort, and dedication during the previous season. With the selfless help and daily commitment from my club coach, Darko Prebiračević, there has been a tremendous improvement in my game. I also cannot forget my teammates who have always been there for me, and I thank them on this occasion,” said Djurović. He is excited to have the opportunity to learn from teammates like Blažo Milić and other experienced national team players.

“We all know that the European Championship is a showcase of the best, and it is a great honour and pleasure to be among the best at the age of 17. Making it among the top 14 is not a small feat, and I am giving my all and hoping for the best. Sharing the volleyball court with some of the best players and teams in the world is a dream come true for me, and it provides space for further progress.”Nikola Djurović

For the third time in its history, Montenegro will play in the EuroVolley and compete in Pool C in Skopje. Besides the hosts North Macedonia, their rivals will include the winners of the recently concluded Volleyball Nations League, Poland, as well as the Netherlands, Czechia, and Denmark. The goal is to be among the top four teams and secure a spot in Bari for the Round of 16, where Montenegro would face one of the teams from Pool A, consisting of Italy, Serbia, Germany, Belgium, Estonia, and Switzerland.

“As I have mentioned, the European Championship is a showcase of the best, and it will be a real challenge to fight for a spot in the second phase. However, despite our youthful lineup, the quality we possess gives us optimism, and I believe that we can take a step further compared to our previous performances and advance to the second phase of the competition,” concluded Djurović.

The European Championship, which is played not only in North Macedonia and Italy but also in Israel and Bulgaria, will take place from August 28 to September 16. Ivan Joksimović’s team will have their first match at the Boris Trajkovski Sports Centre on August 31 against the Netherlands.

The opportunities for victories that could lead to the knockout phase lie in the second and third rounds (September 2 and 3) against North Macedonia and Denmark.

Before the journey to Skopje, Montenegro will have two more test matches against the Japan B team on August 23 and 24 in Kolašin.

Djurović has been honing his skills playing for Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje

16/08/2023 0 comments

Main North Macedonia

Trophy tour held in Kavadarci as EuroVolley co-hosts play friendly matches

by Press 15/08/2023

written by Press

The Macedonian and Israeli national teams may not be the ‘real giants’ of European Volleyball and do not have any medals and trophies from past editions of the European Championships, but they can be proud of the fact that they are co-organisers of the upcoming CEV EuroVolley 2023 Men. Both national teams played friendly matches in the Macedonian city of Kavadarci and jointly promoted the trophy, which will be gracing the showcases of the best team from the continental competition due to take place in two weeks from now.

The result of the friendly matches was 1-1, the first was won by the hosts 3-2 (17-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-19, 15-10), and the second went the way of Israel in straight sets (25-15, 25-23, 25-22). Expecting good results from CEV EuroVolley 2023, Volleyball rivals on the field, and friends off it, the players of the two teams wished each other the achievement of their goals, which is a good performance and securing a spot among the Top 16 in Europe.

The Volleyball Federation of North Macedonia hopes that these promotional activities will contribute to the Boris Trajkovski sports hall becoming a real Volleyball temple in the eight days from August 30 to September 6 when the Macedonian capital Skopje will host a pool of the European Championship for the second time in history. The first time was in 1975, but within the former Yugoslavia, and this year the Macedonian Volleyball family will have the honour of offering sports fans the first men’s senior European championship in any sport since the country gained independence in 1991. It is a responsibility, but also a privilege at the same time.

Team captains and head coaches pose with the EuroVolley trophy

That is why the Trophy Tour will continue at the Agency for Youth and Sports, and then at the traditional memorial tournament Chajka scheduled from August 18 to 20 with the participation of representatives from three continents: Europe (North Macedonia and Greece), Africa (Egypt) and Asia (Japan).

It seems that Skopje has decided to remain a bright spot on the Volleyball map and highlight the values that EuroVolley brings to all corners of the continent. The passion for Volleyball can only grow from now on.

15/08/2023 0 comments