The women’s national team of Montenegro has been training for a second week in Herceg Novi, where they are preparing for the start of the CEV European Silver League. At the beginning of the camp, head coach Milorad Krunić had 13 players at his disposal, and now the team has expanded with the addition of Katarina Budrak and Dijana Vuković, who have finished their club season abroad.
“The team is back together after eight months, with a slightly changed composition. I joined after a very difficult season, with a lot of games, but I will try to rest as soon as possible and give my best to help the team to achieve the best result even though we have a younger squad. After one training session, the team left a positive impression on me, I like the atmosphere and I think that with good work we can achieve good results”, said Dijana Vuković, Player of Team Montenegro
The Montenegrin players are working hard to get in shape and prepare for one of the challenges coming up this year. In the home of the newly crowned national champions, Herceg Novi, Milorad Krunić’s girls are getting ready for matches with the Faroe Islands, Portugal, and Georgia scheduled from May 27 to June 16. After the end of their club seasons in Romania and France, Dijana Vuković from C.S.O. Voluntari and Bordeaux player Katarina Budrak are reunited with their teammates.
“After a week of rest, I joined the preparations of the senior national team and started training with them. The team is not too different from last year, so I can say that the positive work that started last summer continues, which I could feel right at the first training. The girls and staff are motivated, and we enjoy what we are doing. A little more than two weeks of hard work await us before the first game, and we hope for good results and, to begin with, that we will qualify for the Final Four of the Silver League. I only hope that we stay healthy, that there will be no injuries, even though most of us finished the club season right before the start of the national team camp,” said Katarina Budrak.
The roster will be full on May 18, when Danijela Džaković, from Italian side Assitec, will join the training sessions. Nikoleta Perović, in agreement with head coach Krunić, will miss the action in the pool stage of the Silver League due to a long and tiring season, as well as to nurse chronic knee problems. Nikoleta will be with the national team again next year.
As part of the preparations, Montenegro will play two test matches with the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina on May 20 and 21 in Zenica.
OSCG President Cvetko Pajkovic is confident that the team will achieve good results
“It is working great. The national team is almost complete, head coach Krunić and his colleagues are increasing the pace of work. The national team has all the conditions to work in the best way. In addition to a good hall, there is also a gym. The positive interaction with the new head coach that started last summer continues this year. I was convinced that the atmosphere is excellent. I expect that the results will not be lacking. It is up to us to help make sure the preparations go according to plan,” said Cvetko Pajković, President of the Volleyball Federation of Montenegro.