Slovenia will be without two of its most experienced volleyball players in the quarter-final against Turkey from the Final Eight of the Volleyball Nations League in Ningbo. Head coach Fabio Soli will not be able to count on opposite spiker Tonček Štern and libero Jani Kovačič, who are continuing their recovery from injuries. The good news for the Slovenians is the return of middle blocker Alen Pajenk, who is now fully recovered and included in the final squad announced by the Slovenian Volleyball Federation.

Slovenia squad for the Final Eight:
Setters:Uroš Planinšič, Nejc Najdič.
Opposite spiker:Nik Mujanović.
Outside hitters:Tine Urnaut, Rok Možič, Rok Bračko, Klemen Šen, Luka Marovt.
Middle blockers:Alen Pajenk, Jan Kozamernik, Sašo Štalekar, Janž Kržič, Jošt Kržič.
Libero:Grega Okroglič.
The match between Slovenia and Turkey, which will be played on July 29, is of significant interest to Bulgaria due to the battle in the world rankings. Currently, Turkey occupies 9th place with 275.14 points, while Bulgaria is 10th with 272.25 points.
If they win against world No. 5 Slovenia, the Turks will increase their lead over Bulgaria by at least 8.35 points (with a 3:2 victory) and reach a minimum of 283.49 points. However, if Turkey loses 0:3 or 1:3, they will lose enough points and relinquish 9th place to Bulgaria immediately after the quarter-final.
Thus, the outcome of the Slovenian-Turkish clash will be significant not only for the distribution of medals in the VNL but also for the positions in the world rankings, where Bulgaria is directly monitoring the performance of its southern neighbors.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov