Captain of the Serbian national team Tijana Bošković and the legendary setter Maja Ognjenović are almost certainly going to be available for Serbia's first match of the third week of the Nations League against Bulgaria. This was confirmed by head coach Zoran Terzić to Serbian media.
The two experienced volleyball players are already training with the national team in preparation for the tournament in Belgrade (July 8-12), and according to Terzić, their chance of making the final 14-player squad is "99.9 percent".
"It's better to have a longer period to work with them than a short one just before the tournament," commented Terzić. He specified that how much playing time Bošković and Ognjenović will get will depend solely on their current physical condition and level of readiness.
The hosts' first opponent is Bulgaria, with the match taking place on July 8 at 9:00 PM Bulgarian time in the Belgrade Arena.
There is also positive news from the Bulgarian camp. Opposite hitter Iva Dudova, who will wear the jersey of Turkish giant Eczacıbaşı Dynavit from the new season, is already training with the national team. The young national player underwent a surgical intervention at the beginning of the season and for this reason missed the first two tournaments of the Nations League. Despite her return to the training process, at this stage it seems unlikely that she will be included in the squad for Belgrade. Expectations are that her preparation will be mainly focused on the Women's European Championship, which starts at the end of August.
Bulgaria's Schedule in Belgrade (Pool 7, Week 3 of the Nations League 2026):
July 8- Bulgaria - Serbia,9:00 PM
July 10- Bulgaria - Czechia,5:30 PM
July 11- Bulgaria - France,5:30 PM
July 12- Bulgaria - Germany,5:30 PM
photo:cev.eu
