The Serbian women’s national volleyball team received a significant boost ahead of the Group A Olympic qualification tournament, set to take place in China from September 16. Maja Ognjenović, the team’s starting setter, has now joined her teammates in China, alleviating concerns for the team’s head coach, Giovanni Guidetti. Previously, both of the team’s starting setters were missing. Bojana Drča had to pull out due to family reasons, and Maja Ognjenović was recovering from a virus she had contracted prior to the EuroVolley semifinal.
With Ognjenović’s experience on their side, Serbia is optimistic about their chances in the Olympic qualifiers, where they will face formidable opponents including China, the Dominican Republic, Czech Republic, Mexico, Canada, Ukraine, and the Netherlands.
Giovanni Guidetti’s selected squad includes:
- Setters: Maja Ognjenović, Slađana Mirković, and Ana Jakšić.
- Opposites: Tijana Bošković and Ana Bjelica.
- Liberos: Teodora Pušić and Aleksandra Jegdić.
- Middle Blockers: Jovana Stevanović, Mina Popović, Maja Aleksić, and Hena Kurtagić.
- Outside Hitters: Bjanka Buša, Sara Lozo, Katarina Lazović, and Aleksandra Uzelac.
As part of Group A, Serbia will be competing with the likes of China, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Canada, the Czech Republic, Mexico, and Ukraine. Meanwhile, Group B in Tokyo will see teams such as Japan, Brazil, Turkey, Belgium, Bulgaria, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Peru. Over in Łódź for Group C, nations like Poland, Italy, the USA, Germany, Thailand, Colombia, Korea, and Slovenia will be vying for the top spots. The ultimate goal for all teams: securing one of the top two positions in their group to guarantee a place in the 2024 Olympic Games.
