On Sunday, the Croatian U17 national volleyball team closed the U17 European Championship in Serbia in an impressive manner. After 106 minutes of play, the team clinched a deserving bronze medal in the fight for third place against Greece, winning with a score of 3:1 (25:21, 22:25, 25:21, 25:10).
The most impactful players on the Croatian side were Maša Mlinar with 21 points, Lana Francetić with 15 points, and Iva Ucović with 11 points. The team also showed dominance in blocks, securing 12 direct points, five of which were attributed to Klara Vasilj. Moreover, the Croatians led in attack points 48-37 and served five aces against their opponents’ two.
This accomplishment showcases the vast potential and bright future for Croatian women’s volleyball, which has made remarkable strides in recent years. The country is on track to join the top ranks of European and global volleyball. The only defeat they encountered during the tournament was against the eventual gold medal winners, Turkey, signaling the growing strength of Croatian volleyball.
Head Coach Miodrag Miki Stojaković expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance. “We started this European Championship with a victory, and ended with a victory. We deservedly celebrated in the fight for third place and won the bronze!” he said after the match.
The team’s captain, Lana Francetić, who scored the match-ending point, was thrilled with the outcome. “We were overwhelmed by great emotions, we are still not sure what is happening, we are overjoyed about this and we are going home with a medal around our necks!” she exclaimed in the midst of her celebrating teammates.
In the end, it was a well-deserved victory for the Croatian team, marking a significant milestone in their development and progress in the international volleyball scene.
